New Honda Civic Type R may bring first auto option

The new Honda Civic Type R could break with tradition by being available with the choice of an automatic transmission for the first time.

The storied Japanese hot hatch has been a manual-only proposition since it was first released in 1997, although that didn’t stop the previous generation setting numerous lap records and winning plenty of critical acclaim with its slick-shifting six-speed ’box.

But an automatic version would significantly increase its appeal, particularly when popular rivals like the Volkswagen Golf GTI remain an auto-only affair, and also give Honda a genuine rival for self-shifting versions of the Ford Focus ST and Hyundai i30 N.

That’s precisely what Honda is planning,

If it eventuates, the Type R’s first automatic option would be offered alongside the traditional six-speed manual transmission, which would likely remain the enthusiast’s choice.

Honda remains tight-lipped on the matter but did show the new Civic Type R in prototype form at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this month as development work continues on what it promises will be the “best performing Civic Type R ever”.

Marketing rhetoric aside, we still don’t know exact specifications of the 2022 Honda Civic Type R, apart from the fact it will offer up more performance and, presumably, more power than before.

The general consensus is that the new model will come with an updated version of the outgoing Type R’s aggro 2.0-litre turbo-four (228kW/400Nm), again driving only the front wheels.

Based on the new Honda Civic hatch launched Down Under in November, the next Type R performance flagship is due to debut in 2022 before arriving in Australia either late this year or in early 2023.

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