According to reports coming from dealers, Honda will be offering a mid-cycle update to the Honda Civic sedan this fall – just 18 months after the new model was launched. The move signals a rush to improve the Civic in time for the 2013 model year after it received critical reviews from Consumer Reports and The Wall Street Journal.

Check out more news on the Honda Civic.

John Mendel, executive vice president at American Honda Motor Co., has previously said that Honda planned to get a mid-cycle refresh for the Civic sometime in 2013. Even that would been quite quick since most company’s wait three years into a 5-year lifecycle for a mid-cycle change.

Last year, Honda sold 221,235 units of the Civic, far below its traditional 300,000+ rate. However, in January 2012, Honda topped the segment selling 21,883 units of the Civic.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoNews

Honda R&D will be making a custom motor, manufactured and maintained by Mugen. Development will be handled by J.A.S., and will base the model on the new Civic 5 door.

A direct injection 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine will power the model, displaced at 1.6-liters.

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

The automaker is aiming to enter the Championship as soon as possible, and is hopeful for this season, with a two car team to follow for ever 2013 race.

In addition, the Honda Racing British Touring Car Championship team, a group of three-time champions, will be running a separate operation with the Team Dynamics version of the new Civic. This event is to kick off April 1.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Interested, perhaps distracted by the sucess of the Nissan Quashai compact crossover, Honda wants to jump in the game with a shrunken CR-V, which temporarily will be known as the Civic SUV until Honda publish a name for it.

Initially, the concept drew me some worry, thinking there might be some Mercedes-esque micro niching going on, perhaps pulling sales away from the CR-V, but in reality, it evokes thoughts of the kludgy looking and now sought after Civic 4WD Wagon.

This will be an interesting car to follow given that there aren’t strictly speaking, similar small and inexpensive four wheel drive cars on the market: no four wheel drive Focus, Cruze, Corolla etc. Except for maybe the Suzuki SX4.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Source: AutoExpress

A $10,000 lawsuit has been filed against Honda Motor Co. by a Los Angeles woman who claims her Civic Hybrid doesn’t meet its gas mileage outlook.

The claim was filed on Tuesday in American Honda headquarters city of Torrance, CA small claims court by 46 year old Heather Peters. Peters claims that the 50 mpg that her 2006 hybrid used to get has been reduced to 30 mpg, and sites battery deterioration as the cause. The former lawyer is looking to be reimbursed for additional fuel costs and the difference in purchase price between the hybrid and petrol Civic models.

While several class-action suits are being filed on behalf of Honda hybrid owners for the same reason, Peters decided the $200 cash payout and $500 – $1,000 towards a new Honda the suits are offering wasn’t satisfactory.

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

Prior to Peters filing her lawsuit, she notified Honda in a letter of her intentions if she received no response from the automaker. After several attempts and no response, she proceeded to file, although according to Honda, no contact had been made until late November.

In addition to her suit, Peters also started a website, dontsettlewithhonda.org to encourage people in her situation do act as she has.

The case will be ruled by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan this week.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: AutoNews

Honda has notified its dealers not to sell some cars until they complete a recall to fix an air bag defect, which has been linked to 18 injuries and two deaths. The problem lies within the driver side air bag, which can deploy with a lot of force and send metal shards into the driver.

Under U.S. federal regulations, Honda must stop its dealers from selling the car before the recall is carried out. However, there are no such requirement for used cars.  The recalls cover 2001-2002 Honda Accord models, 2001-2003 Civic and Odyssey models, 2002-2003 CR-V, 2003 Pilot, 2002-2003 Acura TL and the 2003 Acura CL.

In a letter to its dealers, Honda and Acura showrooms were told that “Some vehicles affected by this campaign may be in your used vehicle inventory. These vehicles must be repaired before they are sold.”

Executive director of the Center for Auto Safety Clarence Ditlow says that Honda should also tell its customers not to drive these vehicles until they are fixed.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: NYT

Recently, angsty consumers and of course ‘the internet’ have not been kind to the new and perhaps uninspired Honda Civic; there is some hope though as Consumer Reports has just awarded the sportier Civic Si the “recommended” designation.

The news comes from a comparo between the Si and the VW Jetta GLI; though many feel that the GLI is no longer the sedan version of the spicy Golf GTI, it still outscored Honda’s offering in the test.

“The Civic Si has a great powertrain, but it needs a better car wrapped around it,” said David Champion, sr. director of Consumer Reports Automotive Test Center.

This may sum it up for most individuals looking to buy a normal Civic. CR cited simple ergonomic gambles Honda took when reinventing the previously successful Civic: the stereo is controlled by a single knob, which CR said is “tedious”. They also said that despite all of the glass, good head and knee room, there is not enough space for the driver’s right leg, thanks to a swollen center console. On a positive note, the Si gets 29 miles to the gallon, and according to CR, the engine is relaxed for everyday driving, offering excellent low end torque and exciting power at high revs.

It is important to point out that the GLI is not recommended by Consumer Reports just yet as it has not been out long enough for them to determine reliability.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Honda said that it expects sales to grow in 2012 with the Honda brand targeting a 23.6 percent sales increase and Acura targeting a 40 percent sales increase. According to Tetsuo Iwamura, president and CEO of American Honda, the gains will be lead by new cars and trucks that the company plans to update for both brands.

