2012 VW Beetle

I've gotta say, I really like what they did with the backend....Source with write up; http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/2012-volkswagen-beetle-revealed/

CTV: Honda arms the Civic for the small car wars

Jeremy Cato, Autos.CTV.ca

Date: Friday Apr. 15, 2011 6:35 AM ET

How important is the Civic compact to Honda Canada? Beyond measure.

The Civic is at the centre of the company's lineup -- more critical than the Accord midsize sedan and vastly more central to everything that is Honda.

Forget about the other niche models Honda sells in Canada, from the CR-Z hybrid to the Accord Crosstour crossover. There is nothing niche about the Civic and that's why next week's launch of the all-new 2012 Civic means the world to Honda.

Consider: The Civic has been Canada's best-selling passenger car for 13 years running. Honda has sold some 1.6 million Civics in Canada and built 3.6 million and counting at its Alliston, Ontario plant. The Civic is at the core of Honda.

It is also Honda's second-best-selling car in the U.S. after the Accord and was the fourth-best-selling car overall in 2010. The Civic franchise is critical for Honda, which in turn depends on the North American market for more of its overall sales and profits than any other Japanese auto maker.

So if you want to check the pulse of Japan's No. 3 auto maker, take the temperature of Civic sales. And according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, the patient is under the weather. Civic sales were down 8.2 per cent (to 57,505) in 2010. Not surprisingly, Honda brand sales overall were down in 2010, a year in which the Honda brand lost fully half a point of market share.

The story only gets more serious for Honda in 2011. In March, sales of compact cars accounted for 54.4 per cent of all passenger car sales. The Civic's share of all that, however, shrank -- arguably in the face of intense competition, not to mention Honda's own supply and production problems resulting from the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan.

Now put aside for the moment the current crisis in Japan and how it's having an impact on Honda and other Japanese car companies. Instead, consider Honda's specific dilemma with the Civic as an automobile.

The core Honda model has never been more important, not since 1973 when the first Civic arrived. Moreover, the ninth generation Civic has never faced such competition -- from the all-new Hyundai Elantra, to the all-new Ford Focus to the all-new Chevrolet Cruze and more.

Meanwhile, the Civic's core buyers remain baby boomers who are loyal but aging. Honda desperately has been trying and failing to attract the under-35 crowd which has been shopping Mazdas and Kias and Hyundais and other brands. That needs to change.

Now you have the picture. In the run-up to next week's on-sale date, Honda has come out swinging, defending its Civic turf and claiming it will conquer new ground with the new Civic.

Honda has said the fuel economy of the latest Civic would be brilliant, though the company has declined to provide details on the actual fuel economy, as well as engine size, weight, interior features or suggested price.

Company officials have promised the new Civic will be more comfortable, lighter, cheaper, smarter, highly entertaining to drive, ultra-safe, incredibly reliable and more fuel efficient than the current generation, too. Sounds like the perfect car.

Making such bold claims has put added pressure on for Honda to hit the bull's-eye, especially given the company delayed the new model by a year to help save cash during the recession. That may have been a serious mistake.

The delay allowed Honda's rivals to launch their own Civic competitors before the new Civic had a chance to hit showrooms. The Cruze, Elantra and Focus all are on sale right now. Meanwhile, Toyota did a facelift of the Corolla and tweaked pricing to stay competitive.

If Honda had launched the Civic on schedule, it would have arrived fully a year before the competition had a chance to redefine the compact car game. In particular, the new entries from Detroit's auto makers pose an entirely new threat.

For decades, Japanese-brand car companies "had the corner on the small-car market. The domestic offerings were not at the same level, did not provide the same quality, value, reliability," says Rebecca Lindland, auto-industry specialist at consultant IHS Global Insight.

"That's changed a lot. We're seeing products coming out" of General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group "that are incredibly competitive. For example, Chevy Cruze and Ford Focus."

Thus, Honda and Toyota find themselves in the thick of an intense small-car war like never before. Perennial laggards Chevy, Ford and Hyundai have vastly improved new compacts on offer and they are getting plenty of attention.

That said, no one with any sense should underestimate Honda.

"They are still a very, very good engine company," Lindland says, adding that Honda vehicles also have a justified reputation for refinement and reliability.

