The head of Honda in the United Kingdom says potential buyers are not put off by the “extreme” styling of the Civic Type R.
Speaking to Car Throttle, Honda’s UK managing director Dave Hodgetts suggested the hot hatch’s design wasn’t too radical for the type of buyers the Japanese firm was targeting.
“There is a common general feeling that it is a bit extreme in looks but I think that’s mainly shared by journalists,” Hodgetts told the publication.
“It is the most extreme looking of the current crop but I’ve never heard a dealer say that,” he added, answering a question about whether Honda dealers had received feedback from customers complaining about the Civic Type R’s towering rear wing and aggressive front facia.
In February 2020, Honda took the wraps off both the Type R Limited Edition and the Type R Sport Line, with the latter employing a “stealthier look” largely thanks to the adoption of a low-deck rear spoiler instead of the aforementioned wing.
“It’s very much a European model – in some of the European countries they felt there was a need to have it slightly toned down,” Hodgetts said of the Type R Sport Line.
“They [Honda dealers] are selling them to what you might call a die-hard Type R customer; those customers want it to look like that and they want it to stand out, and perhaps the new slightly demure one wouldn’t appeal to them,” he added.
Honda Motor Southern Africa earlier confirmed to CARmag.co.za it had “no plans” to introduce the Limited Edition or Sport Line variants locally. However, the facelifted Type R remained scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of 2020.
