The next generation of Honda civic will be even more futuristic

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Dec 022009
 

As the time passes the faithful adepts of the Civic model are watching closely the news anticipating the new generation of the best-seller. In what ways will it change, in what ways will it be better? Will it continue to be a highly reliable and fuel efficient car equipped with a rather hot tempered power-train?

The new model of Honda Civic of the new generation which is scheduled to debut in a year or two will be more compact and will have an even more futuristic design than the previous model. This is the prognosis of the executive director of Honda Tzuneo Tanai as expressed in his interview to Automotive News.
civic 1
According to Tzuneo, the initial plan was that Civic was to be larger and more expensive than its predecessor, however after the thorough analysis of prognosis of prices for oil products, rolled metal products and other types of raw materials the decision was made to bring modifications to the project. Now the new model is aimed to become more compact, lighter and more fuel efficient. Besides that, the new Honda Civic platform will be initially adopted for the use of a hybrid power-train.

It is good to keep in mind that Civic platform is widely used by Honda Motor company and serves the basis for other models, such as crossovers CR-V and HR-V, a minivan Stream, and a compact FR-V. Presently Civic comes as hatchback, sedan and a coupe.

Honda’s new CEO Takanobu Ito states that the Japanese auto giant is “taking sufficient time to redesign the new Civic as well as all the other models”. Honda seeks way to make most of the research possibilities and seeks to comply with the possible changes in the environment. Honda is committed to reducing the size of its highly successful Civic model, but assures that the interior space and a sense of roominess will not decrease. A new futuristic Civic!? Why not!

Honda Civic On the Road – performance review

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Nov 242009
 

civic on the roadQuite a few folks are interested to see how the new Civic performs on the road. Honda fans have always been fond of the hot-tempered power trains employing racing technologies that Honda was famous for.
Well let’s look at all the new upgrades. The main distinction is that now Civic has a 5-step automatic transmission in stead of former 6-step robotized gear box. This transmission is very basic, has the low sectors like “D3”, “2”, and “1”, but no “sport” or manual modes.

civic frontAn upgrade from the side of power trains is that the basic engine – 1.4 l (95 hp) is a little cleaner with 12 hp greater output. A 1.8 engine with the output of 140 hp continues to be the sought after modification. Trying it on the roads it soon becomes obvious that hat this engine performs more than adequately in all the situations. But one would not go bananas over the way the vehicle with automatic transmission accelerates. The steps of the automatic gear box are outstretched – you may reach the speed of 37 miles per hour on the first gear, 65 on the second, and 105 on the third.
With all that said, the handling for the Civic is above reproach. It follows fanatically all the slightest turns of the steering wheel, and the higher the speed is, the greater confidence Honda gives you of the fact that you are in control. The precise neutral cornering ability makes negotiating curbs a dream! It is just a little stiffer then the previous Civic even though the dealers affirm that the suspension hasn’t undergone any changes. It could be that the replacement of the robotized transmission with the automatic one added the additional 118 lbs to the front of the car….
civic side

The interior is dead silent. New weather strips keep the road noise down. VDC stabilization assistance system engages itself only in extreme situations, allowing for some sweet wheel slip.

To sum it all up – the new restyled and modernized Civic is roughly 4 % more expensive than its predecessor. There is certainly no doubt that the automatic transmission will perform well. But if it was for us to decide, we would pass the offer on both robotized and automatic transmissions, as the real Honda should come with a stick.

Civic Type R: Hottest Hatch in UK

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Mar 302008
 

Honda Civic Type RHonda announced today that the Honda Civic Type R is the hottest hatch in UK. The new version of the Honda Civic Type R was launched in March last year and February this year it has been sold in 5,192 units. This makes it Britain’s most popular hot hatch. In comparison, the Focus ST (all variants) was sold in 4,778 units.

