It's the impending debut of the all-new Prius-assaulting Insight hybrid that's got our hearts all aflutter over Honda's booth at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, but that's not all the automaker will be bringing with it to the City of Lights. Along with the new dedicated hybrid we'll see the latest version of its older and somewhat less interesting brother, the Civic Hybrid, that along with the rest of the Civic line for '09, gets a small bit of freshening for the new model year. We do like the looks of the new front-end, but besides that, there's not much to see here... and so we move along to the CR-Z hybrid coupe that Honda's been showing off since Tokyo. Big H's other stab at saving the world runs on hydrogen, the FCX Clarity. Despite the fact that nobody in Europe will be able to buy it, it'll be there with bells on. Honda will also use the Paris Motor Show to introduce the Continent to its new-for-'09 Jazz, known to us Yanks as the Fit. Something else that should be of interest to the Europeans is Honda's first automatic gearbox for its ubiquitous 2.2-liter diesel engine, dubbed the i-DTEC, which rounds out the new stuff that Honda has to show in Paris.
Just last week we revealed official images and specifications for the updated 2009 Honda Civic in sedan and hybrid body styles. Lest you coupe fans feel left out, we've finally found information on Honda's newish two-door in DX, LX, EX/EX-L and Si levels from a PDF brochure and the brand's U.S. website. As with the sedan, the front and rear of the Civic Coupe see the most change, though it'll take a trained eye to spot the differences out back. The front grille, though, looks more aggressive and sports a new honeycomb pattern, and the lower bumper has been redesigned with new air intakes. We likey. Also of note are the new clear turn signal lenses. On the inside, the available navigation system flips down to reveal a slot-loading CD player and inputs for digital audio cards, whatever those are. There's also a new USB music interface in the center console so you can just plug a flash drive full of tunes into the dash. A 140-hp, 1.8-Liter i-VTEC® engine powers the standard coupe and offers up to 36 highway mpg. Honda hasn't released any of this information through its media website, and the consumer website still isn't showing any 2009 Si models, so expect the big H to release more information on its '09 coupes in the coming weeks. In the meantime, take a look through our gallery below to chart all the changes.
Keeping track of who's cribbing whose automotive designs is about to get even more difficult once Honda brings its new Euro Civic to market. If this rendering from Auto Express is to be believed, the new hatch is a certifiable stunner. That is due in large part to the fact it looks almost exactly like another stunner: the new Volkswagen Scirocco. Swap out the grille and the rear lights, and that Honda is... practically a VW.The OSM concept at the British Auto Show was the appetizer for the next Euro Civic's looks -- there was simply more distance between it and That Other Hatch since the OSM had no top. Under the hood, though, Honda has vastly different plans: rumors include a 1.5-liter hybrid with 150 hp and a 2.0-liter for the Type R that could be assisted by an electric motor The 2-door hatch will be a different proposition than the 4-door and aimed at a different buyer just like the current models in Europe. Not that it will make a difference to American buyers, because just like the car it (kind of) plays doppelganger to, the Civic hatch isn't coming to the U.S.
Just last weekend we brought you some leaked scans revealing the new face of the 2009 Civic, and today Honda makes it official by revealing all the changes made to its popular small car. As we've already learned, exterior changes include a new front bumper cover that reshapes the bottom curve of the grille and features three prominently placed, more traditional looking air intakes in place of the single large opening on 2008 and prior models. Honda also claimed it messed around with the color combinations of the headlights and taillights, but damned if we could tell. There's also new alloy wheels for the EX, EX-L and Si models, and the latter pocket rocket gets standard fog lamps, as well. The only other exterior change is a new piece of chrome that's been placed above the rear license plate holder. Finally, Honda has added two new trim levels: the LX-S that comes with alloy wheels and sporty trim and DX Value Package that gets standard AC and an unspecified audio system. 2009 Civics will also offer Bluetooth for the first time on models equipped with navigation systems, and the EX, EX-L, Hybrid and Si get a new USB port to plug in digital audio players. Honda has also chosen to make stability control, or what it calls Vehicle Stability Assist, standard on these models only.
Honda hasn't released official shots of the mildly facelifted 2009 Civic sedan yet, but it has started sending brochures to dealers. You know how this works: brochure > scanner > web > you, so here it is. Up front, the grille is reshaped to align Civic with its Honda brethren and the lower fascia gets a more aggressive three-opening treatment that lets the foglamps be pushed farther outboard. In back, the taillamps retain their shape, but the reverse light detailing is updated. Some models (from what we can see) now also get a trunklid chrome strip. Look for some new wheel designs sprinkled throughout, as well as two new trim levels -- the DX-VP (Value Package) and LX-S (Sport appearance package). Given that people are flocking to more economical cars, those additional offerings in the lineup certainly shouldn't hurt. We expect to see 4-door's front-end changes make their way onto the Civic coupe as well.
