Honda is on track with its official release of the next-generation Civic Type R, which we can expect to see launched globally by the middle of this year. A new report out of Japan, however, suggests that the highly anticipated Japanese hot hatch will be offered with an unchanged power output from the current generation model.

As Best Car reports, Honda still places a lot of faith and respect in its K20C1, which has already graced two generations of the Type R. The turbocharged gasoline 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine currently provides the hot hatch with 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, but something else could change.

To improve responsiveness and enhance engine characteristics, it is understood that the upcoming Civic Type R will have its 2,500-4,500-rpm torque band increased. It's also reported that this generation will steer clear of any electric hybrid systems, but catering to global market trends, an automatic transmission is being considered, which would be a first for the Civic Type R.

We don't know whether this will be a dual-clutch or torque converter, but the rumor states that it will have six cogs. Considering that the power figure remains the same, we could still expect the next-generation model to be a bit quicker thanks to a lower curb mass figure and increased body rigidity. As for the tires, we're still not sure which brand will be associated with the hatch, but it will wear a 265/30 set wrapped around 19-inch wheels. This is wider than before but houses a smaller wheel size.

We know that the next Honda Civic Type R is close to its official production date because the manufacturer has been teasing its test unit throughout the last few months. Its latest set of images depicted the model testing at Suzuka Circuit while being benchmarked against the FK8 generation Type R. The brand has maintained a hush-hush stance on any official details.

One thing we can be certain about is that the company is dead-set on reclaiming its Nurburgring title, which the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R took in 2019. The team of engineers has already set the Japanese hot hatch out onto the 'Ring with its eye-catching red camouflage.