Tokyo  - The Honda Civic Type R hot hatch produced at the Japanese car maker's factory in England will be exported to Japan where it will go on sale next year, the company has announced.

The model will be called the Type R EURO, to distinguish it from the Japanese-market 4-door Civic Type R saloon, and will be sold in limited numbers, according to Honda.

Japan is the third country outside Europe after Australia and South Africa to import the car. The Swindon plant also produces the 5-door Civic, Civic Type S and CR-V for the European market.

Some 18,700 units of the Civic Type R that comes with a 201 horsepower engine have been built at the Swindon plant since 2007. (dpa)