You can love Honda or not, but you have to acknowledge the fact that the 2017 Civic Type R that has been introduced at the Geneva Motor Show is a beautiful vehicle, significant to the manufacturer. This car is different because it will be offered in the US late this spring, unlike some of the previous Type R models, which have been on sale only in Europe and Japan.
Once it hits the market in the US, the Honda Civic Type R will go against many rivals in the compact car class. There is Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which has faded away but still present. Some other cars that will give headaches to the Civic Type R are Subaru WRX STI and Volkswagen Golf R. There is one car we must not forget about – the Ford Focus RS, which is new here in the States too, and it has gained popularity mostly in the streets and race tracks of Europe.
The Ford Focus is definitely a renowned drift vehicle, and it has competed against more expensive performance beasts such as the BMW M2. Meanwhile, there are some concrete details about the new production Civic Type R which can help us compare these two vehicles and styles and see which one is better.
There is a lot of similarities between the RS and Type R as both cars are five-door hatchbacks powered by turbocharged I4 engines. Both these engines are connected to a six-speed manual gearbox and adaptive suspension system. Brembo front brakes are a part of Type R and the RS. The prices are expected to be similar, with the RS starting from $36,120 whereas Honda will be somewhere in the mid-$30,000 range.
Ford Focus uses an AWD system, while the Civic comes with an FWD configuration. Based on the information we got so far, Honda should be lighter than the RS, but it will remain unknown whether there will be any torque steer and understeer problems until the Type R is tested. Honda Civic will gain power from the 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 with the complete output of 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. On the other hand, we have the Focus RS under which hood lies a 2.3-liter turbo four that produces amazing 350 horses and 350 lb-ft of torque.
The size of the wheels and tires is different, and Ford is expected to come with 19-inch Michelin Pilot Super Sports, while Honda will follow the Acura NSX and equip 20-inch ContiSportContact 6 rubber. It remains hard to draw a conclusion since the information are still scarce and these two vehicles are yet to be driven. Follow us for more news.
