Honda Civic Is Canada's Top-Selling Car for a 12th Consecutive Year

TORONTO, Jan. 6 /CNW/ - With sales of 62,654 units in 2009, Honda Civic retained its honour as Canada's top-selling passenger car for a 12th consecutive year. Since 1973, more than 1.5 million Honda Civics have been sold in Canada, making the Civic a leader in the Canadian automotive landscape.

"We thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who bought Honda Civic models in 2009 to make it Canada's top-selling car for the 12th year in a row." said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc. "We thank these new car buyers for their vote of confidence in the Civic with its strong resale value, excellent fuel efficiency, class-leading standard safety features and fun-to-drive character."

"With the exception of the Civic Hybrid, all other Civic models that are sold in Canada are made right here in Canada. We are proud of our investment in Canada as a vehicle manufacturer. More than half of all the vehicles we sold in Canada in 2009 were built in Canada, including the Honda Civic and Acura MDX, CSX and the all-new ZDX."

Of the more than 5.3 million Honda and Acura vehicles that the Honda of Canada Mfg. assembly plant in Alliston, Ontario, has produced over the past 23 years, more than 3 million of those have been Honda Civic models.

Now in its 40th year of operation in Canada, Honda Canada builds the Honda Civic and Acura MDX, the all-new Acura ZDX and the Canadian-exclusive Acura CSX at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces 4-cylinder engines at an adjacent engine plant.

Source;

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2010/06/c6603.html

Civic Sedan DX-G Review "it is seriously tough to go wrong"

This car is a clear testament to Honda's know-how. Introduced in late 2005 as a 2006 model-year car, the latest generation of the Civic just about changed the face of the compact car segment with its near-futuristic styling and innovative cabin. That was five model years ago, but the Civic still reigns supreme in its category.

How? Well, it's about doing one thing and doing it well. The Civic has a long history, relatively speaking, here in North America as a choice form of economical transportation that is fun to drive. This simple, yet important, recipe has been maintained throughout the Civic's 35-plus year existence.

Growing with the times
As the generations seemingly flew by, the eighth iteration of the Civic is the biggest ever. More capacious, powerful and comfortable, this car is no longer a small second family car, although it certainly can handle these duties as well.

In car-years, five is a big number, especially for the Japanese. Usually, a thoroughly revamped car would be circulating on the web or, minimally, a refreshed body would have been presented to the masses “last” year.

This is not really the case for this Civic. The fact that it continues to be fashionable demonstrates that Honda was so spot-on with their styling exercise that it has required next to nothing to stay current. The car's wedge shaped front end and high tail remain modern and even sought after by those that appreciate the “raked” look.

Roomy, well thought-out and versatile, the Civic's passenger quarters are still amongst the most welcoming in the segment, as much as some cars that have only recently been unveiled. Perhaps my only complaint here is the location of the emergency brake handle which digs into my knee. Otherwise, the firm seats and flat rear floor are very accommodating. One thing I do like is the location of the speedometer at the top of the dashboard; I'm left wondering why other manufacturers have yet to copy this.

Peppy for sure
In the compact segment, sub-2.0L engines are usually reserved for the base cars. In the Civic's case, it's the only one you can get (non-Si). Dropping 140 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque, this car's powertrain can do what most competitors’ 2.0L engines can do all the while consuming less fuel. Our tested DX-G car was equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission which was a rarity when the car was originally launched.

At only 1,239 kg, the Civic need not struggle with lazy arduous weight transfers when tackling on and off-ramps. Instead, the agile suspension and precise power steering make this car a joy to drive. Responsive as ever, the Civic is a pleasure on the highway as well as in town; it's always nice to get back behind the wheel of a lithe car.

The autobox works well, never missing a shift however, for this automobile, nothing rivals the pure enjoyment of working the five cogs yourself. Perhaps the best outcome of driving a Civic is the low fuel consumption numbers you can expect regardless of your driving habits. An average of only 7L per 100 km is a common occurrence.

