>From a British source. Why can't Honda bring this stateside?
Matt Murray
mattm@optonline.net
Hot Civic's Going Cheap
The search for the performance car bargain of the year has taken a new turn,
after Honda revealed a cut-throat pricing strategy for its eagerly awaited
Civic Type R. Set to hit UK showrooms in October, it will sell for #15,995 -
severely undercutting rivals. ($22,585 US --Matt)
The Civic boasts performance on a par with Audi's S3 quattro, Subaru's
Impreza Turbo and Ford's forthcoming Focus RS, but costs up to #9,000 less.
This pushes the Swindon-built Type R into the same price bracket as the
Renaultsport Clio 172 and SEAT Leon 20VT Cupra.
Mark Davies, general manager of Honda UK (Cars), said: "Honda is all about
the 'The Power of Dreams', and the new Civic Type R lives up to that
promise, especially at this fantastic price." The specification for the Type
R reads more like a race car than a small family hatch. Its new-generation
i-VTEC, 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit develops 197bhp at 7,400rpm, hitting
the benchmark 100bhp-per-litre figure. And this time, the firm says the
Civic only needs to run on normal grade unleaded petrol (95RON), instead of
super. It sprints from 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds and reaches 146mph.
Quite how Honda has delivered this package at such a price remains a
mystery. Some sources speculate that the firm is selling the flagship at a
loss to raise the profile of the Civic range and the Type R brand.
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