2012 Honda Civic Ex on 2040-cars

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Honda reveals new Civic hatch for WTCC

If you thought the Honda Civic Type R prototype we drove in Japan looked cool, and that the Civic Tourer that Honda will race in the British Touring Car Championship next year looks even cooler, just take a look at this.
Possibly the ultimate race-spec Civic, this is the car Honda will field next year in the World Touring Car Championship. Like the Type R prototype (but unlike the BTCC-spec wagon) the WTCC challenger takes the form of Honda's latest Euro-spec Civic five-door hatchback.
It's the car with which Honda intends to defend its title and capture the driver's title in next year's championship. It'll face a tough challenge from the new Citroën team headlined by Sebastien Loeb in the new C-Elysee, not to mention the rest of the grid. Fortunately, Honda is entering a whole mess of these Civics in the series, with former champion Gabriele Tarquini and former F1 driver Tiago Monteiro driving the works entries (hence the mixed "Gabriago" tag on the window) and another pair to be entered by privateer teams.

Honda: 2/3rds of our vehicles will be plug-in or hydrogen by 2030

Honda has a new and expanded vision for its plug-in electric vehicles, including more plug-in lawn mowers and construction machines. While things like the Miimo are cool, we'll admit that we're more into the heavy emphasis that Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo just put on pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. In fact, Hachigo is so confident in these electric options that he said that Honda expects fully two-thirds of its vehicles will fit into one of those three categories by 2030. "We will make a plug-in hybrid type available for our major models" - Takahiro Hachigo Speaking at an annual speech in Japan, Hachigo talked about an electric version of the popular Honda Cub motorcycle, the EV-CUB. This electric two-wheeler could come to Japan in about two year and then to various countries in Southeast Asia. As for four-wheelers, the way that Hachigo sees electrification working is to first emphasize plug-in hybrids as the core of the brand's electrification efforts. Specifically, he said that, "we will make a plug-in hybrid type available for our major models and increase the number of models sequentially." The end result, he said, is that, "we will strive to make two-thirds of our overall unit sales from plug-in hybrid/hybrid vehicles and zero-emissions vehicles such as, FCVs and battery EVs by around 2030." The company's next hydrogen vehicle is the Clarity, which goes on sale in Japan in March. It's next-gen EV and PHEV should arrive in or around 2018. You can watch the speech in the video above. The electrification roadmap starts at around minute 32. The only other traditional automaker that is willing to put a big number on its upcoming electric vehicle sales is Audi, which said at the LA Auto Show last year that between 20 and 25 percent of its new vehicles sold will have a plug by 2025. If Audi wants to catch Honda's aggressive claims, it'll need to work hard in the five years after 2025. Related Video:

Honda recalls 11,602 Accords for faulty front airbag modules

The Basics: While replacing the problematic Takata airbag inflators, Honda found that certain model year 2004-07 Accords – 11,602 of them – were fitted with the incorrect front passenger airbag modules. The modules installed were designed to South American specifications and do not meet US federal safety regulations. The Problem: Since the airbags do not meet federal regulations, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration deems them unsafe. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The fix: Dealers will inspect the airbag modules on the models in question, and where necessary, replace them with the correct US-market units. If you own one: Owners can expect to hear from the manufacturer beginning May 5 in order to arrange for their vehicles to undergo the recall service. That is, unless your Accord was already repaired under the Takata inflator recall – in which case this problem was already addressed. RECALL Subject : Incorrect Passenger Air Bag Module/FMVSS 208 Report Receipt Date: MAR 30, 2016 NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V178000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 11,602 Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) SUMMARY: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Accord vehicles manufactured October 1, 2003, to August 17, 2007. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with an incorrect passenger frontal air bag module that does not comply with the advanced air bag requirements. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." CONSEQUENCE: An air bag module does not meet the advanced air bag requirements can increase the risk of injury or death in the event of a crash. REMEDY: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the air bag module as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 5, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's number for this recall is JZ3. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. ### Statement by American Honda Regarding Passenger Front Airbag Module Recall: 2004-2007 Honda Accord Apr 8, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif.