REPORT: FWD out, 4WD in for next Honda Civic Type R

With a hybrid powerunit reportedly ruled-out from happening, a new report from Japan has claimed that the next generation Honda Civic Type R could produce as much as 400 PS or 294 kW when it debuts a year after the all-new standard model in 2022.

An uptake of 66 kW compared to the current model, Best Car claims that while the engine will continue to displace 2.0-litres with the addition of a turbocharger, it will no longer be front wheel driven as previously claimed. Instead, the Type R will go the same route as the Volkswagen Golf R and become a four-wheel-drive model, but with the added traction at the rear being provided by an electric motor.

A configuration also used by the hybrid NSX, the inclusion of the electric unit means the standard fitting of a torque vectoring system. Based on current reports, the Type R looks set to keep the six-speed manual gearbox with no automatic planned.

Already captured on a number of a occasions undergoing pre-production testing, the Type R, like its sibling, will be longer and wider than the current Civic and feature a new interior plus revised safety and driver assistance systems, as well as possible changes underneath its skin.

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