Incoming emissions regulations have forced Honda to discontinue the Civic Type R in Europe and the UK, but the model will still live in other markets.
Honda has discontinued the Civic Type R hot hatch in Europe due to the hero model running afoul of incoming emissions standards, with sales due to end in 2026.
In Europe, 40 examples of the Civic Type R Ultimate Edition will be released to mark the end of the line for the sixth-generation car that has been in production since 2022.
Finished in the brand’s signature Championship White with a contrasting black roof, the Ultimate Edition also features a red-stripe decal across the bonnet and flanks.
Carbon-fibre is also used for the rear wing, door sills, and centre console panel to stand the final model apart from the standard Civic Type R.
Honda has also added extra interior lighting to highlight the door liners, cupholders, footwell, centre console, and under seat areas, while Type R puddle lights and custom floor mats are also included.
Buyers will also score a gift box with a numbered emblem to denote their build number of the 40 models available, as well as a carbon key ring, and car cover.
It is unclear if Honda has made any changes to the 2.0-litre-turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, which makes 243kW/420Nm in standard form.
In Australia though, the engine is detuned to 235kW, but features the same torque figure.
Drive is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, which returns an 8.9 litres per 100km fuel economy figure in Australian-delivered vehicles.
The current sixth-generation Civic Type R is built in Japan and supplied to markets worldwide including the US and Australia, but Europe – and more specifically the UK – has had a long history with the nameplate.
The previous three generations were produced in the now-defunct Swindon, UK plant, as well as the second-generation EP3.
However, Honda was forced shutter the plant after the Brexit referendum, citing the cost of retooling the facility to prepare it for electrified cars.
The Swindon facility was closed on July 30, 2021.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
