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Remembering the glory days of the Honda Civic Si

In addition to watching host John Davis slowly age over his decades on the show, MotorWeek's Retro Review series on YouTube allows us to look back on some of the favorite models of yesteryear to see their evolution toward present day. Take the 1989 Honda Civic Si for example, which is newly featured. The name is still on the market, and the current model boasts 205 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder. However, the current Si is being left behind in power by other performance compacts like the latest Volkswagen GTI, Subaru WRX and Ford Focus ST. Back in 1989, the Civic Si was still something of an upstart in the hot hatch ranks and definitely had something to prove. Remember, this was a about decade before the tuner boom of the late '90s gave these Hondas massive popularity. Though, the writing was on the wall for eventual success, based on the MotorWeek review. The show called it "stylish" and was attracted to vehicle's sharp handing, even with no power steering. Like today, power was lacking compared to major competitors like he VW GTI, but Honda's 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 108 hp and 100 lb-ft still received some praise. As always, it's fascinating to see how these now beloved models stack up when looking back. The high-performance Civic might be due for another surge in popularity too, if the forthcoming Type R from Europe ever makes to the US. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Honda Hatchback Performance Classics Videos honda civic si

Honda reveals Mobilio MPV, Brio Satya hatchback for Asian markets

Sometimes, vehicles developed for mainstream markets don't work as well in emerging markets due to a lack of infrastructure for which they were originally designed. Indonesia is one of those environs where vehicles that are low, long and wide struggle cover the country's often rough terrain, let alone fit into the nation's compact parking spaces. Taking this into account, Honda has been developing the Mobilio multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which it teased in July, based on research conducted on the country's roads and weather conditions. Today the Japanese automaker unveiled a prototype of the MPV at the Indonesia International Motor Show.
The Mobilio has three rows of seating for seven occupants, is compact enough to fit into the country's parking spaces, which are often less than 14.4 feet in length, and has a sports utility vehicle-like ground clearance of 7.3 inches to handle most road conditions. It's equipped with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine, which should give the MPV good fuel economy.
On September 11, Honda also introduced the Brio Satya five-door hatchback (shown at right) for the Indonesian market, which features an i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that Honda says will help the car net a fuel economy rating of 20 kilometers per liter of gasoline (equivalent to 47 miles per gallon). The model is closely related to the Brio budget hatchback, which was first revealed back in 2011.

Honda audit says Takata manipulated airbag inflator data

Takata is already feeling the pressure of being tied up in the automotive industry's largest recall ever, which affects millions of vehicles worldwide, but an ongoing audit by Honda recently revealed that engineers manipulated airbag inflator test results. According to a report by Reuters, the audit found widespread manipulation of test results, but showed no safety risks for vehicles that were not involved in the recall. The audit, which Honda claims started last October, examined Takata-made airbag inflators and was led by former IIHS president Brian O'Neil. According to Automotive News, O'Neil found that Takata engineers had removed test results to make airbag inflator performance more favorable. In an interview with Automotive News, O'Neil stated that the audit results indicated that engineers selectively edited results to make the reports, which were given to Honda, shorter and prettier from the supplier's standpoint. So far, the automaker has received preliminary information from the first phase of the audit, with Honda and US regulators getting a full report later this week. There's no word on how much Takata will have to pay to fix the faulty airbag inflators, but some automakers have decided to drop the supplier for another source. The New York Times also reports that Takata CEO Shigehisa Takada would be stepping down after the company becomes stable. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Automotive News-sub.req., Reuters, The New York TimesImage Credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Government/Legal Recalls Honda Safety Takata airbag recall