Browsing Tags's Archives »»
Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Honda, Racing
Honda has announced plans to enter the FIA
World Touring Car Championship with this, a hot new racer based on the newly redesigned
2012 Civic (well, the European five-door, anyway). Details are slim about the new touring car racer, but the automaker has released a statement confirming that the Civic will be powered by a bespoke 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four, developed by Honda R&D in accordance with FIA's Super 2000 regulations. Honda has also formed a joint partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport to develop the new Civic.
So, how soon will we get to watch the new hatchback swap paint with other WTCC racers? Honda hopes to officially join WTCC this season, with some inaugural rounds possibly held in Japan, China and Macau. Following that, a two-car team will be entered into every race in the 2013 championship.
Hit the jump for the full details.
Continue reading Honda to enter World Touring Car Championship with new Civic
Honda to enter World Touring Car Championship with new Civic originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
February 3rd, 2012
Filed under: Budget, Etc., Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Honda, UK, Celebrities
We'll be the first to admit we weren't overly taken with the
Super Bowl commercial
Honda worked up featuring
Matthew Broderick. The company has a long history of genuinely great advertising, and while the countless
Ferris Bueller's Day Off references were clever, the ad didn't really come close to the cleverness found in the movie that inspired it. Fortunately, the company has just released a new spot chock full of... that certain something. The clip follows a spark of innovation from inception to realization as the new European
Honda Civic hatchback. As usual, the commercial is well shot and narrated by none other than
Garrison Keillor, a staple of Honda's British ads.
Look closely and you'll even see a shout-out to Honda's famous "
The Cog" Rube Goldberg spot of a few years ago, as well. You can follow the trials and tribulations of Honda's little spark in the commercial
after the jump.
Continue reading Sparks fly with Honda's cool new European Civic ad
Sparks fly with Honda's cool new European Civic ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
January 31st, 2012
Tags:
2012 honda civic,
ad,
Advertising,
budget,
Celebrities,
Civic,
civic hatchback,
Etc.,
europe,
garrison keillor,
Hatchback,
honda,
honda civic ad,
honda cog,
marketing,
Marketing/Advertising,
Uk,
Video
Filed under: Sedan, Honda
It's no secret that the
2012 Honda Civic has been the subject of harsh criticism since its launch earlier this year. It's also no secret that
Honda is rushing to redesign the Civic, and while we
originally reported that the new car would be coming sometime in 2013 or 2014, a memo to the automaker's dealer network states that the reworked Civic will arrive before the end of 2012.
We use the term "redesign" lightly, of course. As much as Honda wants to improve upon its new Civic, the truth is that the updates to the car will almost assuredly be the standard mid-cycle refresh kit. Our best guess is that the interior will benefit from more soft-touch materials and added sound deadening and there could be new paint and wheel design options. According to
The Associated Press, American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura stated that the automaker will "improve the Civic's drivability," meaning a slight suspension and driveline tuning could be in store, as well.
Still, any improvements will indeed be welcomed. Iwamura told AP that the Civic is still the "leader in compact cars," but lackluster sales and a
failure to earn a Consumer Reports Recommended rating - a first for the Civic - say otherwise.
Honda To Dealers: Reworked Civic coming before end of 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
December 20th, 2011
Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Etc., Japan, Honda, Design/Style
There are plenty of ways to know an automaker has made a misstep. Diminished sales and high inventory are typical markers of a lackluster model, as is a paucity of critical acclaim. All three factors are currently weighting on the
2012 Honda Civic. And while stopping short of an actual apology,
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito has reportedly stepped in to take responsibility for the model's reception. At a
Tokyo Motor Show roundtable, Ito told media members that he takes full responsibility for the vehicle's meager performance in the United States and remarked that Honda takes input from world markets very seriously. The CEO also said that his company is working to discern the best course of action moving forward, acknowledging talk of an earlier-than-normal refresh to address the car's criticisms.
The redesigned Honda Civic hasn't found many fans since it debuted in April.
Consumer Reports refused to recommend the vehicle for the first time in the car's history, and Dan Neil of
The Wall Street Journal said that the new car "
feels like a betrayal from Honda."
Ouch.
Not surprisingly,
Automotive News reports that Civic sales have dropped by 15 percent while the rest of the automotive market has seen an increase of 10 percent compared to last year. While some of that fall may be due to supply issues brought about first by earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan and later by floods in Thailand, the reality is that the bread-and-butter compact simply isn't meeting expectations.
Honda CEO takes responsibility for poor reception of redesigned Civic originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
December 2nd, 2011
Tags:
2012 honda civic,
Apology,
budget,
Civic,
coupe,
Design/Style,
Etc.,
honda,
Japan,
Sedan,
Takanobu Ito,
takanobu ito apology
Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda
Honda would love nothing more than to sell a boatload of
Civic sedans and coupes. Problem is, there just aren't enough of them to go around. Speaking to Inside Line, Chuck Schifsky, an American Honda Motor Co. spokesman, said:
"Civic sales are down for one simple reason: Low dealer inventory as a result of a shortage of small parts caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake earlier this year, which nearly halted production of the 2012 Civic... This is a supply problem, not a demand problem. There just aren't any Civics on dealer lots."
Not only did the earthquake and tsunami in Japan cause production problems, the current flooding in Thailand "will cause another delay in production," says Schifsky. In other words, if you're in the market for a new Civic, you'll likely find yourself waiting for a while.
It's also worth mentioning that we've heard reports that public response to the 2012 Civic has not been the resounding success Honda had hoped for, leading to the possibility that a
refresh of the compact will come sooner rather than later.
Honda says 2012 Civic inventory is "virtually zero" due to natural disasters originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
November 5th, 2011
Filed under: Budget, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Honda, Design/Style
As is generally the case, we once again find ourselves swooning over the European
Honda Civic hatchback that made its world debut at the
2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The new-for-2012 North American-spec Civic hasn't exactly
resonated well with us (or
the rest of the media), and while we haven't had the chance to drive the new Euro Civic, our thought is that it simply must be better than the milquetoast slab of economy car that we've been served here in the United States.
We've always liked the Euro Civic's five-door shape, with its rear door handles integrated into the C-pillar. But as for the rest of the 2012 model's design elements, there's a bit of overall weirdness, especially around its rump. Nevertheless, it'll likely do well in Europe, where bold designs are more widely accepted (just look at anything by
Peugeot or
Citroën).
Powering the Civic are a range of three different engines - two fueled by gasoline, one by diesel. The top-end diesel powerplant is Honda's 2.2-liter engine with 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and below that, the two gasoline engines measure in at 1.4 and 1.8 liters, putting out 99 hp and 140 hp, respectively.
Take some time to scroll through our giant high-res gallery of the 2012 Euro Civic. After that,
follow the jump to watch a promo video for the new car and check out Honda's indulgently long press release.
Continue reading Pics Aplenty: Honda releases a boatload on the 2012 Euro Civic [w/video]
Pics Aplenty: Honda releases a boatload on the 2012 Euro Civic [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
November 3rd, 2011
Tags:
2012 Civic,
2012 honda civic,
budget,
Civic,
civic five-door,
civic hatchback,
Design/Style,
Euro Civic,
europe,
Hatchback,
honda,
honda europe,
pics aplenty,
videos