Aftermarket parts manufacturer Skunk2 has been churning out go-fast bits for Hondas since the mid 1990s. Initially named Skunkworks, the company's extensive racing efforts and an R&D facility only found in the dreams of most engineers have rocketed it to the forefront of today's sport compact market. Skunk2 is ready to move into the future and is seeking to offload its project EP3 Honda Civic RR in order to make room for something new. Built to show that the Japanese tuners could be beaten at their own game, and loaded with every possible item in the Skunk2 catalog, the ride carries an asking price of $17,000.
The project exclusively uses U.S. domestic market parts. The motor, built with Wiseco pistons, forged Cunningham rods and various Skunk2 components, churns out 254 hp and 190 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels. For the most part, the mods are limited to the performance and interior upgrades, though a few Civic Type R body trim pieces (technically UKDM) and lightweight Volk wheels (apparently domestic distribution counts as USDM) also find their way onto the car. No gaudy shopping cart rear wings or excessively louvered hoods for this rice burner.
Much has already been written about Honda's plan to introduce a fleet of new hybrid models to take on Toyota's dominance in the segment. It's strategy includes a new dedicated hybrid model, a sporty hybrid based on the CR-Z concept, and hybridized versions of the Civic and Fit. Yesterday Honda's President, Takeo Fukui, revealed more information about that dedicated hybrid that's destined to take on the Toyota Prius in the global marketplace. While an official name and specific details will come later this year, Fukui did say that it will be a five-door hatchback (like the Prius) and seat five people. It's styling will be inspired by the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle, so expect a clean shape that's slippery through the wind. It will be produced in Japan alongside the Civic Hybrid at Honda's Suzuka factory, and the automaker expects to sell about 200,000 per year around the world, with 100,000 earmarked for North American markets. Honda also claims it has found new ways to reduce weight in the car and also lower the cost of its Integrated Motor Assist technology, though we don't expect any of these hybrids to be full parallel hybrids like the Prius, i.e. able to run on electricity alone.
Altogether, Honda hopes its four new hybrid models will reach global sales of 500,000 per year shortly after they're all on the market around 2010. Bully for them, but Toyota's already said that it will be selling a million hybrids annually by that time.
Honda has finally issued a TSB on the third gear issue that's been plaguing everything from the Civic Si to the Acura TL. According to affected owners, when the manual transmission was in third gear, it would occasionally pop into neutral and occasionally grind into place. Honda originally didn't recognize the problem and still isn't issuing a recall, but they have put out a TSB and are offering to correct the problem free of charge to owners who take their vehicle into a dealership. The documentation for Honda and Acura is now available (PDF warning) and you can hit the jump to see which vehicles are included in the TSB.
We've avoided glossy-eyed retrospectives of 2007, but if you were in the market for a practical, affordable and entertaining ride in the last year, there were a handful of vehicles to be had for under $25 large. The Mazdaspeed3, R56 MINI Cooper S and VW GTI have set the fun-to-drive quotient relatively high, but one vehicle that's been left out of the Autoblog Garage is the Honda Civic Si. While the coupe has garnered its fair share of praise, we understand that your average Joe and Jane have people and stuff to schlep; thankfully, so does Honda. So with little fanfare last year, it released the Civic Si Sedan to the masses and in the process created yet another entertaining steer for those of us unable or unwilling to break the $30,000 ceiling.
One of the other concepts that graced Mugen's stand in Japan at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon was the Civic Type-RR, which in addition to the obvious replacement of the entire front clip with carbon fiber pieces, also includes a K20A engine that's been bored out to 2157 cc to create a more tractable powerband and an even higher redline. 260 horsepower and 173 lb.-ft. of torque is sent to the six-speed gearbox and down to the front wheels through a LSD. Naturally, the brakes and suspension have been upgraded to handle the extra grunt, while carbon fiber was used inside to beef up the structure. Mugen also added a system dubbed I-TCMS, or Intellligent Tire Condition Monitoring, which keeps tabs on the tire's air pressure and temperature. The dash mounted instrument cluster might be a big impediment to forward visibility, but we're sure it's nothing compared to the price.
