Revised Civic Hybrid for 2009 (EUDM) & T3 Reader’ Seal of Approval Award

Honda’s Civic Hybrid scooped Green Gadget of the Year at T3 magazine’s annual awards ceremony last night.

Voted by T3 readers themselves, it was the Civic Hybrid’s low emissions and excellent fuel economy that won them over.

The Civic Hybrid’s innovative petrol-electric drivetrain enables it to achieve excellent fuel economy of 61.4mpg and low CO2 emissions of 109g/km, making it exempt from the London Congestion Charge and eligible for reduced road tax of £15. From April 2009, road tax for the Civic Hybrid will be zero.

“Because the award was voted by the magazine’s readers, it’s even more important to us,” said Tom Gardner, Head of Marketing, Honda (UK). “This is a great endorsement for the Civic Hybrid and with Honda’s commitment to developing green innovations I’m sure there will be many more occasions like this in future.”

Revised Civic Hybrid for 2009
Honda’s Hybrid also gets a facelift this autumn, with cosmetic changes that further improve the overall appearance of the car.

A sportier new front bumper creates a more aggressive appearance and now incorporates the fog lights. The headlights have also been tweaked with a smoke chrome surround, complemented by a redesigned grille that resembles the Civic and new Accord more closely.

The existing alloys have been replaced with newly-designed 5-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels, while the rear lamps have a new colour treatment.

Nine paint colours are now available, including four new metallic paint colours – Crystal Black, Polished Metal, Premium White and Urban Titanium.


Inside, the seats don a new, premium fabric design and the indicators are now ‘one-touch’ for easy lane changing. The boot can also be opened remotely using the key fob.

The Civic Hybrid retains its petrol-electric drive train, which achieves CO2 emissions of 109g/km and exceptional urban fuel efficiency.

Like its predecessor, the new Civic Hybrid will have an eight year warranty on the vehicle’s battery pack and Honda will recycle any old batteries through its dealer network.


The new Civic Hybrid is available to order now and priced from £17,490.

Source: Honda UK

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Top Version of Restyled Honda Civic Hybrid Available in Japan...

Honda Civic options in Japan are by far greater than in Europe and it is a shame we cannot get them. Here is an example of the most expensive version of Civic Hybrid, including Alcantara interior upholstery and 16" alloy wheels in Pearl White exterior colour!!!

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More Official Photos of New Honda Odyssey (JDM) - Part 2

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Boston City Adjusts Red Lights, Cuts Traffic, Emissions and Consumption!!!

How many times have you been stuck in traffic at a red light for no apparent reason? Most probably, all of you. This summer the Boston Transportation Department decided to take action by performing a series of timing adjustments to traffic signals at 60 intersections in the Back Bay and now the results are in. According to officials, before and after studies showed that the red light adjustments resulted in a reduction in traffic delays of up to 29%. Understandably, less traffic also means less fuel wasted and less C02 emissions.

In particular, the City of Boston announced that the total fuel consumption savings at the 60 intersections is estimated at a staggering 125,000 gallons per year (!!!) while vehicle emissions are expected to be reduced by 4% to 10% and the total reduction in Carbon Monoxide emissions will most likely be 9.5 tons per year. "I am so pleased with this initiative," said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "This is a terrific project with far-reaching benefits. To cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions is a great accomplishment, and easing traffic congestion in the process is icing on the cake.”

In fact the city’s officials are so pleased with the results that they are already proceeding to phase two of the project that will see the retiming of 29 traffic signals in six Boston neighbourhoods while there will also be a phase three that will include the retiming of traffic signals at an additional 91 traffic signals.

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All New Jazz Comes to Swindon (UK)

Honda of the UK Manufacturing will add the all new Jazz model, which will be launched at the Paris Auto Salon on October 2nd, to its production line-up from late 2009. This additional model will complement the existing CR-V and Civic models produced at its car manufacturing facility in Swindon.

The production of the new Jazz will provide greater long term stability for Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) and recognises the trend towards smaller more fuel efficient vehicles in the European market. Honda expect the sales volume of the new Jazz to increase.

Conversely, Honda is facing a similar situation to many other car manufacturers due to the global downturn in demand, mainly in the Western European region. Therefore, in the short term HUM has announced a revised production plan to its workforce. From the beginning of December 2008 one of its two car plants will move onto a single shift day pattern, whilst the other plant will remain at full production. Associates will be re-deployed across its operation. In addition, HUM will extend its Christmas Shutdown period by one week as well as reallocate some production days to later next year.

David Hodgetts, Director at HUM, stated that “we are extremely pleased to announce production of the new Jazz at our operation in Swindon. We are looking forward to the challenge of introducing a brand new small car into mass production in 2009 which will increase our total overall volume. In the short term we are facing a difficult period but there will be no job losses. We have an extremely strong and flexible workforce who will continue to manufacture top quality cars for our customers”.

Source: Honda UK

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Paris 2008: Interview with the designer of the new Honda Insight

The interview is automatically translated from Czech and therefore it is not perfect, but you can understand the content.

"HM: How long insisted the development of a new design model Insight?

From the first idea to create the final version of uběhly approximately three years.

HM: I think I hear quite often that the Insight basic shape of a similar competitive hybridnímu Prius. While I am of the opinion that the Insight like more FCX Clarity, but people still know the Prius, rather than the FCX. Why have you used a different design that the Insight stronger character?

When we suggested Insight, we had in mind primarily the low consumption and emissions, which significantly affects the aerodynamics. A shape that is our new car, are optimum. We were able to invent something else, but it would be at the expense of aerodynamic purity, and we did not want to compromise. In addition, you must not forget that the Prius was first used these body shapes. We believe that the new Honda Insight is a typical design, which we used in the 80 CRX coupe for years, in the 90th Between the first generation of Insight and recently for Hydrogen FCX Clarity.

