Production of JDM Honda Civic Type R to be ceased

Production of the JDM Honda Civic Type R will be ceased at the end of August, based on official information from Honda. Since my very first own car was a Honda Civic FD1, it's really sad to see the Type R version going away, but the current model reaches the end of its life cycle... let's hope that the new one will be even better!

What we know about next-gen Honda Civic

My next car is going to be the new Civic, 4-door and made in Japan, which is expected to be introduced in 2011-2012.

So, what we already know, based on information from 2010 Mid-Year CEO's speech, is that the hybrid version of the Civic will be equipped with a high-output and compact lithium-ion battery, which will be supplied by Blue Energy, a joint venture company between GS Yuasa and Honda.

A new plug-in hybrid system for mid-size to larger vehicles is currently under development. Vehicles equipped with this new system are scheduled to go on sale in 2012 in Japan and the U.S. and therefore, it is very likely to see also a plug-in Civic.

In terms of petrol engines, Honda will continue advancing technologies to improve the performance and fuel economy of internal combustion engines. Honda will begin renewing its engine and transmission lineup starting in 2012 to further improve its fuel economy.

New special edition of Mitsuoka Himiko

Mitsuoka has released a special edition of Himiko, which is based on Mazda's MX-5. The soft-top model gest a two-tone scolour scheme, similar to the Himiko Classic HT equipped with a hardtop.

The Himiko is available with MX-5's 2.0 liter engine producing 170 hp when coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox and 162 hp when combined to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Production will be limited to 20 examples with prices starting from ¥4,880,000 in Japan.

Source: Mitsuoka

Daihatsu slightly upgrades Copen in Japan

Killed in Europe, the Copen will now be only available in Japan. Dressed with a new grill and front bumper, the Copen is also featuring a slightly modified interior with a new selection of steering wheels as well as leather seats.

The new Copen is now available across Daihatsu dealerships in Japan and is sold between 1.7 to 2.9 million Yen.

Rendering of next-gen Honda Civic (2HC)

On the front cover of Japanese Mag-X magazine, there is a rendering of the next-gen 4-door Civic, codenamed 2HC. Unfortunately, I don't have any further info or access to read what Mag-X claims, but I will do my best in order to find out...

Interior of next-gen Honda Civic 4-door (2HC) revealed!!!

The interior of the next-gen Civic 4-door has been revealed and as you can see, the two-tiered design theme makes a return, but basically everything has been completely redesigned.

Source: Temple of VTEC

Honda begins sales of refreshed Fit and Fit Hybrid in Japan

Honda begins today sales in Japan of the refreshed Fit model together with the all-new Fit Hybrid, a new addition to the Fit lineup.

The new Fit Hybrid will be offered at the starting price of 1.59 million yen making it the most affordable of all Honda hybrid vehicles. The battery for the hybrid system is located under the rear cargo area which enables the Fit to share the same flexible seating configurations as the rest of the lineup without sacrificing interior comfort that is unique to Fit. 

Since the introduction of Fit in June 2001, cumulative sales in Japan reached the 1.5 million-unit mark in September 2010. Fit is currently produced at ten production plants in eight countries/regions including Japan and is sold in approximately 115 countries. The model has been appraised by customers around the world and cumulative global sales exceeds 3.5 million units.

• Key features of Fit

13 G/13 L

• New and sophisticated exterior design which contributes to the reduction of air resistance and improvement of fuel economy 
• Excellent fuel economy of 24.5km/liter and improved practical fuel economy achieved through the adoption of ECON Mode 
• Enhanced features and improved usability achieved through a thorough review of the previous model
• Honda Smart Parking Assist System which enables easier parking

15 X

• Exclusive exterior design which offers a more upscale look and feel with special features such as a chrome-plated front grille and rear license plate garnish 
• Exclusive interior design which highlights a superior-quality feel through adoption of brown-toned seat color and surface material, chrome-plated trim and highly-luminous metallic color painted panels
• High level of quietness achieved through the CVT setting that leverages spare torque of the 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine and improved sound absorption/insulation capability

RS

• Exclusive and distinctive sporty exterior design 
• Exclusive interior design with enhanced sporty image achieved through adoption of black and orange seat surface material and other features such as a leather-wrapped sports-type steering wheel
• Dynamic driving performance achieved through special settings for suspension, EPS, exhaust system, a 6-speed manual transmission adopted for the first time for this model, and paddle shifters which is a standard feature for a CVT model

 

• Key features of Fit Hybrid

• Exclusive exterior design which pursues an "advanced and clean" concept through features such as headlights and front grille painted and/or plated with clear blue paints 
• Exclusive interior design which pursues an advanced and clean image through features such as a special interior panel painted in champagne metallic color as well as ambient meters unique to a hybrid model which displays the status of high fuel efficiency driving
• The hybrid system, a combination of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine and compact and lightweight IMA (Integrated Motor Assist), achieves an excellent fuel economy of 30km/liter
• Placement of the IPU under the rear cargo area enabled the vehicle to maintain interior comfort and flexible seating configurations that are unique characteristics of the Fit
• Eco Assist (Ecological Drive Assist System) which will help driver achieve highly fuel efficient driving was adopted to improve practical fuel economy
• Honda HDD Inter-navi system, an exclusive manufacturer's option package, comes with Linkup Free service which offers various information services free of telecommunication fees

Next-gen Honda Civic 4-door (2HC) fully exposed!

CAR Middle East has provided the first pictures of the next-gen Civic sedan, 2HC (earlier post), completely naked of all camouflage!

Now you have a clear picture of what to expect and I have to admit that I was hoping for something better than this. As an owner of the current generation (FD1), I was looking forward for the next-gen and I am rather disappointed.

I think that CAR is right when writing "Now Honda looks to be losing faith in its daring design direction, delivering a cheese-wedge sedan that could easily be mistaken for – whisper it – one of the equally wedgy Koreans that are flooding out of South East Asia. Or perhaps it’s merely a reflection of these austere times where sobriety is a virtue. Either way: we want our old Honda back".

Source: CAR Middle East

New Toyota Vitz / Yaris to be introduced in December

According to Japanese magazine Best Car, the third generation Vitz / Yaris will be introduced in December in Japan. The illustration above shows how it's going to look like.

[Source: Best Car magazine]

Mugen introduces new parts for refreshed Fit

Following the launch of the refreshed Fit (earlier post), Mugen released also new styling kits dedicated to each model, including the Hybrid and RS models.

Toyota launches teasing flash microsite about new Vitz / Yaris

Best Car magazine has already revealed an illustration of the new Vitz / Yaris (earlier post) and now, Toyota has launched a smart looking flash mircosite showing a few details. You can see the headlight design (indicating that the illustration is very close to the actual product), the instrument panel and the steering wheel. Also, the new Vitz will be equipped with Smart Stop, which is a stop/start system, and it will be also wider in terms of dimensions.