Honda's 306-horsepower, 295-pound-feet hot hatch isn't that long in the tooth so a replacement might take a couple of years to spring into reality, but there's already talk about what the current Type R's successor might bring to the table. And as things look right now, a hybrid powertrain isn't in the cards.

Development of the next-gen Civic Type R is well underway, but Honda is tight-lipped

The Type R is that sort of cult car that can make or break your fan base. These days, a brand's most loyal followers are easily alienated by the slightest shift in paradigm when it comes to their favorite models. I mean, some didn't like the fact that Honda switched to turbocharging for its Civic Type R, so imagine what damage a hybrid powertrain might do.

With that in mind, Tom Gardener, senior vice president at Honda Europe, told AutoExpress that the decision on what will power the next-gen Civic Type R should be weighted thoroughly before moving to action.

"We’re very much aware of customers’ strong appreciation of the current model, and we’ll have to deeply consider the best progress forward."

At the same time, Mr. Gardener was adamant that "no decisions have been made on that yet" so at this point anything is possible. However, we can all agree that a purely ICE-powered Type R is what would please the purists and die-hard fans alike.

Since the current Type R cranks out 306 horses, the 2020 model could see an increase to around 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Those, however, are purely speculative numbers and ultimately, we'll have to wait for official word from Honda to clear the air.

Along with the boost in oomph we expect a hefty list of platform tweaks, such as chassis stiffness, suspension retuning, and steering recalibration. Still on that note, we don't see Honda dropping the six-speed manual so that's most likely here to say, as is the front-wheel-drive layout of the Civic Type R.

Regardless, the Type R's nimbleness and sharp driving dynamics will be at the top of the priorities list, no matter what.

2020 Honda Civic Type R specifications