First look at 2017 Civic Type R Hatchback Prototype! Spy pics

[hothatchi]

To add, since this does appear to be the production hatchback body, I gotta say I like the rear roof line of the sedan much much better.

Hatchbacks have never had nicer rooflines than sedans in the sense that it usually ends abruptly at the trunk, it's the nature of the 5 door. Maybe you just prefer a coupe/sedan roofline over a hatch? Or is there a hatch roofline you actually prefer over this?

Great pics btw. It looks like they are wasting no time improving on the already great nurburgring times. Can we get video please? or pics of other cars it was benchmarking against perhaps?

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[G26okie]

Hatchbacks have never had nicer rooflines than sedans in the sense that it usually ends abruptly at the trunk, it's the nature of the 5 door. Maybe you just prefer a coupe/sedan roofline over a hatch? Or is there a hatch roofline you actually prefer over this?

Great pics btw. It looks like they are wasting no time improving on the already great nurburgring times. Can we get video please? or pics of other cars it was benchmarking against perhaps?

I just really like the fast back sedan design, and since the 2016 civic has that it puts it above most hatch backs for me, and I've owned two. In the case of the 2016/17 civic hatchback, I feel like it looks more like a sedan with a short trunk than a hatch.

 

[Red Traveler]

It could just be me but the sedan looks like a total redesign while the Type R looks like a mere refresh. I'm talking aesthetics of course not the platform etc. Don't get me wrong it still looks great and fast as hell but not as revolutionary a change as the sedan... at least from these camo'd prototypes.

 

[Ten10]

So this definitely has the current Type R's 2.0T under the hood? We'll just see a power bump for the 10th gen CTR?

 

[hothatchi]

I just really like the fast back sedan design, and since the 2016 civic has that it puts it above most hatch backs for me, and I've owned two. In the case of the 2016/17 civic hatchback, I feel like it looks more like a sedan with a short trunk than a hatch.

I have to admit i was expecting the trunk to come up a bit higher rather than slope downwards like a traditional coupe profile. This is more along the lines of what I would expect the Civic X coupe to look like sans spoiler. Still really like it so far and without that camouflage I bet it's a stunner.

 

[AndreaCristiano]

In terms of what? power/specs? ring times? do we even know what kind of times the Focus RS is capable of? No doubt it will be a monster on the track but I wouldn't count the Type R out just yet.

The type R just by default being fwd will loose to the RS add to that the fact that torque will be significantly less than 350lb ft and it's no where close. The only thing the Honda will have is lighter weight all be it with a lot less power/torque

 

[///Mookster]

The type R just by default being fwd will loose to the RS add to that the fact that torque will be significantly less than 350lb ft and it's no where close. The only thing the Honda will have is lighter weight all be it with a lot less power/torque

The current Type R has already been proven faster around a track than a bunch of RWD cars with more power.

I don't doubt for a second the new Focus RS's capabilities and that it probably will put a hurt on the Type R but to compare specs on paper and declare a winner does not tell the whole story.

 

[ozzymir]

The reason for absence of LED headlights must be that full LED headlights (like the ones in Acuras or 10gen civic) are not road legal yet in Europe and this might be the EU version. I guess US will be getting the LEDs.

 

[Kane76]

The reason for absence of LED headlights must be that full LED headlights (like the ones in Acuras or 10gen civic) are not road legal yet in Europe and this might be the EU version. I guess US will be getting the LEDs.

What do you mean? I've seen full LED headlights on many European cars.

 

[takemorepills]

The type R just by default being fwd will loose to the RS add to that the fact that torque will be significantly less than 350lb ft and it's no where close. The only thing the Honda will have is lighter weight all be it with a lot less power/torque

Sounds like you should buy the RS.

 

[C Note]

The reason for absence of LED headlights must be that full LED headlights (like the ones in Acuras or 10gen civic) are not road legal yet in Europe and this might be the EU version. I guess US will be getting the LEDs.

Is it just Poland that doesn't have full LED headlights yet? I know there are plenty of cars with LED lights running around in Germany.

 

[NIN]

Hell yea! Been waiting for actual prototype pics, finally. Comparing it to current CTR it looks like you'll be able to tell them apart very easily... not that we have any here on US roads to get them confused

 

[cae]

There's something to be said for how well the current Type R took its design to the next level, while still paying homage to the EK9 & EP3 hatches that came before. Its wedge shaped nose reminds me of the EP3, and the hidden rear door handles are a cue towards its roots as a 3-door hatch. It's not as squared off in the rear, but that's how these things evolve.

The 10th gen looks like it's trying to remind us of the FD2, and I can't say that's a good thing. It's definitely a 4-door, and from some angles you can barely tell it's a hatch. (Both are 5-doors technically, but that's not the point.) It has a hood now, no longer a wedge. Some say Crosstour; I kind of see a Saab 9-3. I imagine that either of those weren't the cars the designers hoped to evoke.

I was looking forward to the hatch, but I'm not feeling it after seeing this. This Type R looks okay, I suppose, with all the racer bits and the wing - for a certain customer. That's not me, so a more pedestrian hatch would end up being only a slightly more usable sedan. Now I wait for the Si coupe.

 

[BigBang09]

Is it still safe to assume hatch will be the only body style offered for the Type R?

 

[Tap Out]

The 10th gen looks like it's trying to remind us of the FD2, and I can't say that's a good thing. It's definitely a 4-door, and from some angles you can barely tell it's a hatch. (Both are 5-doors technically, but that's not the point.) It has a hood now, no longer a wedge. Some say Crosstour; I kind of see a Saab 9-3. I imagine that either of those weren't the cars the designers hoped to evoke.

I was looking forward to the hatch, but I'm not feeling it after seeing this. This Type R looks okay, I suppose, with all the racer bits and the wing - for a certain customer. That's not me, so a more pedestrian hatch would end up being only a slightly more usable sedan. Now I wait for the Si coupe.

I gotta say I agree. I was hoping for more of a wedge shape like the current 2015 Type R. It has the same physical 5 door layout but still manages to look like a sportier 3 door model, but this looks like a sedan with a hatchback trunk. The look reminds me of the WRX STi.

Then again it's still full of camouflage so I'll reserve final judgment until it's fully reveal.

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