Honda hones an ultra-hot hatch

Volkswagen’s highly entertaining and sought-after Golf GTI will soon have another hot-hatch breathing down its neck -- namely, the all-new Honda Civic Type R.

Honda has confirmed that the high-performance version of the futuristic Civic hatch will be officially unveiled at March’s Geneva motor show, a year after the base model was revealed at the same show.

But before you start reaching for that chequebook you should be aware that the UK-built tearaway is a Euro proposition that’s not destined to set wheel on our shores. Instead, we get a vanilla-flavoured sedan sourced out of Thailand.

Honda has yet to reveal technical specs for the new-gen Type R, but our best guess suggests it will score either the 154kW 2.0-litre VTEC engine that powers the Integra Type S, or a hotter version of the new 1.7-litre unit offered in the base Euro Civic.

Although a non-entity here, the previous Civic Type R generated something of a cult following in Europe, thanks to its screaming VTEC engine, pin-sharp handling and affordable pricing -- a not too dissimilar formula to the DC2 Integra Type R that was sold here from 1999 to 2001.

Critics of the previous Civic Type R pointed to its harsh-riding suspension, but this is likely to be toned down for the next-gen car in order to make it a more user-friendly proposition in day-to-day driving.

However, serious hot-hatch diehards may be catered to with a more focused version known as the Type RR… Perhaps they should name it the Type Phwoar!