What's been missing over at least the last decade of the Civic is a truly innovative Civic. At this critical juncture Honda will be watched carefully to see if the new one is an innovative, ground-breaking, segment-busting compact, or just another "safe" Civic like the previous generation and the several before it.

The eyes of the automotive world are on Honda for next week's Civic launch. Will Honda get it right?

Source;
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Autos/20110414/honda-canada-civic-jeremy-cato-autos-column-110415/

2012 Nissan Versa preview

The exterior is more dynamic or sporty looking blend mix by feel luxury little bit, The taillight is same a design but differrent in detail. The wheelbase is 2,700 mm. longer than 2012 Honda Civic. Source; http://www.autoincar.com/spyshot-2012-nissan-tiida-in-china-before-auto-shanghai-show-2011/

2012 Civic: Honda Slims Down New Civic

Now that the new Civic has been unveiled, feedback has been positive....
By CHESTER DAWSON

Honda Motor Co. unveiled a svelter version of its mainstay compact Civic car at the Detroit auto show on Monday in an effort to prevent the auto maker's momentum from stalling out in the U.S. market. The ninth generation Civic will roll into showrooms this spring after disappointing sales last year of three recent Honda models, the CR-Z hybrid coupe, Accord Crosstour hatchback and Insight hybrid.

The latest Civic is designed to help Honda beat back challenges from an increasing array of competitors with new or refreshed models, including the General Motors's Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte. That stepped up rivalry in a segment long dominated by Honda and category leader Toyoya Motor Corp., with its Corolla model, comes as newer Honda models have failed to find much traction in the U.S. market.

Company officials say they are confident the new Civic will appeal to a wide cross-section of U.S. car buyers. "The new Civic will fulfill the needs of nearly every compact buyer," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co.

Yet sales last year of the CR-Z, which was launched in August, and the Accord Crossover, which was added to the Honda line-up in November 2009, both have been below the company's own forecasts. The Accord Crossover undersold same class rival the Toyota Venza by nearly 2-to-1 last year and the Honda Insight trailed even farther behind Toyota's Prius. Meanwhile, the new CR-Z has not succeeded in establishing a niche so far.

"A lot of people have suggested that Honda is coasting," said Aaron Bragman, a senior analyst with IHS Automotive. "Recently, they haven't been the successful innovator they were once known for being ."

Honda said the fuel economy of the latest Civic would be 40 miles per gallon, a level now standard for compact cars, but declined to provide details on the engine size, weight, interior features or suggested price.

However, company officials promised the new Civic would be smaller, lighter, cheaper and more fuel efficient than the current generation of their bread-and-butter model. In an effort to achieve those ambitious benchmarks, Honda at one point suspended development of the car which resulted in a delay of nearly a year from when the Civic had been expected to make its debut.

"The [economic] environment changed so we needed to make changes that better reflected a new reality," said Toshiyuki Okumoto, Honda's chief designer for the new Civic. "The overall scale was reduced, but we didn't change our newer styling concepts."

As Honda's second-best-selling car in the U.S. after the Accord and the fourth-best-selling car overall in 2010, the Civic franchise is one of the most important for Honda, which depends on the North American market for more of its overall sales and profits than any other Japanese auto maker.

Honda faces a difficult challenge in its need to bridge the expectations of older, existing Civic owners who it wants to keep loyal to the brand with the competitive need to offer a fresh enough product to attract younger, newer buyers. Even as Hyundai and several American brands picked up market share in the U.S. last year, Honda saw its share drop to 10.6%, down from 11% in 2009.

In addition to the standard model, Honda also will debut a new hybrid variant that will use for the first time a lithium-ion battery pack. What's more, the company plans to begin selling a natural gas-powered Civic across the country, expanding from current sales in just four states.

Source;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576074522250122938.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

2011 North American Auto Show: 2012 Honda Civic Sedan Concept

Very nice, can't wait to see what they're going to do to the interior....

Meanwhile, four-door buyers can expect an exterior design very similar to the 2011 Civic. Though the sedan's front-fascia wears a little bit more menace than the current design, the carried-over grille and headlights are more than a little familiar. Out back, new tail lamps and a re-sculpted trunk deck dominate the view.