“It looks quite high jump, but because of the availability problem, we had a really low year this year,” Iwamura said. “To us, it is a natural growth.”

In 2011, Honda had a lot of difficulty with parts shortages caused by the earthquake and tsunami in March. The company’s U.S. market share has declined 9 percent for the first 11 months in 2011.

Honda brand gains will be assisted by the new CR-V, an updated Civic and a redesigned Accord sedan and coupe next year. An Accord Coupe Concept will be shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show next month.

Acura is planning on unveiled three new cars or crossovers including a successor to the NSX and a new compact sedan called the ILX, of which it will offer a hybrid version.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Free Press

The engine, which weighs in at 396 pounds, is going to be the lightest engine in its class.

When asked whether he hopes the new diesel engine will put some pressure on V-dub, Honda engineer Junji Yamano said through an interpreter: “It is good if they have some sleepless nights because we have had sleepless nights” trying to develop a diesel that can compete against theirs.

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

The engine will make its world debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and will first be offered in the 9th generation Civic in early 2013. It will be produced at Honda’s Swindon, England factory.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoNews

Manabu Nishimae, president of Honda Motor Europe said that the company will deliver to customers asking for performance and sport models.

You can expect the next Honda Civic Type-R to produce closer to 200-hp from a naturally-aspirated gasoline engine along with a bunch of body modifications.

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

Sources also admitted to AutoCar that there is a possibility that more Type-R models could appear in the company’s lineup, however, nothing is official as of yet.

Refresher: The 2012 Honda Civic in Europe is offered with three engine options: a 1.4 l i-VTEC gasoline unit, a 1.8 l i-VTEC gasoline unit and a 2.2 l i-DTEC diesel engine. All the engines are combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox, ECO Assist, and Idle Stop. They are also equipped with Hill Start Assist. The 1.8 l engine can be paired with a specially designed 5-speed automatic transmission.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: AutoCar

Honda announced today that it is expanded a previous recall of certain 2001 through 2003 model-year Honda and Acura brand vehicles to replace the driver’s airbag inflator originally install in around 273,000 vehicles in the United States. The recall covers an additional 917,267 vehicles.

Honda said that “affected driver’s airbag inflators may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury or fatality.”

This recall now includes certain 2001 and 2002 Accord, 2001 to 2003 Civic, 2001 to 2003 Odyssey, 2002 and 2003 CR-V, 2003 Pilot, 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL and 2003 Acura 3.2 CL vehicles.

“Separately, Honda has also determined that approximately 640 affected driver’s airbag service parts were sold for installation in vehicles for collision repair or other vehicle service,” Honda said in a statement. “Because Honda is unable to determine the specific vehicles that may have received the affected service parts through existing information, Honda will inspect an additional approximately 603,000 vehicles and replace those parts as necessary.”

Notifications will be sent out in late December 2011.

- By: Omar Rana

“The ultimate responsibility rests with me,” Ito said top the press at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. “We take inputs from the various markets with sincerity…and try to work out the best actions for what we have observed. Those decisions rest with me.”

Sales of the Honda Civic have fell more than 15 percent to 183,557 units in the United States during the first 10 months of 2011.

For the first time in 10 years, the Honda Civic was left off of the list of ‘recommended’ vehicles by Consumer Reports magazine. The publication said it could not recommend the vehicle due to the poor quality of its cheap interior plastics. A review by the Wall Street Journal called the Civic redesign ‘a betrayal.’

So what is Ito going to do to fix it? Honda is planning to speed up the mid-cycle change for the Civic as early as next year for the 2013 model year – that’s 1 year ahead of schedule.

- By: Roman Bronfenbrener

Source: Automotive News

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show today, Honda dropped a revamped lineup of 4 and 6-cylinder engines along with a family of continuously variable transmissions. Both of the new products will make it to the roads over the next two years.

Known as the ‘Earth Dreams Technology’ lineup, the engines and transmissions are a next generation set of technological advancements which enhance driving performance and fuel efficiency.

Key features of Earth Dreams Technology:

1. A gasoline engine which realizes top level driving performance and fuel efficiency.
2. A compact diesel engine which realizes the world’s lightest body, top-of-class acceleration performance and fuel efficiency.
3. CVT which combines at a high level the fun of driving and fuel efficiency.
4. A two-motor hybrid system which realizes top-of-industry efficiency.
5. A high-efficiency, high output electric SH-AWD hybrid system which combines superior driving and environmental performance.
6. A compact, high efficiency electric powertrain for EVs.

