Honda has added a new aggressively styled entry-level Civic Sport to its range.

With similar styling to the Civic Type R hot hatch, the new Civic Sport is powered by a 1.4 i-VTEC and is priced at £18,360 OTR.

The new engine, available with manual transmission, joins the 1.6-litre, 120 PS diesel engine and the 1.8-litre, 142 PS petrol engine in the Civic Sport line up.

Specifically styled as a more sporty and aggressive version of the family hatchback, the Civic Sport features a unique colour-coded rear spoiler and 17-inch alloy wheels and shares some of the striking design characteristics of the Civic Type R, with a lower grille mesh and a black roof lining for the cabin.

Honda says the 1.4-litre i-VTEC single overhead camshaft (SOHC) engine has been fine-tuned to boost both its dynamic performance and its environmental credentials. CO2 emissions are at 131 g/km while the engine delivers a maximum power output of 100 PS and a torque figure of 127 Nm.

With the next generation Civic concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and due in showrooms at the start of 2017, Honda is revising the current Civic family line up in line with customer demand. The Sport will become the entry level with the SE and SR grades completing the line up.

Philip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, commented: “The addition of the 1.4-litre petrol engine version of the Sport strengthens our Civic family line up and makes the more aggressively styled version of our popular family hatchback more accessible. The smaller engine makes the Civic Sport more economical and more efficient and therefore a much more attractive proposition.”

The new 1.4 i-VTEC Civic Sport will be available in Honda showrooms from May onwards.