Honestly
In all honesty, I'm not a big fan of the Civic unless it's a white four-door Si. I personally have had a bad family experience with a 2006 Civic and truthfully, the car is getting old. Be that as it may, I'm obviously the confused or deranged one as the car is still popular, almost too popular. I know the car is good, but I'm convinced that its name carries it most of the way. Think of a reputation. The Civic's is nearly impeccable, it has great resale value and ownership costs are low...

I'm confronted with the fact that this is not my favourite car, because it's such an “open-and-shut” choice to make. I'm all for the underdogs, maybe, but for your money, it is seriously tough to go wrong when you drive away from a Honda dealer at the wheel of your new Civic.

Source;
http://www.auto123.com/en/honda/civic-sedan/2010/review?carid=1102300202&artid=114631

Tommy Kaira Makes the Honda Insight Hybrid a Little Bit More Interesting to Look At

The new Honda Insight hybrid is one of those vehicles that makes us wonder if the team responsible for its styling fell asleep during the design stage. Tommy Kaira has tried to address this "problem" by developing a new sport package for the Japanese hybrid.

The tuner's offerings includes an aero kit that is also available in carbon-fiber trim and comprises of a front spoiler, a new grille, side skirts and a rear apron with an integrated diffuser that can optionally house four tail-pipes for an all-show, no-go appearance.

The package can be rounded off with new 15- or 16-inch alloy wheels, a sport suspension that lowers the car by 30 to 35mm and various other accessories and parts such as sport seats, sill plates etc.

Source;

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/01/tommy-kaira-makes-honda-insight-hybrid.html

Honda Canada Commemorates the Opening of 'Honda Boulevard'

MARKHAM, ON, Jan. 6 /CNW/ - Honda Canada Inc. today commemorated the opening of "Honda Boulevard" off the Woodbine Road bypass leading to its new head office campus in Markham, northeast of Toronto. The new head office campus, scheduled to open this spring, will house Honda's growing sales, marketing and customer service operation teams. The campus is on a 53+ acre parcel of land fronting Highway 404, just north of Elgin Mills Road.

"The opening of Honda Boulevard is an exciting step in preparation for the relocation in May to our new home here in Markham," said Manabu Nishimae, president and CEO of Honda Canada Inc. "We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Town of Markham, which has given us such a warm reception and tremendous assistance in helping to get our new campus built in a timely and cost-effective manner.

"Despite the tough economic times, Honda is committed to investing in our future in Canada as a corporate citizen. We are looking forward to our relocation and the benefits that it will provide for greater economic and operational efficiencies."

According to Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, "The opening of Honda Boulevard and the Woodbine bypass is another milestone in helping Honda Canada begin operations at its new Corporate headquarters. We're proud of the efforts we take to attract and welcome great companies like Honda to Markham's growing business community."

The developer responsible for the construction of the road was the Rice Commercial Group, a commercial and industrial developer based in York Region.

The campus will house three separate buildings, including a four-story LEED(TM) (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building for the head office, advancing Honda's continued commitment to the environment; a technical centre that accommodates research and development, engineering and training; and a one-story parts distribution centre.

Now in its 40th year of operation in Canada, Honda Canada manufactures the Honda Civic sedan and coupe, the Acura MDX and ZDX, and the Canadian-exclusive Acura CSX at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, in addition to producing fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its engine plant. Since 1986, Honda has built more than 5,300,000 cars and trucks at its Ontario assembly facilities. More than half of all vehicles sold in Canada last year were made in Canada.

Honda to Exhibit the Honda New Small Concept at Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi

For the Honda New Small Concept, a wide platform with a stable center of gravity was adopted to create a highly efficient compact size with seating for five people. With the "Efficient Energetic Exterior" design, the dynamic design of the Honda New Small Concept with front forward fenders highlight the presence of the vehicle.

Honda is planning to introduce a new model based on the Honda New Small Concept in 2011, in India and also in Thailand.

Honda will strive to provide a new small-sized vehicle that is beyond the expectations of customers in rapidly growing markets and offer it at an affordable price by leveraging Honda's global parts sourcing network.