The Earth Dreams Technology Engine lineup consists of:

• 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 310-hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. That’s 30 more horses and 11 more lb-ft of torque than the outgoing 3.5 liter in the Acura TL.
• 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder producing 181-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. This engine will be the base unit offered in the redesigned Accord that is due next fall. It could also make its way into the CR-V in 2013.
• 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder with 148-hp and 133 lb-ft torque, will be offered in the Civic in 2013.
• 1.5-liter inline 4-cylinder making 127-hp and 111 lb-ft – will make its way into the Fit subcompact.
• 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine with output that compares to the current 2.2-liter diesel, will offer better fuel-economy.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Honda (via Automotive News)

On the other side of the Atlantic, the Civic has always lived in the shadows of the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus – but now there is a new model that keeps its torsion beam rear axle and space-craft looks. Can the new 2012 Euro Honda Civic finally take the top spot? Our friends over at AutoCar took one for a spin to find out.

Check out more news on the Honda Civic.

Follow the jump for the video.

Refresher: The 2012 Honda Civic in Europe is offered with three engine options: a 1.4 l i-VTEC gasoline unit, a 1.8 l i-VTEC gasoline unit and a 2.2 l i-DTEC diesel engine. All the engines are combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox, ECO Assist, and Idle Stop. They are also equipped with Hill Start Assist. The 1.8 l engine can be paired with a specially designed 5-speed automatic transmission.

- By: Omar Rana

“There is no other vehicle like the Civic Natural Gas on American highways, and this recognition has been a long time coming for Honda,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “The new-generation Civic Natural Gas features greater fuel efficiency, a handsome and roomier new design, and tailpipe emissions levels untouchable by any other internal combustion production vehicle.

Refresher: Power for the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas comes from a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine found in the Civic Sedan and Coupe modes. However, the engine features unique upgrades that allow it to operate on compressed natural gas. The compression ratio is increased to 12.7:1, compared to 10.6:1 in the Civic Sedan‘s gasoline-powered engine. The Civic Natural gas has a 3600-psi fuel tank located between the rear wheels. Prices start at $26,155.

- By: Omar Rana

Backing this up is a limited edition Honda Factory Performance package designed for the 2012 Civic Si. The kit is currently on sale and will be limited to 500 examples. The kit includes high-performance lowering springs (a drop of 15mm), shocks, 18”x7” alloy wheels, body kit, floor mats, red interior lights and of course the necessary emblems with which to festoon the car. Further backing the kit up is the same 3-year/36,000 mile warranty that comes with the Civic, assuming the kit is installed on a new Civic Si.

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

On the racing front, Honda will sell body-in-white civic bodies, negating the need for conversion of a production, street legal car. HPD will also offer specially designed parts and racing components intended for use in the SCCA world challence, and Grand Am’s Continental Sports Car Challenge, available in 2012.

The Accord gets a significant boost in concept form, chucking out 335bhp and 285 ft-lbs as a result of supercharging the stock mill. There are no production plans for the concept, which is merely there to see if consumers are interested in such a vehicle.

Honda will also offer a couple of veteran, modified CR-Zs: the CR-Z Hybrid R Concept and a Mugen-equipped CR-Z. Naturally other tuners are invited to make their own, lairy versions of the Civic: Bisimoto Engineering will show a 1004 bhp Civic Si Coupe, Tjin Edition has a family friendly, but modded Si sedan and Fox Marketing is offering a turbocharged widebody Si coupe this year.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Obviously, for a car that is the Japanese brand’s bread and butter, those kinds of words are horrible – especially when the new Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and the Chevrolet Cruze have been getting nothing but praised.

Honda is now moving quick to make some mid-cycle changes.

“We take feedback seriously, regardless of who it’s from, and we will act accordingly quickly,” John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, said. “I don’t know how much we can do, and how quickly… but the comments of Consumer Reports and our customers have not gone unnoticed. We are appropriately energized.”

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

The mid-cycle refresh for the new Honda Civic would originally occur in spring 2014, but Mendel said the changes are likely to come sometime in 2013.

Refresher: The 2012 Honda Civic Sedan is powered by a 1.8L inline 4-cylinder engine making 140-hp at 6,500 rpm and 128 lb-ft of torque of 4,300 rpm. The Civic Sedan gets an EPA-estimated fuel-economy rating of 28/39 mpg (city/highway) and 32 mpg combined when mated to an automatic transmission (standard on Civic EX Sedan and all EX-L models). A manual transmission is standard on the Civic DX and LX (automatic transmission available). Prices start at $15,805.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Power mods stack up to provide 450hp, and include a Full-Race intercooled turbo kit for the motor, featuring a BorgWarner EFTR turbo borrowed from the brand’s Indycar teams, Hondata FlashPro controls for fuel injection, and a new intake.

Click here for more news on the Honda Civic.

A large set of 10.5 inch wheels have been fitted to the car along with a widebody kit and a coat of Ultrasonic Blue Pearl paint.

Inside, Fox added in a set of racing seats, customized with factory Si inserts.

Not bad from what we see.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Before Bugatti gets all upset, our headline is just a joke – the brand has no plans to build a competitor to the Aston Martin Cygnet for two reasons – first, it would be a horrible thing to do and second… well, Bugatti just doesn’t compete with Aston Martin.

Either way, someone, somewhere in this world is creative enough to turn there Honda Civic hatchback into something that looks like a mix between the Bugatti Veyron and the Galibier.

We’re definitely impressed. How about you?

- By: Omar Rana

Source: RideLust