Honda Press Release:

Honda’s latest, more refined Civic Type R is the biggest-selling 3-door hot hatch in the UK. From its launch in March ’07 to the end of February, a total of 5,192 customers got hold of the keys to a Type R, making it Britain’s most popular performance hatchback. Over the same period, Ford sold 4,778 of the 3dr Focus ST (all variants), while the 3dr Golf GTI (incl. Edition 30) recorded a total of 1,984 sales. And that’s not all. Here are some more Type R facts from the past 12 months:

- In response to previous Type R customers’ pleas for a more refined, high specification cabin, Honda introduced the GT grade – and a huge 90 per cent of customers opt for this more comfortable, better-equipped Civic

- Customer demand for higher-specced, more comfortable Type Rs is displayed by the sale of just one of the stripped-down, lightweight models(with no parcel shelf, stereo equipment or audio speakers)

- The current residual value for the Civic Type R GT is an amazing 52 per cent (3 years / 60,000 miles) – this compares favourably with both the Focus ST (44 per cent) and Golf GTI (47 per cent), according to CAP data

- 58 per cent of 3-door Civic sales are to conquest customers

- During 2007, the Civic Type R won Top Gear magazine’s Hot Hatch of the Year and scooped the same award in Auto Express’ New Car Honours

Honda Civic GX Natural Gas Car Earns Top Spot…

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Mar 272008
 

Recognizing Honda’s application of fuel efficient and alternative fuel technologies, four Honda vehicles earned recognition from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) as the “greenest vehicles of 2008″ with the Civic GX natural gas car taking the title of the greenest vehicle for the fifth consecutive year, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. In the 11th annual ACEEE’s “Green Book® Online” ranking of environmentally responsible vehicles (available at www.greenercars.org), the natural gas-powered Civic GX ranked first with the gasoline Civic, Fit and Civic Hybrid joining the list of the 12 most environmentally-conscious vehicles available to the public.

This is the eighth year in a row that a Honda vehicle received the number one ranking and the seventh consecutive year that Honda vehicles held at least four positions in the top 12, an impressive one-third of all vehicles on the list.

“The ACEEE awards speak to the commitment Honda has made to lead the industry in lowering emissions, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing dependence on oil,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. “Honda continues to set the standard for socially and environmentally-responsible automotive products and our commitment to alternative fuels will further expand with the zero emissions FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle coming to market this summer.”

Using a singular measure that incorporates fuel economy, health-related pollution impacts and global warming emissions, all vehicles are analyzed and given a “Green Score.” This score is used in ACEEE’s ranking system, resulting in a ranking of each vehicle’s total environmental performance, including a list of the 12 “greenest” and 12 “meanest” vehicles. The Civic GX, first introduced in 1998, is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle certified by the EPA*, and is 90% cleaner than the average gasoline-powered car on the road today.

Honda has a long history of environmental leadership including the introduction of America’s first hybrid, the Honda Insight, delivery of the first fuel cell vehicle in the U.S., and the first vehicles to meet stricter emissions standards, including:

- The first gasoline Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV), the 1996 Honda Civic.
- The first gasoline Ultra-Low Emissions vehicle (ULEV), the 1998 Honda Accord.
- The first gasoline Super Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV), the 2000 Honda Accord.
- The first Advanced Technology Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), the 2001 Civic GX natural gas vehicle.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection.

Where To Buy Your Motor Swap

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Jan 102008
 

A very popular solution for increasing performace is swapping motor’s to a more powerful one. But where do you get those swaps? This article will give you some good information about where to find your motor swap so that when you recieve your motor you will be happy!

1.) Pull From Original Car - One way to get your motor swap is from the original car that it was in. The hard part about this method is finding the right car with the motor you want. You can search junkyard’s for hours and not find anything worth buying. Another downside is that you might not know what the motor went through since the car is used and has had other owners. The advantage of pulling the motor from the original car is that you can see exactly how many miles are on it. Most motor websites say their motors have under 40,000 miles on them, but they dont provide proof and you will never know.

2.) Buy Locally/Non-Commercial Seller – Another way to get your motor swap is to Continue reading »

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