Remember when you couldn't buy a Honda Civic Type R
in the U.S.? It wasn't that long ago, but those days are finally over,
because Honda is bringing us the hot hatch we need, and there's already
one on U.S. roads.
Officially,
Honda has only shown the next Civic Type R in prototype form, but this
white one looks production ready. It's reportedly a pre-production
model, and the YouTuber that captured it says it was driving around in Southern California, near Honda's U.S. headquarters.
Honda has been mum on specs for the Civic Type R, but we've heard that it will produce 340 horsepower, and will send all that power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual. Like the upcoming Civic Si, the Type R should make its debut sometime next year.
Given our recent drive of the base Civic Hatchback, we have high hopes for the Type R, but honestly, we're just happy it's coming to the U.S.
Honda Motor Co. President and CEO
Takahiro Hachigo is seen through screens of laptop computers as he
speaks during a round-table meeting at the company headquarters in
Tokyo, Japan November 21, 2016.
REUTERS/Issei Kato
By Maki Shiraki| TOKYO
Honda Motor Co. (7267.T)
will stick with its North American production plans as it waits to see
if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on a campaign
pledge to dump the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) when he
takes office, the automaker's CEO said on Monday. "It
is still unclear what Trump's policies will be. We can't suddenly make
production changes and that is a problem not just for us but for all
automakers in the U.S.," Takahiro Hachigo said at a briefing in Tokyo on
Monday.
Doing
away with the NAFTA, which Trump has described as a jobs killer while
attacking the outsourcing of American auto jobs to Mexico, could result
in tariffs on cars built in Mexico that Honda and other makers sell in
the United States.
Honda has two
auto plants in Mexico, one in Celaya and the other in Guadalajara that
together build around 260,000 cars and 100,000 motorbikes a year. U.S.
vehicle manufacturers and many of their suppliers have based billions of
dollars of investment on relatively open trade with Mexico, China and
other countries.
In April, Ford Motor (F.N) announced plans to invest $1.6 billion to expand production of small cars in Mexico.
Nissan
today unveiled the last of four new vehicles debuting at the Los
Angeles Auto Show, the 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited
Edition. The dramatic reveal featured a special interactive presentation
of the Intelligent Safety Shield technologies available in the
redesigned 2017 Rogue against a high-action video. The video was
followed by a drive-out of a pair of the Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star
Wars Limited Edition vehicles accompanied by battle-ready stormtroopers.
Turbocharged coupe and sedan models arrive next year.
There certainly hasn't been a shortage of hot Civic news lately, what with the impending launch of the five-door Type R. But don't forget, Honda will
also offer an Si version of its 10th-generation Civic, previewed here
in prototype form, and making its debut today in Los Angeles.
Don't expect the production Civic Si to look too different than the
hot little coupe you see here. We fully expect this car to go on sale
pretty much as-is, with its meaner front fascia (that looks like it came
right off the Sport Hatchback), 19-inch wheels, aero kit, centre
exhaust, and mandatory rear wing. Same goes for the interior – it all
looks ready to go, and those Si-specific sport front seats look super
comfy and supportive. Here's hoping those make it to production (they
should), but we'll happily do without the HFP accessory floor mats (so
red!).
If the coupe body style isn't your thing, Honda will offer the Si in
sedan form, too. No hatchback, though – that's Type R territory.
We're still waiting for official performance figures. Honda is only
confirming the new Si uses the 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-four, has a
six-speed manual transmission, and will be the "fastest, most powerful
Si yet." Our best guess is power output will be somewhere around 225
horsepower, keeping it competitive with the Volkswagen GTI.
We're expecting good things – Honda says the Si will have new active
damper and steering systems, a limited-slip differential, and optional
high-performance tires.
“This will be, hands down, the fastest, best-handling Si we've ever
offered to our customers,” says Jeff Conrad, Honda’s senior vice
president and general manager.
We'll have more details closer to the car's on-sale date sometime
next year. Scroll down for the official press blast, and check out the
Si from all angles in the source link below.
Acura Precision Cockpit interior concept will likely make production in
the Honda NSX hybrid supercar, before being adapted for all future Honda
production vehicles
Honda has revealed a new high-tech dashboard concept at the LA motor show, which is believed to give clues to how an updated Honda NSX interior will look initially, before featuring on all production cars in the future.
Called the Acura Precision Cockpit, the dashboard concept is
described as “a near-production interior styling and technology concept”
that is “inspired by the NSX”.
Highlights include a wide, ultra-clear, 12.3in digital display in
place of traditional instrument dials, plus an infotainment screen that
sits in the middle of the dash, angled at the driver. Images and colours
on the screen change according to the driver’s mood and the selected
driving mode.
The central screen is controlled via a curved touchpad located in the centre console between the seats, in the style of Audi’s MMI or BMW’s iDrive systems.
Through this screen, the driver can engage semi-automated driving
technology and a variety of connectivity functions: for instance, it
will display other cars in close proximity, distinguishing which are
being driven autonomously and which are under the control of a human. It
will also recognise pedestrians and cyclists and use artificial
intelligence (AI) to predict where they will move. Honda says this will
build confidence in drivers that its autonomous systems are capable of
making the right decisions.
In addition, Honda has highlighted the use of high-end materials on
the dashboard, including brushed metal, natural wood, leather and
Alcantara finishes, plus the use of ambient lighting around the car’s
interior. All of these touches are expected to become part of future
Honda production models in time.
