As New Zealand prepares for its own upcoming Honda Civic Type R facelift, first pictures of the camoflaged next-generation hot hatch appear to have surfaced in Europe.
While there's no overt 'Honda' detailing on the heavily camouflaged hatch, it certainly looks distinctly Type R-esque in design. From the gaudy rear wing and blocky front splitter, to the widened rear arches and the legions of grilles and vents.
Although it's hard to say for sure, it appears that comprehensive changes are under that thick layer of disguise. The Civic appears to sport a longer bonnet, tweaked headlights, a larger primary grille, and possibly a longer wheelbase than current models.
Crafty angles on these images, sourced from civicX.com, reveal an all-new interior layout too featuring a new touchscreen layout, steering wheel, and more.
It's also been speculated that the model may have some amount of electrification in its near future, either in the form of a hybrid system or a fully electric powertrain.
Read more: Hot hatch warfare — Mercedes-AMG A45 vs VW Golf R vs Honda Civic Type R
It's an interesting counter-theory to that of the Ford Focus RS, which was recently eliminated from the blue oval line-up on the basis of a hybrid powertrain not being commercially viable.
Honda's standing on EVs has been a mixed one. On one hand, Honda CEO and president Takahiro Hachigo told reporters last November that he questioned the chance of EVs becoming successful, citing issues with infrastructure. "I don't believe [EVs] will become mainstream anytime soon," he told Automotive News.
"You have to think about what the social demand is and what legal environment we have to operate in," he said. "Now is the time for us to ponder how we can introduce these services to the market," he added.
On the other hand, Honda in Europe is inching closer to releasing its Honda e — a retro-flavoured fully electric hatch that scored surprising praise from car enthusiasts as well as EV faithful when it was first unveiled.
It's also still to be confirmed where the next-gen Civic Type R will be produced. Given it's testing in Europe, one might expect it to be produced in Europe. But, with the Type R's current production plant in the UK set to close in 2021, production may shift to Japan or the United States.
