The current FL5 Civic Type R could be the last purely petrol-powered model, as well as the final manual hot hatch, from Honda.
Honda remains dedicated to serving up sporty and fun-to-drive cars even when pushing further into electrification with more hybrids and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
When asked about the future of Honda’s enthusiast models – like the Civic Type R – by Drive, Honda Motor Company Director, President, and Representative Executive Officer Toshihoro Mibe said development is always underway for its next-generation sporty cars.
“We need to strengthen the sporty family here, and at the same time we have been working on the R&D all the time on sporty cars,” Mibe-san said.
“And if you go to the R&D facilities, we have many sporty prototypes in development too.
“In this slowing down EV market, we have to pay attention to what is going on there and find the optimum time to launch a sporty car in the market – we are having discussions about it now.”
In a separate interview involving US media, Mibe-san confirmed an electric sports car prototype has already been built, but indicated it would be more of a grand tourer than a hardcore track terror like the Type R.
“We do have research on EV-based sports cars, and we have many prototypes already made internally,” Mibe-san said according to MotorTrend.
“In R&D, we have technology being developed, so some time in the future we will provide you with [an electric] GT.”
This would indicate a petrol-electric hybrid solution for the next-generation Civic Type R, which is expected towards the end of the decade.
Honda is no stranger to serving up an electrified sports car, given its second-generation NSX that was in production from 2016 to 2022 was powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 augmented by three electric motors.
The sixth-generation Prelude, due to arrive in Australian showrooms early in 2026, also uses a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain borrowed from the Civic e:HEV, but adds the S+ Shift feature to emulate an automatic transmission.
However, Honda is still yet to commit to a full-electric sporty model, with the closest being the upcoming Super-One EV that promises “fun” driving dynamics thanks to a simulated gearbox.
While no plans have been confirmed for the new Civic flagship, Honda’s ambition to rollout ‘fake’ shifters across its future hybrid models – including its next small hatchback – could point the way forward for the Type R badge.
As a means to increase driver engagement, Honda’s S+ Shift was put in place because the new Prelude leans heavily on electricity for propulsion – split about 50:50 with the petrol engine.
To increase performance, but also keep emissions under ever-tightening targets, it is likely Honda will lean on a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain for its next flagship hatchback.
This would mean the next-generation car would lose its traditional six-speed manual gearbox in favour of an electric continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) with a simulated transmission.
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.