The interior concept has been created by Acura - Honda’s upmarket US brand - to complement its Acura Precision Concept car, which was revealed to show how its cars’ exteriors will look in future.
From
listening to the PR folks at Nissan, you get the impression that the
year 2016 really and truly is the year of the truck at the Japanese
company. And it’s true that the retooling of the Pathfinder and the
complete overhaul of the Armada over its previous incarnation, not to
mention the arrival of the second-generation, revamped TITAN, is proof
that Nissan is determined to offer a more comprehensive roster of
trucks.
The popularity of utility vehicles is far from being news
in 2016, and exhibit A from Nissan’s point of view is the Rogue, a
compact SUV which is has been nipping at the heels of the category’s
heavyweights (Ford’s Escape, the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4) for a
few years now. The popular crossover is a cornerstone vehicle for the
Japanese carmaker, and sits at the top of the manufacturer’s sales
rankings for Canada and the United States.
Nissan Canada recently
extended an invitation to members of the automotive press to experience a
first contact with the 2017 edition of the Rogue. The mid-life retool
carried out on the new version doesn’t represent any overturning of the
apple-cart – it’s more of an evolution than a revolution in comparison
with the 2016 model. That said, any opportunity to gain the attention of
its target market is a winner for Nissan.
A spiffier new Rogue The
new model is just now making its first appearances in dealerships. As
expected, its silhouette remains unchanged. The more curious and
eagle-eyed among Rogue fans will have to check out the front and rear
ends to notice any difference from the 2016 model.
The company’s
design team has repeated the recipe applied to other recent models
produced by the brand. The front grille’s “V” is more imposing, its
greater eminence giving the SUV a more aggressive front end.
The
front and rear lights have also been redesigned, as has the front
fender, which houses new fog lights. Taking a look at the SUV’s rear
end, it’s clear some work has been done on the rear position lights.
While remaining angular in shape, their darker shade gives them a
distinctive look.
Nissan also took things a step further by
adding an SL Platinum Reserve version which infuses some decidedly
luxury-car DNA. This edition features exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels
that quite nicely fill in the space under the wheel arches. Buyers of
this trim should however be prepared to pay a little extra for the
oversized tires to match.
Same tones of luxury inside Our
first contact with the 2017 Rogue began with the very top-of-the-line
version, an SL Platinum Reserve model equipped to the very hilt. From
the outside this version is quite appealing, with its big boots, chrome
elements and several colours, richer in tone and exclusive to the higher
trims of the new Rogue.
But what really sets the SL Platinum
Reserve model apart is its high-end interior finish. The
superior-quality tan-leather upholstery, not to mention the leatherette
panels on the dashboard, help enhance the refinement level in the
dark-hued cabin. And that’s not all, as Nissan’s designers also
succeeded in injecting a hint of sportiness into the inside of the Rogue
with for example a flattened steering wheel that is quite pleasant to
grip.
The soft front-row seats offer enough support to ensure
comfort on longer trips. The second row is a little less convincing in
that respect, although the option of advancing or receding the bench
while choosing the incline level does allow passengers more freedom to
maximize personal comfort. The manufacturer once again offers a third
row for 2017, at least for the SV model, but as is often the case with
this option, it is to be used on a need-to basis only! Please don’t even
think about forcing a larger-sized adult to suffer through several
hours in one of those seats – you may never be forgiven!
No hybrid for Canada In
the United States there is much excitement about the introduction of a
hybrid version of the 2017 Rogue, but don’t be looking for it up here –
it won’t be available in Canada. This is surely due largely to our much
smaller market, as well as to the relatively lower price of fuel which
currently favours sales of utility vehicles.
On the other hand,
there’s good news in the fact that Nissan’s current mechanical set-up
ensures Canadian consumers won’t suffer too much at the pump. The same
2.5L, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine that powered the 2016 is
back; it delivers 170 HP and 175 lb-ft of torque. Also returning in the
2017 Rogue is the CVT transmission, as is the part-time all-wheel drive
system. Take note, however, that a front-wheel drive option is available
on the entry model of the new Rogue.
At the wheel Apparent
right from the first few kilometres driven is the improvement in the
Rogue’s ride quietness, something Nissan had already confirmed it had
worked on correcting. In fact, Nissan’s rogue was already a strong
performer in this regard, most notably while at cruising speed when the
engine is not being taxed by the CVT unit.
Of course, that same
CVT brings the noise level up during acceleration, the driver’s foot on
the gas pedal being a major contributor to the decibel level in the
cabin. Meanwhile, though the vehicle’s mechanics may not win any prizes
for dynamism, any complaints drivers may have will likely dissipate when
it comes to time to tally up gas costs each month. The Rogue is a
highly fuel-efficient crossover.
The new 19-inch alloy wheels do
nothing to harm handling and manoeuvrability. But at the risk of
repeating myself, the Rogue remains a vehicle in search of a certain
spark. To benefit from a more responsive drive, you need to look
elsewhere. Steering is light, and the suspension calibrated for comfort
above all else.
Overall, the 2017 edition has changed for the
better, which if nothing else should to allow it to remain in the lead
pack in the segment. And right now, if you’re a carmaker, that small-SUV
category is where you want to be!
