Honda Civic 2012 News

Honda Australia has issued a recall notice to replace faulty Takata airbag inflators in a batch of 25,282 of its vehicles, which had already been recalled to rectify the same issue.

Only a fraction of the 1.2 million cars on Australia roads with airbags that can spray shrapnel have been fixed, new figures show.

It’s the biggest recall in Honda Australia history and the consequences of not getting the airbags replaced can be deadly.The number of Honda cars recalled in Australia to replace potentially deadly airbags has climbed to a staggering 421,000 vehicles with the addition of 71,000 extra models today across the Jazz, Civic and Legend range.Honda is one of eight car brands recalling up to 53 million cars globally -- including more than 5 million Hondas -- to replace Takata airbags that can fire shrapnel when deployed in a crash.So far the faulty airbags have been linked to at least eight deaths overseas, but none have been reported in Australia.Honda has the highest number of affected vehicles in Australia (421,000), even more than market leader Toyota (258,000) which sells almost six times more cars. It represents more than four out of every five Hondas sold locally during the recall period.It brings the Takata airbag tally across all brands to more than 900,000 vehicles in Australia.Honda Australia Director, Stephen Collins, told News Corp Australia the company was fixing 5000 cars per week across its network of 107 dealers.“This is unprecedented for us and shows how seriously we are taking this issue,” said Mr Collins.Because so many airbags need replacing globally, some customers face a painstaking wait that could stretch into 2017 before having their cars fixed.But Honda says at least one third of the 421,000 cars have had their airbags replaced so far in Australia.The crisis has left drivers with the unenviable task of taking the risk and driving their cars or -- if they can afford it -- park their recalled car until new airbags become available.So far, authorities in the US and Australia have not ordered the recalled cars off the road.The odds of being killed are difficult to calculate. Not all of the airbags in the 53 million cars are defective.But internal testing by Takata in 2015 found 265 of 30,000 recalled airbags had ruptured -- or less than 1 per cent.That may sound like good odds, until you realise it still leaves 530,000 cars around the world -- and at least 6000 in Australia -- with airbags that can kill.The three Honda models added today include the Honda Civic (2006 to 2011), the Honda Legend (2007 to 2012) and the Honda Jazz (2012).Chrysler 300C sedan 2005 to 2007BMW 3 Series 1997 to 2006Honda Jazz 2004 to 2009Honda Accord 2001 to 2006Honda Accord Euro 2004 to 2007Honda CR-V 2002 to 2008Honda Civic 2004 to 2005Honda Civic 2006 to 2011 (added 25 February 2016)Honda Legend 2007 to 2012 (added 25 February 2016)Honda Jazz 2012 (added 25 February 2016)Honda MDX 2003 to 2006Lexus SC430 2001 to 2003Mercedes-Benz SL and SLK 2014Nissan N16 Pulsar 2000 to 2006Nissan D22 Navara 1997 to 2004Nissan Y61 Patrol 1997 to 2010Nissan T30 X-TRAIL 2001 to 2007Nissan A33 Maxima 1999 to 2003Subaru Impreza 2004 to 2007Toyota Echo 2003 to 2005Toyota RAV4 2003 to 2005Toyota Corolla 2003 to 2007Toyota Yaris 2005 to 2007Toyota Avensis 2003 to 2007

Flares have never gone out of fashion in Japan and the annual Tokyo Auto Salon shows why.

Fans of the Honda Civic Type R hot hatch will be left waiting up to two years for the return of their favourite pocket rocket.The Japanese company has put the turbocharged Civic Type R on the backburner while it gives priority to getting the Honda NSX supercar into showrooms.Honda has put the turbocharged Civic Type R on the backburner.It means the new generation Civic Type R is still up to two years away from local roads, even though Honda teased fans with a concept car at the Geneva motor show almost a year ago.Even though Honda has unveiled a Civic Type R concept car and talked about its new turbocharged engine, there are still no firm on-sale dates, says Honda Australia director Stephen Collins.This is despite the fact the new Civic Type R goes into production in July this year for the UK market. Could Australian Honda fans really be forced to wait two years?“I think we will get it (Honda Civic Type R)," he said. "It has a rich heritage in Australia. But it's not yet confirmed. It won't arrive before the NSX and that means it could be as late as 2017 (before it arrives in local showrooms).” 

