Cars on show: Civic Type R, Civic Sport, new Jazz concept, CR-V facelift
Honda Civic Type R (pictured above)
Big news on the Honda stand: the eagerly awaited Civic Type R is finally coming in 2015.
Powered by a 2-litre turbocharged (for the first time) petrol engine, expect power levels approaching 300bhp and a sophisticated suspension arrangement promising the ultimate in hot hatch thrills.
The firm is highly likely to be gunning for the likes of the SEAT Leon Cupra and Renaultsport’s Megane RS 265 – both among the quickest cars of their type and both responsible for an intense battle to become the fastest hot hatch around the infamous Nurburgring test track in Germany.
You’ll find an ‘R+’ button beside the steering wheel, and pushing this unleashes the hardest of the hardcore Civic. Everything gets turned up to maximum including the engine and suspension configurations.
In a refreshingly old-fashioned statement, the Type R sticks with a six-speed manual gearbox instead of the automatics many firms are putting in their cars now.
Built in Britain and engineered for European drivers, we’re very excited about this all-new car.
Find out more in our Honda Civic Type R feature.
Honda Civic facelift and Sport
The other news on the Honda stand was the introduction of a new ‘Sport’ trim level.
Every model gets a modest redesign incorporating daytime running lights, a new front bumper and a black spoiler. On the interior, there are new seat fabrics and door trims. Also included is the Honda Connect infotainment system incorporating Bluetooth, DAB, rear parking camera and an optional sat-nav. On the safety front, low speed collision prevention is included as standard.
The new ‘sport’ trim level is the real update here, offering a stepping stone between the conventional Civic and the bonkers Type R edition mentioned above. The Sport comes with a choice of a 1.6-litre diesel or 1.8-litre petrol powerplants, offering running costs far more affordable than the Type-R stablemate. The exterior is differentiated from the standard Civic by 17-inch alloys and a more muscular styling pack.
Pricing and release details are yet to be revealed.
Read more about the Civic’s minor facelift by clicking here.
New Jazz concept
There’s also a new concept car on the Honda stand but don’t be fooled – this is actually a very close interpretation of what next year’s Jazz will look like.
An all-new body shell is employed and there’s a new engine too – a 1.3-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that promises impressive CO2 emissions and fuel economy.
Honda CR-V facelift
A facelift for the excellent CR-V off-roader was also announced. The main news here is a new 1.6-litre diesel engine which makes 158bhp and 350Nm of torque.
Replacing the aged Honda 2.2-litre diesel, this new engine fitted to the CR-V is coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drive, yet emits less than 130g/km of CO2. For the first time you can also have a nine-speed automatic gearbox too, emissions rising to 135g/km.
There’s also a mild exterior up-lift to keep the CR-V looking fresh, with redesigned front and rear bumpers, headlights, foglights and LED taillights.
Honda HR-V
Finally, Honda showed the new HR-V prototype. A small 4×4, it sits below the CR-V and promises a spacious cabin. There are no details on engines, gearboxes or pricing at this point, but rest assured Parkers will bring you the very latest as soon as possible.
