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THIS week we’re testing the brand-new Honda Civic Type R (above), which by all accounts is a stunning car to drive. It’s also a hugely expensive one that – with a few small options – tops out at £52,000. As you can read on page eight, Honda puts what is a £12,000 increase over the old model (which actually shares much of the same underpinnings) down to an increase in costs and swings in the exchange rate. Oh, and the fact that the old model was too cheap! Back in 1988, I bought one of the best hot hatches of the time, a Citroen AX GT, brand new for £8,800. According to the Bank of England, that’s the equivalent of around £22,500 today, and not far from the price of the brilliant…

THIS week we’re testing the brand-new Honda Civic Type R (above), which by all accounts is a stunning car to drive. It’s also a hugely expensive one that – with a few small options – tops out at £52,000. As you can read on page eight, Honda puts what is a £12,000 increase over the old model (which actually shares much of the same underpinnings) down to an increase in costs and swings in the exchange rate. Oh, and the fact that the old model was too cheap! Back in 1988, I bought one of the best hot hatches of the time, a Citroen AX GT, brand new for £8,800. According to the Bank of England, that’s the equivalent of around £22,500 today, and not far from the price of…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • New Type R has been optimised, but costs £12k more than old one • Mk11 Civic is likely to be last hurrah for pure-petrol hot hatchback LET’S start with the elephant in the room – the new Honda Civic Type R costs £46,995. While it gets more kit than the base-spec version of its predecessor, that’s still more than a £12,000 hike compared with the price of the entry-level model when it went off sale. Opt for the £3,265 Carbon Pack, the £1,110 Illumination Pack and a paint job (there’s only one standard colour available) at £650, and the new Civic Type R is a £52,020 car. But while this puts it very much at the premium end of the hot-hatchback market, rivalling four-wheel-drive, circa-400bhp monsters such as the Mercedes-AMG A 45…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Focus-sized family car will be given an SUV-inspired makeover • European cars will be EVs, while Latin America gets ICE versions FIAT is ready for a major renewal as part of the wider Stellantis Group – and the company will make a decisive move in reinforcing its range when it brings a new family-sized Tipo to the market in 2025 The Italian brand is judged by many to be a sleeping giant, and over the past 15 years it has struggled to justify the investment required to keep its line-up of small cars up to date. That will change over the next four years, with models – including a reborn Punto and a pared-back Panda – already designed and locked into a product plan that extends far beyond the 500. Now Fiat boss…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • New Type R has been optimised, but costs £12k more than old one • Mk11 Civic is likely to be last hurrah for pure-petrol hot hatchback LET’S start with the elephant in the room – the new Honda Civic Type R costs £46,995. While it gets more kit than the base-spec version of its predecessor, that’s still more than a £12,000 hike compared with the price of the entry-level model when it went off sale. Opt for the £3,265 Carbon Pack, the £1,110 Illumination Pack and a paint job (there’s only one standard colour available) at £650, and the new Civic Type R is a £52,020 car. But while this puts it very much at the premium end of the hot-hatchback market, rivalling four-wheel-drive, circa-400bhp monsters such as…