Honda Civic Type R Dominates Again: Crowned Hot Hatch of the Year 2024

Honda Civic Type R emerged victorious as the Hot Hatch of the Year at the Auto Express New Car Awards 2024, solidifying its position as a high-performance favorite.

Honda Press

The Honda Civic Type R has clinched the title of Hot Hatch of the Year. This accolade fortifies the model's standing as the epitome of high-performance hatchbacks, and after Sports Illustrated drove it last year, I don't question this for a second.

The award ceremony, renowned for distinguishing excellence across various automotive categories, saw the sixth generation Civic Type R stand out amidst tough competition. With 25 categories assessed, the Auto Express New Car Awards aim to guide consumers by highlighting superior vehicles that cater to diverse needs and budgets.

The Civic Type R has been engineered to deliver the most thrilling driving experience yet, representing the pinnacle of Honda’s technical prowess in hatchback performance. This year’s victory marks a continuous recognition of the model, celebrating its status as a perpetual favorite among hot hatch enthusiasts.

Additionally, the Honda Civic e:HEV, also driven and loved by us at SI, earned commendable recognition, being highly commended in both the Family Car of the Year and Affordable Hybrid Car of the Year categories. Launched as part of Honda’s celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Civic line in 2022, the eleventh-generation e:HEV features a sophisticated full hybrid system. This self-charging hatchback combines sporty design with advanced comfort and drivability, making it a standout in the hybrid vehicle sector.

You can read our review here.

Rebecca Adamson, Head of Automobile at Honda UK, expressed her pride in Honda's recent accolades in a press release from the company:

“Honda is incredibly proud to see the Civic Type R once again honoured as Hot Hatch of the Year and the Civic e:HEV highly commended in two significant categories,” she said. “These accolades highlight our commitment to engineering excellence, performance, and innovation.”

Echoing Adamson’s sentiments, Paul Barker, Editor at Auto Express, praised the FL5 Civic Type R's exceptional qualities:

“In the FL5 Civic Type R, Honda has truly produced one of the hot hatch greats. Stunning performance, brilliant handling and one of the finest manual gearboxes fitted to any production car guaranteed excitement on road or track, yet it’s practical, refined and easy to live with, too,” he remarked.