Not so long ago, in October 2021, a couple of leaked photos of the new Honda Civic Type R 2022 model were uploaded on the internet, even before the official release announcement of its expected arrival date.

Nonetheless, it鈥檚 true that the Japanese automobile manufacturing company, Honda, is all set to unveil their next-generation Honda Civic Type R next year i.e., in 2022. As of now, they are running the usual tests at the Suzuka circuit. The auto-maker has also publicly released photos of their new Honda Civic Type R prototype, which you can see here.

In this blog, we鈥檙e going to take a glimpse of the upcoming 2022 Honda Civic Type R turbocharged engine and all that鈥檚 under its bonnet.

The officially released photos of Honda鈥檚 2022 Civic Type R prototype confirm that the new model鈥檚 exteriors will radically not be distinct from its predecessor, although its design will be more appealing. Overall, the body kit, with its low and wide stance, boot lid, and a big rear wing (spoiler for aerodynamics) is a well-known one. The characteristic triple exhaust tips and Brembo brake calipers offer a performance potential.

On taking a closer view of the vehicle鈥檚 rear profile, it reveals the spoiler features with a new raised mounting. There is a smaller lip spoiler also on the boot lid that no longer appears to dissect the rear window. More insight changes include a lower shoulder line, a lower bonnet line, and lower headlights, as was already previewed by the standard Civic hatchback that will go on sale in the U.S. and European markets in 2022.

Notably, the new Civic Type R offers far fewer faux air vents and large plastic bits sticking out than its predecessor, which is evident even with the red-on-white camouflage. The TYPE R also desserts the looks of their older variant like the regular 11th-gen 2022 Honda civic embracing a more appealing design.However, Honda has not yet revealed photos of the Type R鈥檚 interiors. The revealed photos are expected to be completely different from its predecessor and more in line with the new-gen Civic.

The rumored Civic Type R from Honda is based on the 11th generation of the automaker’s Civic hatchback and sedan variants. The 2022 model looks far better than its predecessor but holds back its assertive stance with a compact body, three exhaust vents, a spoiler on the back, 20-inch wheels, and a tire package.

According to the website CivicXI.com, it is now clear that the 2022 Civic Type R will be offered in several trims and specs. These include the EX (1.5T), Touring (1.5T), LX (2.0) L4, and Sport (2.0) L5. Aside from this, it also seems that the EXL trim has now been discontinued. This is something that doesn’t come as much of a surprise following the recent inclusion of Honda Sensing as standard across the line-up. Perhaps, it was a move that effectively helped bridge the gap between the EX and the Touring builds without the need for another trim. As for their colors, the base model is getting Aegean Blue, Lunar Silver, and there are new colors, which include Meteorite Gray, Platinum White, and Rallye Red.

The 2022 Type R model uses the same 2.0-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. It is likely tuned to deliver a little more than the current 306 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque. Honda has already confirmed that a six-speed manual transmission will be offered, although an optional dual-clutch automatic transmission may join the line-up. According to Honda, the Type R will be revealed in full soon and will go on sale in the U.S. later in 2022, and their starting price would likely be under $40,000.

Honda鈥檚 Type R variants are specifically developed to deliver higher performance, which can also be seen in motorsports racing. Their engines are pre-tuned for maximum performance, whether on racetracks or the streets. Under the bonnet, the next-gen Civic Type R will likely forge ahead with an enhanced version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. The engine currently produces 316 HP, sending power to the front axle for a 0-100 kph (62.14 miles) in just about 5.8 seconds, and a top speed of up to 272 kph (169 miles).

However, it has also come into notice that the Type R variant could use a hybrid powertrain. This is similar to their NSX concept seen in supercars, which mate a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine with three electric motors. It is still unclear whether that would make the Civic four-wheel drive, but it is likely if Honda chooses to go for full-hybrid.

The new Civic Type R is currently not included in Honda鈥檚 plans to electrify its entire line-up by anytime in 2022. It will, however, continue including the turbo-petrol engine which is capable of delivering higher output on the roads. Additionally, it is also expected that the company is going to retain the hatchback body kit style which can be expected to go on sale in global markets the following year. A couple of years ago, Honda did bring forward its plans to offer hybrid or fully electric (EV) variants of every mainstream model. The company also rescheduled to 2022 instead of 2025 due to the pace of change in regulation, the market, and consumer behavior in Europe, that was told by the senior vice-president at Honda. However, that plan will not include the upcoming Type R model of the 11th-generation Civic, which will be one of the final petrol-powered Honda Civics on sale.

Honda has also confirmed the development of the new Civic Type R during the unveiling of the Civic sedan prototype late last year. The standard model is expected to make its global debut by early 2022 with the Type R to follow.

2022 Civic Sedan: The cost of this variant starts from $21,900 in the United States.

2022 Civic Hatchback: The cost of this variant starts from $22,000 in the United States

Honda has officially confirmed the development of an all-new Civic Type R for the first time. Slated for a global debut in 2022, the new Civic Type R is said to be ready for testing in N眉rburgring tracks. Their official preview pics also show that the Civic Type R is not painted in red on white camouflage color, which was seen earlier in the spy shots.

The new Honda Civic Type R is likely to make its global debut by early 2022. It is expected to be powered by an upgraded 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine from an affluent vehicle. It could also get a hybrid powertrain with an all-wheel-drive soon.

The new Civic Type R is already approaching the limits of what鈥檚 possible with a front-wheel-drive car. Its outright power output may not be substantially greater than the current 320 HP, though. We could, however, expect better improvements to the engine鈥檚 turbocharger response and torque delivery. Technical details of the Civic鈥檚 chassis are yet to be announced, while major changes to its design and specifications are also not revealed.

As for the Type R, it might give an indication of the return of the dual-axis strut front suspension, with an advanced limited-slip differential for better control of the power coming through the front axle. At the rear, a multi-link set-up is likely to be retained, while adaptive damping allows the Civic to offer greater differentiation between its comfort-oriented and racing-like drive modes.