New Honda Civic Type R - easier to live with

From the 1 March 2007 the latest generation of Honda Civic Type R models, the R and R GT, hit the streets of Britain in time for the new 07 registration plate peak sales month. Prices are £17,600 and £18,600 respectively.

According to Honda’s pre–launch PR material over 500 units have already been ordered, around 10 per cent of Honda’s UK annual sales target for the Swindon built ‘flyer’. Of these initial orders 45% are from previous Type R owners.

The last generation Civic Type R was an out and out ‘point and squirt’ road racer and 35,000 were sold in its five-year life cycle, much higher than the 1,500 units a year Honda UK expected to sell. The Type R became a legend in the ‘hot hatch’ market sector and at the time a benchmark model for other manufacturers to follow.

When the all-new radically styled Honda Civic range of three and five door hatchbacks was launched a year ago, all the media questions were ‘when will the new Type R be along’? The same happened again more recently when the three door ‘Sports’ Civic Type S went on sale with potential customers and the motoring press all eager to see and try the ‘Racing’ Type R, such is the reputation of past Honda ‘hot hatchbacks’.

Honda was very aware that the ‘hot hatch market’ has changed considerably over the last few years. The market has grown up and to introduce another ‘point and squirt’, stripped-out lightweight Civic would not have the broad appeal needed for a new Type R to become a real sales and financial success.

Mass produced cars these days – even high performance ones – have to be better-equipped; safer with better handling; and more refinement to appeal to a more sophisticated and well-off buying audience.

Feedback to Honda from Type R enthusiasts said they wanted a car that was ‘better to live with’ and ‘not so raw, not so point and squirt’ and ‘a car that could be used everyday, not just for the occasional thrash’.

Honda’s response to this feedback was an engineering brief that for the new Type R more horsepower was not the answer – it was how to deliver the power with more refinement and to build a better equipped car.

Whilst the size of the C-sector in the UK’s new car market is falling as customers downsize to the new generation ‘superminis’, ‘hot hatch’ sales within the sector are growing according to Honda. This week Honda said they expected to sell between five and six thousand Type Rs per year in the UK. Because it is built in Britain they can build more if demand dictates it and traditionally the UK is the largest market in Europe for the Type R.

This year Honda expects to sell over 36,000 Civics of all types in the UK, around one third of those sales will be for the sporty Type S and Type R three door models. Since the launch a year ago of the aggressively-styled Civic, the average age of traditional owners has dropped by 10 years and the average now stands at 49 years of age. Honda had planned to sell 25,000 new Civics in the first year of UK sales, in fact they achieved 35,000 registrations.

The profile of the Type R customer say Honda is in the 25 to 40 age group with an income of £40k plus, predominately male with a management or professional occupation, double or single income with no children, they enjoy driving, are status brand conscious and want a combination sporting car that offers style, comfort and performance.

Honda forecasts that 20% customers will opt for the Type R, 60% of customers will order the Type R GT with a further 20% will take the GT variant with the extra cost satellite navigation and Bluetooth handsfree telephone system which will push the top price of a fully specced model to more than £20,375.

Optional larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a space saver spare wheel instead of the standard fit tyre repair kit, an improved CD changer, iPod adaptor and rear parking sensors will push the final price even higher.