1991 Honda Civic Wagon, 2wd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Editors' Picks April 2021 | Honda Accord, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and more

The month of April saw us award Editors' Picks status to a couple mega-luxury vehicles and a couple long-time standbys that recently went through mid-cycle refreshes. We drove plenty of other cars that didn't quite reach the bar for Editors' Picks status — BMW 4 Series, Infiniti QX55 and the Mitsubishi Outlander among others — but the four you'll see below stood out as the best this month. In case you missed our previous couple Editors' Picks posts, hereÂ’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get EditorsÂ’ Pick status. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in April that earned the honor of being an EditorsÂ’ Pick. 2021 Aston Martin DBX 2021 Aston Martin DBX View 16 Photos Quick take: With attractive styling and a gorgeous yet functional interior, the V8-powered DBX is a legitimate crossover worthy of the Aston badge. Score: 8 What it competes with: Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 Pros: Mega style, fantastic driving dynamics, a true and faithful Aston Martin Cons: Very expensive, only average infotainment From the editors: Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — “The DBX captures the spirit of Aston Martin in a modern crossover. That's not an easy thing to do. I expected the DBX might look the part, but lack functionality. Or it would be a decent crossover, but fall short of my idea of an Aston. The DBX did neither. It exceeded my expectations and is an entertaining vehicle to drive. The styling is interesting and evocative, and the AMG-sourced powertrain delivers proper performance. I also loaded it up with groceries and a carseat fits pretty well. Mission accomplished for Aston." In-depth analysis: 2021 Aston Martin DBX First Drive Review | A crossover that makes you forget itÂ’s a crossover   2021 Bentley Flying Spur 2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 View 20 Photos Quick take: There are technically competitors to the Flying Spur, but nothing matches it stride-for-stride in every category. ItÂ’s the Bentley flagship product now, and it flies the brandÂ’s flag with both gusto and excellence. You can't go wrong whether you spec the W12 or V8 either.

Honda to use English as its official language

Honda still has its headquarters in Japan and offices all over the world, but expect to hear a little less Japanese from the automaker in the coming years. A small statement in the business' latest sustainability report (available here as a PDF) announces English will become the official language for interregional communication by 2020. Honda believes that the change should foster better contact between countries as Japan becomes a less central focus for the company. As part of this shift, any documents or questions during interregional meetings, plus any other information being shared between territories, must be in English. To put some extra weight behind the mandate, the ability to speak the language is going to be a requirement for future promotions to management. In the meantime, "Honda has implemented measures in Japan that include study programs aimed at boosting English language skills," the sustainability report said. According to Automotive News, former CEO Takanobu Ito called the idea of making English an official language for company communications "stupid" five years ago. Although even under his watch, things were changing. In 2013, Honda adopted English as the main form of discourse in global meetings. The decision to lessen the focus on Japanese within Honda stems in part from changing worker demographics and major sales regions. According to Automotive News, 81 percent of the company's production comes from outside of Japan, and the country only accounts for about a third of the workforce. Also, 40 percent of global sales are from North America. Honda is quickly transitioning into a more global company in general. For example, the latest Civic Type R is assembled in the UK but has an engine from the US. Also, North America is getting the European made Civic five-door hatchback for the venerable model's next generation. English as the Official Language Setting English as the official language in inter- regional communications It is vital to develop an environment that achieves close communication between associates in six regions worldwide in order for the Honda Group to display its comprehensive capabilities while local sites are independent.

Honda reveals three new turbo VTEC engines, including Civic Type R 2.0L

It's fair to say that in recent years, Honda has been viewed as a laggard when it comes to engine and gearbox development, seemingly missing the boat on direct-injection, forced-induction and high gear-count transmissions, among other things. But under its Earth Dreams banner, the Japanese automaker is showing new vigor, with the latest proof being this trio of just-announced powerplants.
Measuring 1.0-liters, 1.5-liters and 2.0-liters in displacement, this array of three- and four-cylinder engines boasts turbocharging and direct-injection along with the latest iteration of Honda's famed VTEC variable valve timing hardware. "Most suitable for small-to-medium-sized vehicles," the largest engine is said to be good for more than 276 horsepower and will slot into the eagerly awaited Civic Type R, iconic red valve cover and all.
Unfortunately, few other details about the hot Civic's engine or any of the others are being made public at this time, and there's no official word about the engines coming to North American in the Type R or any other model. Given that all the engines are complaint with stringent Euro 6 emissions standards, they figure to be clean enough, and Honda says that these have been developed as global powerplants, so we'd be shocked if they didn't come ashore in new or updated products over the next few years... even if they leave the CTR on the boat.