Honda Civic Type R bows out with new Ultimate Edition
Hot hatch follows Ford Focus ST in being pulled from sale in Europe; UK to get 10 Ultimate Edition cars The Honda Civic Type R is being pulled from sale in the UK and Europe due to increasingly stringent legislation – bowing out with a new special edition that commemorates its 28-year production run. The brand said it is removing the Type R from its line-up in 2026 because "the industry is changing, and our model range is having to evolve with it in accordance with European legislation". Although Honda has not been as explicit as to blame the EU’s General Safety Regulations 2 (GSR2) – legislation mandating the fitment of kit such as driver attention monitors and speed limit warning buzzers – it is most likely the reason for the model’s early demise. GSR2 contains a provision allowing non-compliant cars with fewer than 1500 sales annually to remain until July 2026. This coincides with the end date for European availability of the Type R. The same legislation is to blame for the early demise of the Toyota GR86 and, once the exemption window closes, will also kill the Alpine A110. The decision to pull the Type R from sale will also ease the pressure on Honda in the face of Europe's increasingly stringent fleet CO2 emissions standards, given it is one of the brand’s higher polluters: it produces 189g/km of CO2, compared with the 114g/km produced by a regular Civic. The Ultimate Edition is intended to celebrate the legacy of the Civic Type R as it bows out in Europe, having first arrived as a grey import some 28 years ago. It is painted in the signature Championship White shade, with contrasting red racing stripes calling to the model’s traditional interior colour. Inside, there is an abundance of carbonfibre details, such as on the door skidplates and around the centre console. Pricing has yet to be announced but it is likely to cost notably more than the regular Type R (£48,900). Only 40 will be built in total, with 10 bound for the UK. These will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, Honda said. It is the latest in a series of hot hatches to have been axed in the UK and Europe: Autocar last week reported the demise of the Ford Focus ST, and that followed the Hyundai i30 N, pulled from sale last year. Few front-driven, petrol-powered hot hatches remaIn, such as the stalwart Volkswagen Golf GTI, the smaller Polo GTI, the Mini Cooper S and its hotter sibling, the John Cooper Works. The four-wheel-drive hatch market is in a healthier state, comprising cars such as the Golf R, Toyota GR Yaris and Mercedes-AMG A45 S, but all are threatened by emissions regulations and several brands' moves to electric performance cars. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with additional information
Hot hatch follows Ford Focus ST in being pulled from sale in Europe; UK to get 10 Ultimate Edition cars
The Honda Civic Type R is being pulled from sale in the UK and Europe due to increasingly stringent legislation – bowing out with a new special edition that commemorates its 28-year production run.
The brand said it is removing the Type R from its line-up in 2026 because "the industry is changing, and our model range is having to evolve with it in accordance with European legislation".
Although Honda has not been as explicit as to blame the EU’s General Safety Regulations 2 (GSR2) – legislation mandating the fitment of kit such as driver attention monitors and speed limit warning buzzers – it is most likely the reason for the model’s early demise.
GSR2 contains a provision allowing non-compliant cars with fewer than 1500 sales annually to remain until July 2026. This coincides with the end date for European availability of the Type R.
The same legislation is to blame for the early demise of the Toyota GR86 and, once the exemption window closes, will also kill the Alpine A110.
The decision to pull the Type R from sale will also ease the pressure on Honda in the face of Europe's increasingly stringent fleet CO2 emissions standards, given it is one of the brand’s higher polluters: it produces 189g/km of CO2, compared with the 114g/km produced by a regular Civic.
The Ultimate Edition is intended to celebrate the legacy of the Civic Type R as it bows out in Europe, having first arrived as a grey import some 28 years ago. It is painted in the signature Championship White shade, with contrasting red racing stripes calling to the model’s traditional interior colour. Inside, there is an abundance of carbonfibre details, such as on the door skidplates and around the centre console.
Pricing has yet to be announced but it is likely to cost notably more than the regular Type R (£48,900). Only 40 will be built in total, with 10 bound for the UK. These will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, Honda said.
It is the latest in a series of hot hatches to have been axed in the UK and Europe: Autocar last week reported the demise of the Ford Focus ST, and that followed the Hyundai i30 N, pulled from sale last year.
Few front-driven, petrol-powered hot hatches remaIn, such as the stalwart Volkswagen Golf GTI, the smaller Polo GTI, the Mini Cooper S and its hotter sibling, the John Cooper Works.
The four-wheel-drive hatch market is in a healthier state, comprising cars such as the Golf R, Toyota GR Yaris and Mercedes-AMG A45 S, but all are threatened by emissions regulations and several brands' moves to electric performance cars.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with additional information
