Honda Civic Type R gets stock boost for Australia, wait times slashed – UPDATE

UPDATE, 5 May 2023: Honda Australia has confirmed reports yesterday of an additional 500 examples of the 2024 Honda Civic Type R hot hatch, bound for Australia by the end of this year.

The additional vehicles – nearly double the previous estimated allocation for 2023 – have effectively halved wait times, from the two-year waits quoted previously.

Honda Australia says "estimated arrival times" for customers in the queue "have been reduced by up to nine months" – and the "latest" orders are "now scheduled for February 2024 arrival at Honda Centres".

Drive's original story published yesterday continues below.

4 May 2023: Waiting times for the Honda Civic Type R in Australia could soon come down after an additional 500 examples of the highly sought-after hot hatch were secured to ease the two-year backlog of orders.

Honda Australia is believed to have secured the stock boost from head office in Japan.

Some dealers have already advised customers they could soon be moved up the queue – according to a post and multiple users on the FL5 Civic Type R Australia group on Facebook.

The extra 500 cars – expected in showrooms from later this year – is a significant expansion on the estimated 600 to 700 cars initially earmarked for Australia in 2023, as previously reported by Drive.

Customers have reportedly been advised of reductions in wait times of about six months.

MORE: Honda Civic Type R sold out for 18 months (January 2023), first year allocation gone in 24 hours

Honda Australia's website continues to list estimated wait times for new orders of "24 months" – two years – even though local deliveries have only been underway since this February.

Drive exclusively reported in January the first 12 months of Honda Civic Type R stock – as allocated when orders opened on 1 December 2022 – was spoken for in the first 24 hours.

Wait times stood at an estimated 18 months at the end of last year – with dealers advising early to mid 2024 delivery – but blew out to 20 months by the end of January, and two years by mid-February.

It is despite a price tag for the new model $12,000 higher than the outgoing Civic Type R, now at $72,600 drive-away – up from $54,990 plus on-road costs, or closer to $60,000 drive-away for the last examples of the outgoing version.

For Drive's earlier coverage on Honda Civic Type R wait times, click the links below.

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MORE: Honda Civic Type R sold out for 18 months, first year allocation gone in 24 hours