2012 Honda Civic Si – Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda brought the whole family of 2012 Civics to the party at this year’s New York Auto Show. We’ve gotten to feast our eyes on the coupe, sedan, Si, hybrid and natural gas-drinking GX. That’s a lot of new sheetmetal to look at, so we decided to pack them all in one post to make it easy on you.
The 2012 Civic coupe, sedan and GX are all powered by a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 140 horsepower. In uber-efficient HF guise, the same engines is capable of returning 41 miles per gallon fuel economy on the highway. The standard coupe and sedan are nearly as frugal at 39 mpg on the highway. We’ll have a separate report on the new Civic Hybrid soon, but in the meantime know that it will be rated at 44 mpg combined, an improvement of 4 mpg over last year’s model.
Were it our money on the line, however, we’d trade a few miles per gallon for a bit more driving excitement. The 2012 Honda Civic Si would be our choice, with its new 200-horsepower/170 pound-feet of torque 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Still, this is a compact Honda and, when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox, the Civic Si achieves 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
You can check out all of the new Civics in the galleries below. After that, take a dive into Honda’s official press release after the jump.
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As she prepared to introduce the 2015 Lincoln MKC at a press conference, a colleague’s remarks caught Lisa Drake, the car’s chief program engineer, off-guard.
Better know the Escape’s specs, the colleague advised.
“The Escape?,” Drake said. “Why?”
She was dumbfounded.
Lincoln’s recent vehicles look so much like their more mainstream vehicles produced by Ford, even company insiders think the vehicles are near twins. It’s a problem that strikes right to the core of Lincoln’s recent problems, ones the company needs to overcome if it wants to be taken seriously as a luxury brand.
Here’s a peek at the MKC, a vehicle that needs to succeed.
It will take time for the car-buying public’s perception of Lincoln to catch up with the reality that Drake has spent her time differentiating her vehicle from the Mercedes-Benz GLK, the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3 and not differentiating it from the Escape.
In theory the MKC, which has been in development for more than four years, is Lincoln’s best chance at regaining traction in the luxury-car marketplace: It’s an all-new entry in a growing sales segment.
Based on seeing it in person, but without being able to drive it, the car seems like it could be a contender. Lincoln introduced the vehicle at an event last week to select members of the media, and it appears almost identical tothe concept shown at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year.
When it goes on sale next summer, its starting price of $33,995 will be enticing to consumers who find it comparable to the BMW X3, which starts at $39,800, the Audi Q5 ($37,300), and the Mercedes-Benz GLK ($37,480). It’s potentially a good value proposition.
“I don’t like the word ‘value,’ though,” Drake said. “You don’t drive a luxury car for value.”
An all-new turbocharged engine designed specifically for Lincoln is available on the MKC. It is a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost that produces 275 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. A 2.0-liter that produces 240 horsepower comes standard. Fuel economy numbers for either have not yet been determined.
The usual technology package suspects are offered, but one notable addition on the MKC is a new park-out assist system, a class-exclusive feature. Most park-assist features help drivers back into tight spots; Park-out does what you’d imagine. It helps drivers exit those same tight spots.
On the inside, the telematics unit at once offers a return to the past and a peek into the future. Motorists will be empowered with the ability to spy –- or check up on, if you prefer -– their spouses and wayward teenagers with a bread-crumbing program that allows them to see where the car has traveled.
They’ll control that function -– and more basic ones, like the radio and climate control -– with knobs and buttons that complement the touchscreen. It marks a welcome retreat from the all-touchscreen approach that caused much frustration and outrage among previous MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch users.
“To be honest, I don’t think the technology is quite ready yet,” said Max Wolff, director of Lincoln design. “For the moment, people want to get into their cars and press a button, then turn a knob.”
There’s enough room for adult passengers in the rear seats, though no one would make the mistake of calling them roomy.
Built on Ford’s global C1 platform at its Louisville, Ky., assembly plant, there are certainly subtle signs on the outside of some distant relations to the Escape. But there’s no real striking resemblance. The MKC has a higher beltline and sits more on its haunches. It also has an intricate, custom-designed rear liftgate that extends around the sides of the car that engineers spent months designing and ultimately used a new stamping technique to create.
“We had to have something that was out of the ordinary, something that draws your eye as far out as possible,” Wolff said. “At first they said, ‘This won’t even be possible.’ They couldn’t use traditional die casting.”
If the rear-view helped the MKC stand apart from the Escape, better yet, it helped it stand out from the Lincoln lineup.
