2008 Honda Civic Lx Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Five vehicles named Top Safety Pick+ including new Civic, MKZ

In an attempt to help push vehicle safety to a higher level, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety created a stricter Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, which incorporates a brutal small overlap test and requires cars to get Good ratings in four out of the five categories (and no less than Acceptable in the fifth). Joining the list of the safest cars of 2013, the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ, Honda Civic (sedan and coupe) and the 2014 Mazda6 have all received the coveted TSP+ rating.
The Mazda6 and Lincoln MKZ have both been completely redesigned, and both received Acceptable ratings in the small overlap test. The Honda Civic, coming off its emergency refresh for 2013, is the first small car to be subjected to the small overlap test, and IIHS says that one of the car's many upgrades includes a stiffer front structure allowing it to receive Good ratings in all categories. Similarly, the XC60 gets all Good ratings thanks to, according to IIHS, Volvo updating the airbag software allowing the side airbags to inflate during the small overlap test.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has not yet been subjected to the small overlap test, so it must make do with just a Top Safety Pick rating until the IIHS tests small utility vehicles, which is expected to happen later in the spring.

Honda flaunts freshened 2014 Civic Coupe at SEMA

Honda took the wraps off its 2014 Civic Coupe (red car pictured above) and 2014 Civic Si (gray car in the gallery below) at SEMA today, revealing a mid-cycle refresh for each model. The standard Civic coupe benefits from several cosmetic enhancements, while the Civic Si gets the bulk of its improvements under the hood - precisely where the enthusiasts want them.
The best-selling Civic Coupe sports a new front fascia that is "fun and sporty," says the automaker. The more aggressive snout is a step in the proper direction, as its new shape and exclusive grille design gives the two-door a distinctive appearance that sets it apart from its sedan sibling. The rear end follows the same design language, as the lower portion of the urethane bumper gains some character - its smooth surface has been resculpted and recontoured. Newly available 18-inch wheels complete the exterior transformation.
The 2014 Civic Si benefits from a larger spoiler and new wheels, but the big news is in the powertrain. Honda has massaged the 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine and opened up the exhaust system. As a result, output climbs to 205 horsepower (up from 201) and torque increases to 174 pound-feet (up from 170). The power gains aren't extraordinary, but they should allow the coupe to hit 60 miles per hour from a standstill in about six seconds flat and still return over 30 mpg on the open road. Scroll down for the official release.

Honda Tourer BTCC car lavished with photographic love

Back in December, Honda Yuasa Racing gave us one image of the Civic Tourer entrant it's fielding in the 2014 British Touring Car Championship. Thanks to media days at Brands Hatch and a few photos from Oulton Park, we've got a whole photo album of the elongated Civic that will attempt to continue Honda's BTCC winning ways and shots of drivers Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal.
This is the first wagon to race in the BTCC since 1994, when Jan Lammers and Rickard Rydel had just one year to throw the Volvo 850 Estate BTCC between the kerbing. The following year, the rules were changed so that rear wings couldn't extend above the roofline or beyond the rear bumper, which meant the end of Volvo's blue and white "pizza delivery wagon."
The season begins on March 30 at Brands Hatch, when Shedden and Neal will begin trying to wrest the driver's championship crown from Pirtek Racing. We don't know anything more about the manufacturer entry go-fast Civic Tourer, however, which means this is just an easy feast for the eyes. Because racing wagon.