After a rather long absence of 12 years, one of the most loved hot hatches ever looks all set to enthralled the automobile enthusiasts in UAE. With the announcement of the Civic Type R across different platforms, Honda UAE would soon mark its return to the highly competitive hot hatch market which it left donkeys years ago ago.
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UAE-Spec Honda Civic Type R
The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is expected to be mechanically similar to the USA-spec model that was revealed in the latter half of 2022. This means that the Civic Type R in UAE will be powered by a 2.0 litre turbo-petrol engine that puts out 315 bhp and 420 Nm. Transmission duties are taken care of by a 6-speed manual gearbox. There will be no automatic option available on launch, given that even the international spec car doesn’t get one.
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Price and Rivals
Given that the launch of the refreshed Civic in its standard guise drove up prices considerably, the Civic Type R is expected to be priced substantially higher than it’s lesser siblings. That said, it could still undercut the main rival – VW Golf R. The price tag is estimated to fall in the range of 175,000 AED to 190,000 AED. This would mean a positioning below the Golf R and slightly above a full-spec Golf GTI. Even the Hyundai Elantra N, which is priced rather competitively at 150,000 AED, will be in competition.
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Features
The Honda Civic Type R, in its UAE-spec guise, is expected to carry the same kit as the US-spec vehicle. This means that all the interior features in the 1.5 Turbo variant will be present even on the type R. However, some nifty add-ons, such as red sport seats with provisions for 5 point seat-belts and a limited slip differential, will be on offer. Other features such as a 9-inch touchscreen and a full-digital instrument cluster will be parts of the standard equipment list.
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Honda Civic Type R UAE Launch Date & Expected Waiting Period
While teasers for the new car are already out, the actual reveal of the car shall happen no sooner than in February 2023. Test drives and bookings for the Civic Type R shall begin during the Ramadan period in mid-March. Deliveries, on the other hand, are likely to begin from May-June 2023. Given the popularity of hot hatches, it’s expected that the Civic Type R will command a long waiting period.
Car enthusiasts in UAE were left high and dry when the Ford Focus ST was pulled out from the market. Now, with the return of the Honda Civic Type R, car aficionados could be all set for a treat. It’s also going to be a very good upgrade option for a majority of the Focus ST buyers who have been waiting for an option that caters to the manual gearbox enthusiast in them.
