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Honda shows off 2015 Euro-market Jazz

The 2015 Honda Jazz is here, wearing much the same look we caught on the Jazz "concept" at the Paris Motor Show last year. No, make that exactly the same look as the "concept," save for the fog lights on the pictured model. A move to the same global B-segment platform as the Honda HR-V makes the new Jazz lighter and stiffer than before, and pays all kinds of benefits for the subcompact. Prime among them is interior space - Honda says it's class-leading - the new hatch being 95 millimeters longer. The fuel tank is underneath the front seats, leaving the rear bench free for the installation of Honda's Magic Seat system. Three potential cargo bay arrangements are called "Utility," "Tall," and "Long," achieved by rearranging the positions of the rear seatbacks and bolsters. The Honda Connect infotainment system uses a seven-inch touchscreen, hooks up to the Internet, and transmits real-time news and Internet radio. Following a trend of buyer-installable navigation working through the factory screen, integrated Garmin Nav is an option, and other apps can be downloaded from the Honda App Center. Ride quality and interior comfort get a boost thanks to the 30-mm longer wheelbase and suspension re-engineered with better, lighter parts and new dampers, as well as geometry more inclined to the dynamic. The lighter platform bones let Honda load up on soundproofing, creating a quieter cabin. A 1.3-liter VTEC gasoline engine sits underhoood, offering 101 horsepower, with a new six-speed transmission for a semi-automatic CVT for shifting. Driver safety systems make an appearance here, too, include Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Assist, and High-beam Support. Some of those features will only be available in Europe, naturally, but we'll obviously get a lot of goodies on our Fit, too. The press release below has the particulars. ALL-NEW HONDA JAZZ REDEFINES B-SEGMENT WITH ADDED SPACE, VERSATILITY, REFINEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY - Third generation Jazz based on Honda's global B-segment platform - New 1.3 litre i-VTEC petrol engine from Earth Dreams Technology series - Extra interior space, made versatile with Magic Seats® system - Bold, fresh exterior and refined cabin - New Honda Connect infotainment system - Advanced Driver Assist Systems enhance safety 24.02.2015 -- Arriving in Europe in summer 2015, the third-generation Jazz features bold yet sophisticated exterior and interior design, with unrivalled interior space and versatility.

2015 Honda Civic Type-R benchmarks the cream of the hot hatch crop

Honda has something wicked up its sleeve, based on the latest batch of spy photos we've received. This is purportedly the next Honda Civic Type-R, out testing in Germany and on the Nürburgring. The last generation of the Type-R went out of production in Europe in 2010, and while we admired it from afar, it's 2.0-liter, four-cylinder produced similar figures to the American-market Honda Civic Si.
From the looks of both it and the cars Honda engineers are benchmarking, the next Type-R will be much more powerful. In the spy photos, we can see four meaty exhaust pipes along with what is quite clearly an intercooler hiding behind the rear bumper. That's right, the next Type-R will be turbocharged. It'll need to be, though, if it's meant to tackle cars like the Opel Astra OPC, Ford Focus RS500 and Renault Megane RS Trophy (not pictured, but there according to our spies).
300 horsepower from a 2.0-liter engine should be on offer, and would match the competition quite well. Other obvious tweaks from the ho-hum five-door Civic are mainly aerodynamic. It sports an aggressive body kit with a meaty chin spoiler, rocker panels and a big rear wing. Red Brembo brake calipers can also be seen behind the sporty wheels and low-profile tires.

U.S. issues new tariff threat, this time against British-built cars

WASHINGTON — Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year. But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting. The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners. The stakes are high — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda. The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say. "Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions." Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars. Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow. The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government. Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.