2009 Honda Civic Coupe 2 Door Auto Lx on 2040-cars

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Honda CR-Z refresh coming this fall

Despite moving just 1,562 of them through July 2015 with sales down 33.7 percent, the Honda CR-Z is somehow still kicking in the US lineup. Honda isn't ready to give up and is even announcing a refresh for the hybrid hatchback in hopes of giving the little car a jolt. Before you get too excited, the powertrain remains unaltered for the update with the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder and IMA hybrid system making 130 horsepower. The refresh arrives in Japan in October, and according to Automotive News, the improvements arrive in the US in November. The styling sees the biggest change of the revisions. Up front, the lower air dam now slices through the grille and leads right to the foglights. A similar addition is found on the rear, as well. The brake discs grow to 15-inches, an inch larger than before. Japan gets LED headlights too, but they reportedly aren't coming here to keep prices down. To match the revised exterior, there are tech tweaks inside. An upgraded infotainment system that adds both noise cancelation and an engine sound amplifier to make those 130 ponies at least sound sporty. Another tiny change is the switch to an an electric parking brake and the addition of a center armrest. Rumors suggest Honda is considering whether to dump the hybrid in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the next-gen CR-Z. However, chief engineer Terukazu Torikai disagrees. When asked about the possibility of a non-electrified model, he told Automotive News, "There are no plans for that whatsoever."

New Honda Fit ousts Toyota Prius as Japan's top-selling car last month

The Toyota Camry may lose its title as the best-selling car in the US next year and the Honda Civic has already managed to outsell the Toyota Corolla to become the top-selling compact in the US, but it looks like the domination woes have just hit Toyota on its own turf. Bloomberg reports that the all-new Honda Fit carries the distinction of being the best-selling car in Japan for October - the Fit's first full month on sale - outselling the popular Toyota Prius and Toyota Aqua (our Toyota Prius C).
Unlike the Camry's 16-year reign on US car sales, Japan's race seems a little tighter with the Fit most recently topping the sales charts in May 2011. Since then, though, the two Toyota hybrids have been the top two cars in for sale in Japan. The US won't get the next-gen Fit until the third quarter of 2014, but this new hatchback should be another solid option for buyers in the increasingly popular subcompact segment.

Honda already working on NSX roadster

Honda doesn't do many convertibles. There was the original Sports 360, the Civic del Sol, the S2000 and the Beat. But so far, that's pretty much it. The previous NSX was offered with a targa-style top, but the latest reports indicate that the Japanese automaker is already working on a proper convertible version of the new NSX, to be sold once again as an Acura in North America and a Honda in other markets.
Although it's not yet known whether the NSX roadster will offer a hard or soft top, sources indicate that it won't be a mere removable roof panel. Whatever form it does take, however, expect it to arrive a good couple of years after the tin-top version launches in 2015 with a similar form to the concept but with different underpinnings and a radical interior.