2012 Honda Civic coming in April, all variants to launch in quick succession

A Civic for everyone. That was Soichiro Honda’s motto when rolling out the original Civic, and it’s one to which his company intends to stick with the launch of the next-generation model. When the all-new 2012 Civic is launched in April, Honda will roll out a whole variety of body and propulsion configurations within mere weeks of each other, instead of letting months pass between the debut of one model to the next.

Among those variants, we can expect both a sedan and a coupe, with several conventional gasoline engines on offer – including natural gas and hybrid versions – as well as the sporty Civic Si.

The new Civic, previewed recently at the Detroit Auto Show, was slated to debut in 2009. But when the global economy started going south, Honda sent the design back to the drawing board for a nearly complete overhaul before it ever saw the light of day. The result is expected to be much roomier than the current model, though the exterior design hasn’t changed all that much.

2011 Honda Odyssey

While we shouldn’t be shocked by anything coming out of Madison Avenue, part of me is incensed to hearHonda using Judas Priest to advertise its new Odyssey. That’s right, the opening riff of the greatest album from the gods of heavy metal deployed, not in the service of Satan, but to sell a minivan?

While the 18-year-old headbanger in me would like to stand up and rail against Honda (“If you think you’re going to make me think your stupid soccer mom taxi is cool, well, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming!”), the truth of the matter is that Honda’s ad agency nailed it. We’re not teenagers anymore. We’ve grown up and had families. I even own a minivan, and, indeed, there is at least one Judas Priest CD that lives in the center console. And after driving the new Odyssey for a week, I have serious van envy. Honda has crafted the ultimate, state-of-the-art people mover, even if it’s not much more than some flashy design and incremental improvements in areas like powertrain, fuel efficiency and equipment.

Honda CR-Z turbo fast-tracked

The Honda CR-Z has us a bit stumped. It’s interesting looking and it’s a sporting handler, but with only 122 horsepower under the hood, power is in sadly short supply. Yes, the CR-Z is also a hybrid, but its 38 miles per gallon combined fuel economy rating is less than impressive.

The solution could be right around the corner. Back in December, the Brits over at Autocar quoted sources who said Honda was planning a turbocharged CR-Z minus the battery pack or electric motor.

Fast-forward a little over a month and the U.K. magazine now reports that the CR-Z turbo is being rushed to production. If there’s any truth to the rumors, the boosted hatch will come in 160- and 200-horsepower versions; a healthy bump for such a small vehicle. So what does “fast-tracked” mean in terms of timing?Autocar claims we could see the CR-Z turbo at the Tokyo Motor Show in December.

Given the fact that Autocar neglected to divulge its “sources,” we’re not quite ready to take the publication at its word. But all the same, Honda must be listening to all the lukewarm reviews regarding the CR-Z, and a production model based on the boosted CR-Z R concept from SEMA could well be the shot in the arm the little three-door needs.

Honda Accord Crosstour to get four-cylinder option

When Honda originally launched the odd duck Accord Crosstour in late 2009, we were told that the only available powertrain would be a V6, but that plans for a four-cylinder hadn’t been completely ruled out. Now, Honda fansite Temple of VTEC reports that a memo sent to dealerships states that a four-cylinder Crosstour is on the way, arriving at some point later this year.

Details about the four-cylinder Crosstour were not divulged, but we would assume that it’s the same 2.4-liter engine currently found in the Accord sedan. Temple of VTEC reports that a larger four-cylinder unit for theCR-V crossover is currently in the works, so we won’t rule out the possibility of that new mill finding its way under the Crosstour’s hood, as well. Expect the four-cylinder engine to only be available on lower-trim Crosstours, likely without an all-wheel drive option.

Honda says it’s sticking by Ridgeline

We’ll admit it – while it has its virtues, the Honda Ridgeline certainly isn’t our first (or second… or third) choice as the best truck currently on sale. Apparently, consumers agree. In fact, Honda only sold 16,142 Ridgelines in 2010, and when you compare that to the fact that General Motors sold 24,642 of the somewhat underwhelming Chevrolet Colorado pickups, the business case for the Ridgeline seems very weak, especially in lieu of the recent death of Honda’s other offbeat all-terrain offering, the Element.

According to USA Today, however, the Ridgeline isn’t headed for the Great Parking Lot in the Sky just yet. Quite the contrary, actually. American Honda’s executive vice president, John Mendel, says the Ridgeline has developed a very strong following over the years, telling USA Today that Honda believes it has “a ways to go on the Ridgeline.”

This in mind, we’d expect to see a refreshed version of Honda’s truck within the next few years. If Honda is seriously committed to offering the Ridgeline, let’s hope the automaker can broaden its appeal to truck shoppers, because if dismal sales numbers continue, Honda may have no choice but to change its tune and reach for the axe.

Honda so excited about winning Japan Car of the Year that CR-Z gets special edition

The 2011 Honda CR-Z may not exactly be sailing to success here in the U.S., but it has managed to walk away with the coveted Japan Car of the Year title. In order to celebrate, Honda has decided to work up a new special edition version of its tiny sport hybrid. Only available in a special “Pearl Dipusafaiaburu” blue paint, the hatch makes use of unique 16-inch alloy wheels and premium metal pedal pads inside. If the color and the wheels don’t make this one easy enough to spot, Honda has also gone through the extra effort of placing a “Japan Car of the Year” commemorative sticker on the rear quarter glass behind the driver’s side door.

Otherwise, the Japan Car of the Year Edition CR-Z will remain completely stock. Neither fuel economy nor power has been upped in any way. Not surprisingly, it looks like this one will remain a Japanese-only offering. Still, if you like what you see, chances are you could recreate the special edition CR-Z without breaking a sweat – or your bank account for that matter.