Honda says that for the first time, buyers in all 50 states will be able to get their hands on the natural-gas Civic. Previously, the green machine was only available in select markets. Additionally, the Civic Hybrid will now boast lithium-ion batteries as opposed nickel-metal hydride. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Source (w/more pix);

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/10/detroit-2011-honda-civic-coupe-and-sedan-concepts-are-visions-o/

2011 Honda Fit Receives More Standard Features; VSA Added to All Models

All I can say is carpted floor mats.... It's about freakin' time....
Accommodating, versatile and fuel-efficient five-door now includes standard VSA, USB, cruise control and remote entry on all models

11/29/2010 - TORRANCE, Calif.
The Honda Fit offers even more value for the 2011 model year in its already versatile, fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient five-door package. New for 2011, all models include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) as standard equipment, along with more comfort and convenience features.

New features on the Fit (base model) include cruise control, remote entry, a USB audio interface and VSA. The Fit Sport (non-navigation) also gains VSA for 2011, along with carpeted floor mats.

The Fit Sport with Navigation (previously equipped with VSA as standard equipment) receives carpeted floor mats as standard equipment. Four new colors become available - Alabaster Silver Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, Celestial Blue Metallic and Vortex Blue Pearl - and replace similar colors from the previous model year.

Compact on the outside yet spacious inside, the Fit stands apart from other entry-level vehicles with its multi-functional interior and emphasis on quality and refinement. The exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat® offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations - tall object mode, long object mode and utility mode - in addition to the standard five-passenger mode.

The exterior design provides excellent outward visibility and contributes to the vehicle's aggressive, sporty stance. The 1.5-liter, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine is tuned to deliver a rewarding combination of power and fuel economy. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters on Fit Sport models equipped with the available automatic transmission allow for manual gear selection.

Compact on the outside with an overall length of 161.6 inches, the interior provides an impressive passenger volume of 90.8 cubic feet for its class and a rear cargo volume of 20.6 cubic feet. The rear Magic Seat provides convenient one-motion dive-down functionality and can fold flat into the floor to create a rear cargo volume of 57.3 cubic feet.

Safety highlights include the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, standard VSA, anti-lock brakes and more. Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, dual front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all models.

The engine produces 117 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. The Fit equipped with the available automatic transmission has an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 28/35/31 miles per gallon . The Fit Sport with the available automatic transmission has an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/30 miles per gallon1. All manual transmission-equipped models have an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/29 miles per gallon.1

The front MacPherson strut suspension and torsion beam rear suspension settings are tuned to provide a sporty, refined and dynamic driving experience. Fifteen- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport, respectively) feature 175/65 R15 84S (Fit) and 185/55 R16 83H (Fit Sport) tires. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) uses 10.3-inch ventilated discs in the front and 7.9-inch drums in the rear.

The Fit comes with standard amenities such as air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, USB audio interface2, auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors and power door locks. The Fit Sport adds or replaces: carpeted floor mats, alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights and a security system.

The Fit Sport audio system provides six speakers. The Fit Sport is available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition3, featuring a 6.5-inch screen and more than seven million points of interest.

Fit awards and accolades include being named to Car and Driver Magazine's "10Best Cars for 2011" list (www.caranddriver.com), a prestigious honor it has received in each of the five years that it has been on sale in the United States.

# # #
1 Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

2 The USB Audio Interface is used for direct connection to and control of some current digital audio players and other USB devices that contain MP3, WMA or AAC music files. Some USB devices with security software and digital rights-protected files may not work. Please see your dealer for details on compatibility.

3 Certain functions that rely on a satellite signal will not work correctly in Hawaii and Alaska. These functions include, but are not limited to, automatic clock updates and time zone adjustments. RDS not available on navigation models.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2011-honda-fit-receives-more-standard-features-vsa-added-to-all-models

2012 Nissan Versa Spied

If it looks like the illustration, this could inject a little bit of life into the Versa....
Source;
http://www.burlappcars.com/2010/07/2012-nissan-versa.html

2010 Honda Civic Sedan SPORT: A compact for the ages

Globe rating 8.5/10 View Rating breakdown
No break on pricing here – you buy this runabout on its merits: No other car in this class has crisper steering, better brakes or superior ergonomics

For six million years, the Honda Civic has been Canada's best-selling car. Just kidding.
Actually, the Civic has been the top dog in passenger cars for 12 years running now – even though in 2009, Civic sales were down 13.5 per cent. (Note: the new-vehicle market overall was down 10.7 per cent, so the Civic managed to beat the market in exactly the wrong way.)