Honda has sharpened the appeal of the Civic sedan by cutting prices across all variants and loading on more standard features.The entry-level civic VTi drops by $1000 for a starting price of $19,490, but picks up the range's new standard kit, including fresh black cloth trim, halogen daytime running lights and an illuminated vanity mirror.There has also been a $700 price reduction on the other three Civic sedan variants – VTi-L, VTi-LN and Sport. The Civic VTi-L now adds in automatic rain sensing wipers and a reversing camera, while the VTi-L and VTi-LN (with satnav) both get a leather-wrapped steering wheel and six-speaker audio system with two front tweeters.A new paint colour, Twilight Blue, completes the upgrades, which Honda Australia Director Stephen Collins says are designed to attract added sales."The Civic is one of Honda's most well-known nameplates around the world. This upgrade in specification and features for a lower price adds even more value to the popular and loved vehicle."Civic sales overall are up 61 per cent year-to-date with 11,564 sales -- largely riding on a refresh for the hatch early this year, which followed a revision of the sedan mid-2012.But while it's gained ground, it sits a fair way behind the leaders Toyota Corolla at 32,039, Mazda3 with 30,781 and Hyundai i30 on 22,499.Variant                RRP           RRP cut   Drive-awayVTi manual          $19,490               $1000    $21,990VTi auto               $21,790               $1000    $24,290VTi-L                     $23,290               $700      n/aVTi-LN (navi)         $26,290               $700      n/aSport                    $30,290               $700      n/aThis reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

We loved the Honda Civic Type-R, one of the best hot hatches we've seen in Australia. Sadly, it exited here a couple of years ago. Happily, there's a new one on the horizon. Frustratingly, it hasn't been confirmed for Australia yet, although the local HQ has said it's on their wishlist. The new Civic Type R will launch overseas in 2015. We've already seen spy shots and prototypes, and now Honda has trickled out some more details. Honda has confirmed the Civic Type-R will pack a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, delivering at least 210kW. That's a considerable 62kW more than the last version we saw here. The new engine will use direct-fuel-injection technology -- of a departure from the previous model, which depended on high revs for its power. No performance figures have been released yet, but expect it to trim the 193Nm 2011 car's 6.6 seconds for the 0-100kmh sprint. Honda has already set its sights on a Nurburgring record, aiming to claim the crown for the fastest front-wheel-drive car to tackle the circuit. In the lead-up to this, they've had famed WTCC driver Garbriele Tarquini out on the Nurburgring warming the car up -- and having it star in some footage for a teaser video. Watch the Honda Civic Type-R video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Spy photographers over in Europe have captured the upcoming Civic Type R, a high-revving hot hatch with race-inspired looks, taut suspension and impeccable handling. With the release of a brand new Civic in the European market recently, performance fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of its Type R variant.   The latest spy shots show a prototype for the new Civic Type R testing at Germany’s Nurburgring. Clear giveaways that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill Civic are the huge rear wing, pumped fenders, Brembo brakes, quad-exhaust tips and sporty body kit. Like the previous Civic Type R, the new car should stick with a four-cylinder engine delivering more than 150kW to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. We hear output may reach as high as 225kW, by way of turbocharging. This is said to be necessary for the car to set a new front-wheel-drive lap record of the Nurburgring, which is one of the goals for the car’s designers. The current record stands at 8:07.97, as set by the Renault Megane RS Trophy in 2011. As the spy shots confirm, the new Civic Type R will feature a five-door body instead of the three-door body used for the previous generation. There’s also the possibility that a dual-clutch transmission may be offered as an alternative to the regular manual, this time around. And if that wasn’t enough, we may even see an active suspension setup fitted. We may also see Honda’s in-house tuner and motorsport partner Mugen involved with some of the development. Given Mugen’s deeper integration with Honda’s road car program of late, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Honda offer some official, factory-installed upgrades for the Civic Type R as well as other models in the near future. Stay tuned for updates as development advances, and look for a debut in the first half of 2014. Key competitors for the car will be next-generation versions of the Ford Focus RS, Renault Megane RS and Volkswagen Golf R. Sadly, there's no hint we'll be seeing it on Australian roads yet. Honda has promised the Type-R only for Europe so far, and says it will be part of a model assault that includes a new mini SUV based on the next Honda Jazz platform, a small open sports car, a fuel-cell car, and a hybrid all-wheel drive Legend. www.motorauthority.com  

The Honda Civic Hybrid has received technology upgrades, leather trim and two new colours... and a new price of $33,990 (flat paint). Honda's second-generation Insight has also been repositioned, with VT-i price reduced to $26,990 (flat paint) and the VTi-L to $30,490 (flat paint).The current Civic Hybrid receives satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates, DVD player, reversing camera with guidelines, Smart Entry and push-button start, daytime running lights and vanity mirror illumination. It also features leather seats in a grey trim and has two new colour options: White Orchid Pearlescent and Carnelian Red Pearlescent ($575 for metallic and pearlescent paint).The five-door Honda Insight hatch with its intuitive cockpit and dual-zone dash features a CVT for smooth and responsive acceleration, Creep Aid System to prevent roll-back momentarily when starting on an incline and of course Honda's unique ECON button with ECO Assist, helping the driver get the most out of each tank of petrol. 

Fierce rivalry in the bubbling small-car sector has led one player - Honda - to take the knife to its Civic hatchback prices. One version has had $4500 wiped off its sticker price compared with the sa