Honda Australia has confirmed buyers are already placing deposits for the new Type R as it aims to deliver the best available variant for around $50,000.

AS RUMOURS BUILD around Honda’s next-generation Civic Type R, Honda Australia has confirmed that buyers are already putting down money in a bid to secure the first batch off the boat.

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said dealerships were taking deposits from keen buyers and that its a car that will be on the shopping list of drivers who want the best hot hatch available. 

“That hot hatch segment is pretty competitive and I think there’s definitely the diehards that have had, or have previously wanted, a Type R. There’s also the conquest type buyers who want the hottest hatch in the market and our goal is to deliver that,” Collins said.

“Yes, we have a few dealers that are holding orders. We haven’t encouraged them to take those orders as its very early.

“There’s no doubt there’s a group of people hanging onto this car coming.”

Details of Type R’s drivetrain and pricing remains hush-hush, but Collins indicated Australia can expect to see the best variant available delivered here, as well as competitive pricing. Asked if the price would hover around $50,000 he said it would if the sums add-up.

“It’s still early but my desire is certainly for that. What I will say is that we’ll certainly make it competitive, but you’ll have to wait and see.

“Were going to take a similar approach [that we took] to NSX, we’re going to bring in the best version – the hamburger with the lot – and on that type of car that’s what we need to deliver.”

Type R will be following NSX’s footsteps if Australia receive overseas options as standard. The Australian version of the NSX, with only one delivered so far, comes standard with carbon ceramic discs, carbon-fibre body parts and wheels that are all optional in the US market.

According to Collins there’s a good chance the car will be based on the UK model, and it will therefore be based on the best variant available there.

“It will depend on the price of course, but I think it s going to come out of the UK”, Collins said.

The problem in delivering the Type R with all the bells and whistles is that it could push the price higher than what buyers are expecting, but Collins is confident Honda will sell up to 200 units per month. It’s an expectation Honda Australia is keen to achieve so that Type R is non-elusive and helps push Honda’s brand into circles its current stable can’t.

“I think [I’d be surprised] if we weren’t doing a hundred to two hundred a month.

“We don’t want it to be a fringe car and that you don’t ever see one. We want people to say ‘wow, that’s a Honda!’ ”

There’s stiff competition for the Type R from the popular and blistering fast Ford Focus RS, quick Germans such as the VW Golf GTI, A 45 AMG and Audi RS3, and then there’s Hyundai’s i30 N which is predicted to shake up the market as an aggressively priced hot hatch. However Honda plans to battle the hot hatch war on all fronts by keeping the Civic Type R as its undiluted performance belter and rely on lower specification variants to fill the gap between warm and hot offerings.

“At the end of the day we want to stay true to Type R’s DNA, and [for less high performance offerings] we have the hatch and particularly we’ll have a RS grade of the hatch.

“In the sedan, the RS is the biggest selling grade we have and the hatch it will certainly – and it’s not a Type R – but it will certainly add a sporty element to the range.

“I think the hatch in various grades will deliver the sportiness we need.”

Honda expects the Type R to reinvigorate the brand, and while there’s interest to include special editions if available, Collins says he’s keen to just get the Type-R here as quick as possible and into the hands of drivers.

“We’d seriously look at [special editions], but there’s nothing on the radar at the moment. We just want to get the car to market. Get it out there. I want to drive one as my daily.”

The expected launch date for Type R in Australia is third-quarter next year with currently only the hatch available.