Make no mistake about the made-in-Canada Civic; it's a very good compact car. Let me count the ways:

Excellent crash test scores (a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety);
Top-notch resale value (Automotive Lease Guide ranks the Honda brand second overall here);
Outstanding quality (Consumer Reports argues that only the Hyundai Elantra is a better-rated small car overall with an automatic transmission; and the Civic is tops among small cars with manuals).

In all the right rational ways, the Civic is a very good runabout. Except on pricing. Honda tries hard not to discount its vehicles with sales sweeteners and the like and that means you will likely pay more, feature-for-feature, to buy a Civic than most rivals.

Take the $23,475 (freight included) Civic Sport sedan I just test drove. It does not come with any sparkling “deals” – no incentives that I could find, according to the pricing service www.carcostcanada.com.

Now compare that with the Hyundai Elantra, a direct rival and the fourth best-selling car in Canada last year. Elantra sales were up 151 per cent in Canada in December. This is in no small part because the Elantra comes with a $2,850 factory-to-dealer rebate, says carcostcanada.com.

The Elantra already starts at a lower price, too.

Or the Ford Focus, No. 8 in sales last year. If you take advantage of the Extended Term Finance Allowance, the factory-to-dealer rebate is $4,000. The Focus is an older design, but it's still a recommended pick from Consumer Reports.

The Civic? You buy this car on its own merits. The so-called “deal” is not what Honda pushes here – unless, again, you factor in the strong resale value and the fact that, last November, Honda Canada cut the Civic's price by $1,000.

That price cut applied to both body styles – coupe and sedan – and all five trim levels. The Sport version is one of them and it replaced the previous LX. As Civics go, it lands right in the middle of the range.

The name “Sport” generally implies performance, yet under the hood is the same 1.8-litre, four-cylinder motor in all the other Civics, save the Si (197 hp). Transmission: five-speed manual or automatic.

Frankly, that's more than enough power. The Sport weighs only 1,226 kg, so there isn't much bulk to move. Obviously, fuel economy is good, too – 8.2 litres/100 km city and 5.7 highway.

What does make the Sport sportier are 16-inch alloy wheels (versus the 15-inch on lesser Civics) and P205/55R16 all-season tires. They are reasonably grippy. Honda says the disc brakes have been upgraded, too, with anti-lock standard.

For a bit of visual flair, body-coloured door handles are standard and there is a different exhaust outlet. The side mirrors are heated and a power glass moon-roof is standard. But you get the latter at the cost of 34 mm of headroom.

What's missing? Standard electronic anti-skid system.

But there is other standard stuff, and the list runs longer than on the base Civic: 60/40-split/folding rear seat with centre armrest, leather-wrapped steering wheel, variable intermittent windshield wipers, remote entry system with electric trunk release, auto-up/down driver's power window and iPod plug-in. The extra dough for a Sport also gets you map lights, an outside thermometer and rear cup holders.

But if you want a better sound system, you need to spend more. The stereo in the Sport is the same four-speaker affair sold with base Civic models.

All those details aside, there is no denying that the Civic is a really fine little car. No other car in this class has crisper steering, better brakes or superior ergonomics.

For a small car, the cabin is comfortable and roomy. The seat cushions have dense foam that makes a long drive palatable. Aside from the odd-looking, two-level instrument cluster, the controls and readouts are perfectly sensible, too.

Honda may not be throwing around the deals here, but I'd bet that even six million years from now, most buyers would say, in 2010, they got good value for their money.

2010 Honda Civic Sport sedan

Type: Compact sedan
Price: $23,475
Engine: 1.8-litre, four-cylinder
Horsepower/torque: 140 hp/128 lb-ft
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Drive: Front-wheel-drive
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 8.2 city/5.7 highway; regular gas

Alternatives: Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Kia Forte, Chevrolet Cobalt, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Sentra, Dodge Caliber, Mitsubishi Lancer

Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/new-cars/reviews/a-compact-for-the-ages/article1474902/