Honda Civic Type R on track for 2015, could offer 224kW

Brett Davis

Some more details are coming through on the upcoming, all-new Honda Civic Type R, which is scheduled to arrive in 2015. The new model is set to feature a turbocharged engine for the first time.

Honda-Civic-WTCC-race-car

Honda has previously said that it wants the new model to be the quickest front-wheel drive production hot hatch around the famous Nurburgring in Germany. This means beating the current crown-bearer, the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy, which has set a time of 8:07.97. A goal like this gives great insight into the serious lengths the company will be going to for the new model.

According to international reports, the focused hatch will feature either a 1.6- or 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Engineers have apparently been given a target output of 224kW, although, regions around the 198kW mark are also being mentioned.

2007 Honda Civic Type R

Either way, it will be significantly more powerful than its predecessor which offered 148kW from its naturally aspirated 2.0-litre. The boost in power will obviously help improve outright performance, however, the torque is likely to be the key player here.

With a turbocharged engine – which may upset some of the Type R purists – torque is expected to be much higher than the 193Nm offered in the previous model.

Honda-Civic-HR-412E-1.6-turbo-engine

It’s understood much of the technology for the engine will come from developments forged in the World Touring Car Championship. The Civic race car (top image) features a new ‘HR-412E’ 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing a motorsport-regulated 300hp (224kW).

Speaking to Auto Express recently, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito confirmed development is still in progress, with a market entry timeframe locked in for mid-2015. This should be an exciting space to watch in the coming years.

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