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Honda Civic Type R Concept to hatch in Geneva

As if the Geneva Motor Show isn't exciting enough, now we have word that a new version of a certain iconic Japanese hot hatch will make an appearance there in a few weeks time. Honda has announced that its Civic Type R Concept will be revealed during the show's media days, which take place March 4 and 5.
Since this is Honda we're talking about, we should point out that the "Concept" part of the Civic Type R's name is usually a bit of a misnomer. For the past few years, the Japanese automaker has made a habit of attaching "Concept" to the end of several near-production models in the name of drumming up auto show excitement (see Exhibits A, B, C, D and E). So really, this is almost certainly the next Civic Type R, a car we've kind of already driven.
The latter car was a "development" model, but we aren't expecting a lot to change between it and the production model. As previously reported, a 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine should deliver north of 280 horsepower to the front wheels via a six-speed gearbox. Have a look up top at the sole image of the hot Civic released by Honda, and then scroll down for the official press release.

Honda Fit, Vezel Hybrids recalled in Japan; US vehicles not affected

Honda has announced a good-sized recall of two popular Japanese-market hybrids: the Fit Hybrid and the Vezel Hybrid are both headed back into the garage. The problem this time around lies in the software program that controls the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) that could "cause a delay in the ability to begin driving or the inability to move at all." In total, 81,353 units are affected (70,929 Fit Hybrids and 10,424 Vezel Hybrids) and all were made in Japan between July 2013 and February 2014. There were two previous recalls for the new Fit Hybrid's DCT, and you can find the details of them below. Jessica Fini, assistant manager of PR for Honda North America, told AutoblogGreen that this recall will not have any impact on US Honda vehicles. For one thing, the US Fit has a continuously variable transmission (CVT) instead of a DCT, so the upcoming launch of the new Fit here (the US doesn't get the Fit Hybrid) will not be delayed. Honda's upcoming small SUV in the US (based on the Vezel, but will arrive with a different name) isn't going to launch here until the end of the year, so there is time to fix any problems before launch. She also said that the Acura RLX, despite being a DCT, does not use the same transmission as the Fit Hybrid does, since the Fit transmission is specific to the one-motor hybrid system and the RLX uses three electric motors. Recall of All-New Fit Hybrid and Vezel Hybrid ref. # C14-009 TOKYO -- February 10, 2014 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced a voluntary recall of the all-new Fit Hybrid and Vezel Hybrid produced in Japan from July 2013 through February 2014 due to a problem with the software program controlling the 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) which could cause a delay in the ability to begin driving or the inability to move at all. Honda today notified the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of the recall with a total recall population of 81,353 units. Honda conducted two recalls in October and December 2013 due to a defect with the software program controlling the 7-speed DCT which could have caused a delay in the ability to drive the vehicle or the inability to drive. This will be the third recall related to the defect of the 7-speed DCT.

Honda shows facelifted Euro Civic hatch with new Sport variant

Honda has released the details on its freshened Euro-spec Civic ahead of its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, whose media days are set to open next week. Aside from a fairly pleasant visual upgrade for both the standard Civic as well as the Civic Tourer, Paris will also see the arrival of a new Civic Sport model.
The new Civic wears a sportier front fascia, while the rear end is home to a new, stylish set of LED taillights. Honda has also revised the rear bumper, side skirts and spoiler. In the cabin, a new, Android-powered infotainment system called Honda Connect takes its place in the center stack, providing typical functions like radio, media, navigation and Bluetooth, as well as the ability to browse the Internet. The entire system is confined by a seven-inch display that offers pinch, swipe and tap functions that should be familiar to smartphone owners.
The big news, though, is the new Sport model (shown above). While this isn't a Civic Type R - with its 1.8-liter, 140-horsepower engine, it's not even a decaf Type R - it does deliver some more aggressive looks to the Civic line. There are standard 17-inch wheels, as well as a new, sportier Type R-inspired front fascia and a color-coded rear spoiler. Alongside that 1.8-liter gas engine is a 118-hp diesel mill that displaces 1.6 liters.