Honda Civic Type R

The Honda Civic Type R is a hot hatchback that builds on the iconic status of five previous versions – with four of those having come to the UK. And the latest one is so good it was highly commended in the Pleasure of Driving category at the 2024 Carwow Car of the Year Awards.

Based on the latest Honda Civic, the new Type R offers a more mature package than the last – much like your rowdy mate from teenage years who’s gone on to be successful lawyer, but who still has their playful side. 

On the outside, this Civic Type R is much more reserved than the frankly wacky previous generation. Instead of all the aero bits being tacked on, the panels are smooth yet muscular to give off the sporty look you’d want – with it being wider and lower than the standard Civic. The only thing that looks a bit aftermarket is the rear wing, but it’s there to get you as much downforce as possible. 

Inside, you’ll see most of the styling from the base car, like the cool air vent design, 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment and separate climate controls. However, with fake suede now on the steering wheel, you’ll also find two of the best bucket seats you’ll ever sit in, trimmed in red faux suede and lots of red trim elsewhere. 

You’ll also find the regular Civic’s automatic transmission buttons have been replaced by a sweet-shifting six-speed manual. The teardrop aluminium gear knob is carried over from the last car, while you also get a ‘+R’ button to put the car in full attack mode. The dials are now fully digital too. 

In the back, you do lose the central passenger seat so the two outer seats offer a bit more fold than the normal Civic, but it is only a four-seater. The centre seat is now two cupholders. Even behind those big bucket seats, space is as good as in the standard car. 

You don’t lose out on boot space though. You get the same 410 litres as the standard Civic, but weirdly that’s 10 litres less than the previous generation. It is ahead of most of its hot hatch competition though, with the Audi S3 (325 litres), Mercedes-AMG A35 (370 litres) and VW Golf R (341 litres) all lagging behind. Only the Skoda Octavia vRS is streets ahead with 590 litres. 

You only get one engine and transmission combination – but it’s a rather good one. The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine has been tweaked from the previous car, now giving you 329hp and 420Nm, up from 320hp and 400Nm from the previous generation. It’s paired to a six-speed manual transmission, which has one of the most precise and smoothest gear changes currently available.