Honda Civic Type R

5:11pm Tuesday 3rd July 2007

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THERE really is no second-guessing the great British buying public.

Time and again motor manufacturers have tried and failed.

Talk to the engineers and the marketing men and women at most marques and they will tell you that Americans want this, Europeans that and the UK something completely different.

Take a cursory look at who bought the previous generations of Honda Civics you would swear it was Mr and Mrs Mature and Sensible, who looked for dependability and engineering over design and flair. Meanwhile the Flash next door went elsewhere and suffered the consequences half the time when what looked great actually broke down.

When Honda decided to develop the new Civic the board must have been abducted by aliens as the new model was so space-age, so radical, it really shouldn't have even shared the name.

Triangular exhaust pipes, a way-out wedge profile and an interior that wouldn't look out of place on the Starship Enterprise?

How the media loved it for being fresh and different.

How they all secretly thought it would bomb in this country as it would scare the Mainstreams at Number Nine away with its revolutionary looks.

This country doesn't do revolution; it leaves that to the French.

But how wrong we all were as new Civics now ply the UK's highways and byways in abundance appealing not only to the old clientele but also to a new, younger market.

So while Honda is on a bit of a run the addition of a superfast variant is more than just timely, it makes perfect economic sense.

Enter Type R, the most radical of them all with all manner of go-faster sticky-on bits and some of the best sport seats of any car known to man. Civics tend to be far from slothful and Type R is nothing short of fast.

Under those glorious lines beats a 2.0 litre VTEC motor pumping out an unapologetic 201PS at a giddy 7,800rpm, with a 0-62mph dash time of just 6.6 seconds and the top speed of 146mph, where laws permit.

Planet savers will be equally impressed with the fuel figure of 31mpg combined and a CO2 emission of 215 g/km, whatever that means.

Also uprated and enhanced is the Civic's already able handling and braking and the groovy interior which sports Type R' add-on like sports seats, a natty alloy gearknob that will give you frostbite in the winter and drilled aluminium pedals. There are bigger 18in alloys too.

Type R shares the multitier instrument binnacle featuring a top row right in the driver's line of sight, including the digital speedo and a gear-change indicator.

Drop a floor and you have a natty 3D instrument binnacle featuring centre-mounted rev counter, fuel and temperature gauges and a trip computer offering average speed and consumption, among other things.

The basement sees a centre console with the controls for the hi-fi and aircon, a starter button and fresh-air vents.

Practically speaking, the Civic Type R does well. The boot is large with a useful hidden storage compartment.

The flexible seats are comfortable and space is generous.

But remember there are only three doors instead of five and clambering in and out of the back is a bit of an art.

The funky hatchback continues to annoy. It looks great but remains flawed with a spoiler cutting right across the glass and hence line of rear vision, making it difficult to see out of the back. Worse still there's no rear wiper.

That said Type R can't fail to appeal to motorists who love a good hot-hatch. It shares all the same attributes as the rest of the range which have made the new Civic a resounding success - but it also has the kick needed to match those radical good looks.