HM: Body is one thing, but the aerodynamics affects a number of factors. Use for the serial version of the aerodynamically optimized alloy wheels, which had a Civic Hybrid? The concept of the discs in a similar style, rejuvenation version, however, uses klasičtější design. And you can drag coefficient reveal a new car?

We are aware of the influence of disc wheels to aerodynamic, consider this aspect in the design of all the designs of wheels, and the development of Insight, we consider all the pros and cons of standard and special shapes. At this time, but you can not say how it turned out, you have to endure to the official presentation. Nepotěším you even as far as the coefficient of drag. Development of the car is still ongoing, quite clearly it can not identify. But I can reveal that one of the lowest as the Honda for the serial model.

HM: To be the best aerodynamics, is essential for the proposal without the assistance of computers, or a wind tunnel. How is designing such a car? The computer will propose a basic form of a designer just basic stylistic features?

It is not only a hi-tech. After years of creating the design you have some idea of how it works, so the basic shape on the other hand, gives the vehicle designer and then the team moves into the wind tunnel and the tunes are.

HM: rumor has it that Insight is built on a platform of the new Honda Jazz, appeared, however, as well as information that a new platform. Can you give the right to peace?

It depends on how widely is perceived notion of a platform. I think it is fair to say that the platform is a new, specially designed for this car, with the Jazz but shares a number of components.

HC: How do you see as one of the main designers Hondy direction of the brand? Honda is often alleged that does not hold a stylistic coherence of the various models.

Honda is a very creative company and its effervescence conventions accurately characterized range Civic. The fact that you each generation each other does not, shows that for our customers still looking for new values and are not afraid to experiment. But certainly we know what it is that we will do more cars like the FCX and Insight ...

HC: You say to yourself each generation does not in principle. But you can not miss some párovosti generations - the first and second, third and fourth, fifth and sixth. Seventh was somewhat "neHonda", but now here we are eighth, and so could be assumed that it could build the ninth. I do not think it will be difficult to build from this generation?

I do not think that would do philosophy Hondy large jumps every two generations. And not always possible to successfully establish a previous generation. As I said, we are still looking for new opportunities (it sounds as though CV9G again be radically different car note. Author).

And what Acura brand and design combination of both brands Honda logo on the European market?

While Hondy we can afford to experiment with premium brands, the situation is a little different. Its brand image must be strong, clearly identified and significantly sportovnější and emotivnější than that of the Honda, which is in the context of the Acura perceived more as the mass brand. Merging Acura cars in the European offer Hondy not to damage customers clearly know the reason for differences in appearance and understand.

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Minowa-san is the author of the new design Hondy Insight. He is 46 years old and Hondy began work in 1985. Created a design model Shuttle (1994), the concept of S-MX and third-generation Odyssey velkoprostorového car. If you are not able to none of these cars equipped with, certainly you will not have a problem with the current eighth-generation Civic model, and serial FCX concept car FCX Clarity hydrogen."

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Honda World Premiere of V4 Motorcycle Concept

This post is neither related to hybrid technology nor to cars, but to “the new beginning” of Honda’s motorcycles.

"Cologne, Germany, October 7, 2008— Honda Motor Europe Ltd. exhibited the World Premiere V4 Concept Model at Intermot Cologne.

The V4 Concept Model proposes a new, sensual design direction based on Honda’s trademark 4-cylinder V- engine. This year Honda celebrates its 60th anniversary as a company and next year the 50th anniversary of its participation in road racing, as well as the 30th anniversary of racing with an innovative 4-cylinder V-engine with oval pistons. Considering these milestones, Honda chose “The New Beginning” as its exhibition theme leading into 2009 and exhibited the V4 Concept Model which signifies the beginning of a new era.

For Intermot, Honda collected and exhibited successive V4 race machines as well as mass-market motorcycle products which were developed by feeding back the technologies cultivated through participation in challenging race competition, enabling visitors to review the lineage of 30 years of V4 engine technologies and see how Honda will take motorcycling somewhere it has not been before. The exhibition also offers an easy-to-understand introduction to various challenges Honda has undertaken in order to create joy for its customers, by utilizing its technologies that have been continuously advanced through Honda’s 60-year history and by its participation in motorsports.

Honda understands the global trend today that motorcycle users see increasing value in more emotional and sensual performance during the real world riding experience rather than absolute performance measured in numeric specifications. On another front, user friendly features that meet with human sensibilities are also becoming important along with safety and environmental features, especially in mature markets.

Honda believes that the challenge to create attractive products with an increased focus on sensual performance will be the key for the future. At the same time, safety and environmental technologies as well as future energy technologies will continue to become an important theme for the development of motorcycle products. Moreover, in order to offer a comfortable life with motorcycles for a larger number of customers, Honda will put increased focus on the human-fitting match of rider and machine. Conceived around the trademark 4-cylinder V-engine, the V4 Concept Model expresses functional beauty as well as a more sensual image to appeal more to the emotions of people. Embodying Honda’s passion for motorcycle development, the V4 Concept Model expresses the unique characteristics of Honda for a new era.

The V4 Concept Model mobilizes the driving forces of Honda – dreams, challenges, and creating new value. Honda positions this model as “the new beginning” of Honda’s motorcycles."

Source: Honda Motor Europe

Special "Honda V4 - Alive & Kicking" site

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Honda Opens New Hybrid Site

Honda has opened a new "Words of Hybrid" site, featuring the all-new Insight Concept premiered at the Paris Motor Show on October 2, 2008. The site provides details of the Insight Concept and a history of Honda's hybrid development.

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Very First Video of Insight Concept on the Road

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