Update: In response to a report that the upcoming Civic Type R will be available with a CVT, Honda has confirmed that the car will be offered exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmission. The confirmation ends speculation that either a CVT or dual-clutch transmission, which has also been rumored, will be on the car's options list.

Honda will finally unleash its Civic Type R in the United States later this year.

The car is due midway through the year and according to a new report will come with an available CVT instead of a dual-clutch transmission. The standard transmission will be a 6-speed manual.

The report comes from the November issue of CAR (via CivicX) and has been compiled with information provided by senior Honda staff Mirsuru Kariya, Daisuke Tsutamori and Katsushi Inoue. Kariya and Tsutamori are the head engineer and head designer for the Civic line, respectively, while Inoue is the head of Honda in Europe.

The news is a bit on the disappointing side, since we’re yet to come across a CVT we’d like in a performance setting. That said, in a car like the Civic Type R, we’d always go with the manual, even over a dual-clutch transmission.

Honda Civic Type R Prototype, 2016 Paris auto show

Honda Civic Type R Prototype, 2016 Paris auto show

The report also reiterates a few things we already knew about the upcoming Civic Type R. It will feature front-wheel drive with a limited-slip differential for the front axle. It will also have a lower center of gravity compared to the standard Civic Hatchback on which it is based.  

There was no mention of the powertrain, though this will most likely be a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 delivering more than 300 horsepower. The outgoing Civic Type R sold overseas offers up 306 hp.

So far all we’ve been treated to are prototype versions of the car. The production model is expected to make its debut at the 2017 Geneva auto show, which starts March 7.

Stay tuned for an update.