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Refreshed Honda Civic's first commercial is a minor mea culpa

Honda has officially rolled out the first ad for the 2013 Civic. The one-minute spot focuses on a number of clever inventions that improve on old themes, from rocket-powered parachutes to hover bikes and smart window shades, before shifting to the redesigned compact. Set to Santigold's "Disparate Youth," the ad culminates with the phrase, "Things can always be better." This is likely as close as we'll come to hearing Honda say, "we could have done better."
Unveiled at the 2012 LA Auto Show, the 2013 Civic features revised front and rear fascias, nicer cabin materials and an updated suspension just one year after the ninth-generation model debuted. That car received scaling reviews from critics, most notably Consumer Reports, who felt the 2012 Civic was a step backwards for a company known for producing high-quality, economical vehicles. You can check out the full ad for the 2013 Civic below before it debuts during the Rose Bowl.

Honda builds up new Civic Type R ahead of Geneva debut

It's been a long time coming, but it's almost here. Or almost there, we should say, because it sadly won't be coming (at least in this form) to the United States. We're talking, of course, about the new Honda Civic Type R – a hot hatch we've been anticipating for about a year and a half now through a series of prototypes and concept cars. It's finally set to bow just weeks from now, in final production form, at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. But before it does, Honda is giving us yet another taste of what to expect with a trio of teaser images and some juicy details. That Honda's new hot hatch would be powered by its new 2.0-liter turbo four we already knew, but now the Japanese automaker is telling us that it'll produce enough juice to propel the Euro-spec pocket rocket up to a top speed of 167 miles per hour. In a hatchback. That feat will be enabled in large part by its advanced aerodynamics, elements of which we can begin to see from the teaser images – including a big front splitter, deep side skirts, a giant rear wing and an almost completely flat underbody. It'll also be kept in check by a set of Brembo brakes with 13.8-inch drilled discs clamped by four-piston calipers up front and packed into a unique set of 19-inch alloys. It'll all be wrapped for the show stand in classic Japanese racing white, and we're even given a glimpse inside the cabin, where we can see red-glowing instruments, a red center marker at the top of the steering rim and that +R button we were promised. It's all shaping up to be a rather tempting package indeed, but will have to fend off the likes of the new Ford Focus RS and ever-improving challengers from the likes of Renault and Seat to dominate the European hot hatch scene. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to see in what form Honda brings the fight to America, too.

Driving the Lotus Emira and Nissan Sakura | Autoblog Podcast #805

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Electric, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. This week we've got a handful of cars to review, like the Lotus Emira, Jaguar F-Type, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mini Cooper SE and Nissan Sakura. There's a new Autoblog T-shirt available through a collaboration with Blipshift (read more here, and buy yours here). Could there be a new, midsize Ram pickup set for U.S. production? Nissan is considering an affordable, electrified small pickup for America. The VW ID.7 Tourer electric wagon has been revealed, and we consider whether it should come here, too. John talks about the energy of the exhibition halls at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and our hosts talk highlights from SEMA 2023. Finally, we open some listener mail to help choose a fun convertible rental for a trip to Phoenix in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #805 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2023 Lotus Emira First Edition 2024 Jaguar F-Type R75 Convertible 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid 2024 Mini Cooper SE 2024 Nissan Sakura Blipshift's 'Automn 2023' sale is here and it includes a brand new Autoblog T-shirt Stellantis-UAW agreement brings new (Ram?) midsize truck to Illinois Nissan exploring electrified and affordable small pickup for U.S. market Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer previewed as the brand's first electric wagon — should it come to the U.S.? 2023 Japan Mobility Show: the feel from the show floor SEMA 2023 recap Spend My Money: Renting a fun convertible through Turo Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts SEMA Show Tokyo Motor Show Honda Jaguar Lotus MINI Nissan Convertible Coupe Hatchback Economy Cars Electric Hybrid Lightweight Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan