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Five vehicles named Top Safety Pick+ including new Civic, MKZ

In an attempt to help push vehicle safety to a higher level, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety created a stricter Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, which incorporates a brutal small overlap test and requires cars to get Good ratings in four out of the five categories (and no less than Acceptable in the fifth). Joining the list of the safest cars of 2013, the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ, Honda Civic (sedan and coupe) and the 2014 Mazda6 have all received the coveted TSP+ rating.
The Mazda6 and Lincoln MKZ have both been completely redesigned, and both received Acceptable ratings in the small overlap test. The Honda Civic, coming off its emergency refresh for 2013, is the first small car to be subjected to the small overlap test, and IIHS says that one of the car's many upgrades includes a stiffer front structure allowing it to receive Good ratings in all categories. Similarly, the XC60 gets all Good ratings thanks to, according to IIHS, Volvo updating the airbag software allowing the side airbags to inflate during the small overlap test.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has not yet been subjected to the small overlap test, so it must make do with just a Top Safety Pick rating until the IIHS tests small utility vehicles, which is expected to happen later in the spring.

Autoblog Minute: 2015 SEMA Show recap

We take a trip to Las Vegas for a recap of the 2015 SEMA show, the trade show for automotive aftermarket professionals and enthusiasts. Autoblog's Eddie Sabatini reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Featuring commentary from Senior Editor Greg Migliore. Additionally, we've got our full roundup of SEMA Show coverage, below. Have a look through our collection of posts, and scroll down for the full Autoblog Minute transcript. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] We take a trip to Las Vegas for a preview of SEMA, the trade show for automotive aftermarket professionals and enthusiasts. I'm Eddie Sabatini and this is your Autoblog Minute. Mazda, Ford, Chevy, Mopar, Roush, and Galpin are just a few of the industry names on hand at this premier tuner show. For a closer look at this year's action we go to Autoblog Senior editor, Greg Migliore: [00:00:30] - [00:01:00] [Greg Migliore Interview] For our full coverage of the 2015 SEMA Show head to Autoblog.com/sema. [00:01:30] For Autoblog I'm Eddie Sabatini. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. SEMA Show Chevrolet Ford Honda Concept Cars Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video SEMA 2015

Next Honda Civic to get 1.5L turbo

The low-displacement, turbocharged engine is all the rage these days throughout the auto industry, whether considering the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost from Ford or even Ferrari opting for a downsized turbo V8 in the latest 488 GTB. It looks like Honda might be the next one to follow this trend, and it could happen as soon as the next-gen Civic. "Downsized turbocharging will be the base, even for the Civic," Honda Research and Development boss Yoshiharu Yamamoto said to Automotive News. That included the US, he indicated. "Quite a bit will switch over to turbo, but there will still be some naturally aspirated ones remaining." The engine reportedly is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that offers better fuel economy, lower emissions and the power of a naturally aspirated mill of between 2.0- and 2.4-liters, according to AN. Since the current Civic gets 143 horsepower from its 1.8-liter four that suggests a healthy power bump for the future model. Making the news even more tantalizing, the new Civic with the 1.5-liter turbo could be revealed before the end of the year, according to Automotive News. Honda already confirmed a $340 million investment into its Anna, Ohio, plant to build the engines later this year. Honda first mentioned a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in 2013 along with the 2.0-liter turbo now in the Civic Type R in Europe. At the time, the brand said these engines would appear in "a number of future global models." The HR-V in the US was also previously rumored to use the same powerplant.