Source;
http://world.honda.com/news/2010/c100105New-Small-Concept-Auto-Expo-2010/

January 5, 2010 - Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. unveiled the Honda New Small Concept, a concept model for a new small-sized vehicle, at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi. HSCI also announced plans to begin sales of a new model in 2011 based on this concept model.

Additional Leaked CR-Z Catalog Pages Reveal More!

HNSXR has once again pointed us to some more images that have found their way to the web in Japan, revealing a few more details regarding the upcoming CR-Z hybrid coupe. In one of the scans it appears that the curb weight for the 6MT version starts at 1130kg (2491lbs) and the CVT version starts at 1160kg (2557 lb) with the CVT. According to HNSXR, a "fully optioned" CVT-equipped CR-Z weighs about 1180kg (2601 lb). We can also see the wheel and tire size (195/55R-16).

The weight figures are better than the 1200+ kg figures that were originally rumored, so that's definitely some good news.

UPDATE: According to another one of our Japanese readers, one of these pages confirms something that we were already pretty sure about, and that's the suspension configuration. Up front, it's MacPherson struts and (as I reported based upon the 2009 Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show), the rear is torsion beam.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=872003

Honda's Secret Private Museum

AMERICAN HONDA does not have a corporate museum in the United States — not officially, anyway.

But there is a carefully considered collection of Hondas tucked away in a warehouse a few blocks from the company’s headquarters here.

The trove came to light several years ago when officials from the Rose Parade — Honda is a longtime sponsor of the New Year’s Day tradition in Pasadena — were invited to view a few of the more interesting models in the warehouse. A Honda executive from Japan wound up joining the tour of the collection.

Its cover was blown.

The collection was started by a former executive of American Honda, Tom Elliott, who had put aside a sampling of models important to the company’s United States history, said John Mendel.

“The problem was, we kept turning up more and more significant models that we couldn’t let go of,” said Mr. Mendel, who succeeded Mr. Elliott as American Honda’s executive vice president for sales. “We just kept parking them in this warehouse. We kept expanding the warehouse. Pretty soon, we just ran out of room.”

The collection has grown to several dozen vehicles, including Honda racecars from the IndyCar series, a selection of motorcycles and, more recently, early examples of a Honda-made generator and an outboard motor. At least that’s what Honda will admit to, although many more vehicles could be seen in storage farther back in the building when an informal lunch for journalists was held there.

While the collection is not open to the public — there is not even a sign on the building — the space is used for company meetings and events. The dream of someday being able to showcase these vehicles is at least a year or two away from becoming reality. One of the questions that American Honda officials will face at that point is which vehicles to display.

Certainly they’ll reserve a place of honor for the Honda 50, or Super Cub, a spindly motorcycle powered by a 50 cc engine. That was the first vehicle Honda marketed in the United States, soon after it incorporated in 1959 and established American headquarters on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. (A replica of that storefront has been created in the collection’s warehouse space.)

The Super Cub is still being produced; Honda says that 60 million Cubs have been produced, making it the best-selling vehicle of all time.

The Cub was followed by bikes like the dual-purpose 250 Scrambler, famous for tackling the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. And of course there would be a spot for the original 4-cylinder CB750, which helped establish Japan’s credibility as a maker of modern superbikes.

“A lot of people don’t remember that Honda was first a motorcycle company,” Mr. Mendel said.

“Cars didn’t come along until sometime later.”

The collection includes an N600, the first Honda car sold in the United States, arriving in Hawaii in 1969 and on the mainland a year later. Americans didn’t warm to the tiny dimensions and wimpy 599 cc engine of the N600, but the car has still earned a place in the company’s holdings.

“The N600 started it all,” Mr. Mendel said. “It was full of innovative ideas that were applied to later models.”

It wasn’t until 1973 that Honda car sales took off, when the first Civic was introduced. Since then there have been many best-sellers, as Honda has grown to become one of the world’s premier automobile manufacturers.

“It will be easy to know which of the early models to include,” Mr. Mendel said. “But there will be a lot of discussion about which of the later models should be in there.

“Everybody has a favorite,” he added. “Unfortunately, there won’t be room for all of them.”

Source;

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/automobiles/03honda.html