![For a brand seeking to reinvent itself, the MKC is an encouraging product in that it is an acknowledgement that big changes are needed. "We’re not naïve, and we know we have to fix elements of the Lincoln business," said Matt VanDyke, Lincoln's global director. "People have been in luxury and scaling down to smaller cars. They’re not equating size with luxury anymore. [With] this car, they're getting an opportunity to downsize." Pete Bigelow is an associate editor at AOL Autos. He can be reached via email at peter.bigelow@teamaol.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.](https://www.autoblog.com/.image/MjA5MTc2NjU3NTQxMjExNzYw/screen-shot-2013-11-15-at-4-29-28-pm-1-jpg.jpg?profile=w2560&ar=4-3&x=50&y=50)
For a brand seeking to reinvent itself, the MKC is an encouraging product in that it is an acknowledgement that big changes are needed.
“We’re not naïve, and we know we have to fix elements of the Lincoln business,” said Matt VanDyke, Lincoln’s global director. “People have been in luxury and scaling down to smaller cars. They’re not equating size with luxury anymore. [With] this car, they’re getting an opportunity to downsize.”
Pete Bigelow is an associate editor at AOL Autos. He can be reached via email at peter.bigelow@teamaol.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Live photos copyright ©2011 Drew Phillips / AOL
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All-New 2012 Honda Civic Emphasizes Style, Fuel Economy and Performance
Two models offer 40+ mpg
02/17/2011 – TORRANCE, Calif. – Featuring the widest array of engine choices available in its class, the 2012 Civic is designed to even better meet the diverse needs of the compact-vehicle buyer when it launches this spring. The entire redesigned ninth-generation Civic lineup will become more fuel efficient with two models – the all-new Civic HF and the Civic Hybrid – each delivering fuel economy estimates of more than 40 mpg on the highway.
Built on the tradition of Honda fuel efficiency, the economical Civic HF model will be the most fuel-efficient gasoline-only powered Civic in the lineup when it launches this spring. Equipped with a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine, the Civic HF is targeted to earn EPA-estimated fuel economy1 of 41 mpg on the highway. The 2012 Civic Hybrid, which will be outfitted for the first time with a lithium-ion battery and a larger 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine, is expected to achieve an EPA-estimated city/highway combined fuel economy1 of 45 mpg, an improvement of 4 mpg compared to the current Civic Hybrid. Both the Civic HF and Civic Hybrid models will be equipped with aerodynamic components for improved efficiency and Honda ECO Assist™ technology, an innovation that can enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback to promote more efficient individual driving styles.
“The Civic is the only model in the industry that can deliver on all fronts – fuel economy, sporty performance, smart packaging, alternative fuel and long-term value,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co.,Inc. “For the ninth-generation Civic, we are emphasizing improved fuel economy across the board, from the hybrid sedan to the sporty Si model.”
In addition to the Civic HF and Civic Hybrid models, the Civic Sedan, Civic Coupe and Civic GX Natural Gas models are also estimated to achieve improved fuel economy compared to the current models. The Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy2 of 39 mpg on the highway, an improvement of 3 mpg when compared to the current model. The Civic Natural Gas vehicle is anticipated to earn a 7 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the current model. The Civic Sedan, Civic Coupe and Civic Natural Gas models will all be equipped with the Honda ECO Assist technology.
Along with improved fuel economy, the new Civic lineup also delivers more performance, particularly with the Civic Si. The Civic Si sedan and coupe models will be equipped with a larger, more powerful 2.4-liter engine as well as a new 6-speed manual transmission. The new engine is anticipated to deliver 200 horsepower with 170 ft-lb of torque. Even with the larger engine and a 22 percent increase in torque, Civic Si is targeted to achieve an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy1 of 31 mpg; an increase of 2 mpg when compared to the current model.
The 2012 Civic lineup includes a sedan and a coupe with conventional gasoline models, a new “HF” high fuel economy version, two sporty “Si” performance versions, along with one hybrid and a natural gas alternative-fuel variant.
Additional information on the new 2012 Civic will be announced closer to the on-sale date. For more information on the current Civic and other Honda models, please visit www.hondanews.com.
Civic HF, Sedan, Coupe and Natural Gas Specifications
* 140 horsepower, 1.8-liter i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine
* 5-speed automatic transmission
* ECO Assist technology
* EPA-estimated Civic HF highway fuel economy: 41 mpg
* EPA-estimated Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe highway fuel economy: 39 mpg
Civic Hybrid Specifications
* 110 horsepower, 1.5-liter i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine (combined gasoline + electric)
* Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
* Lithium-ion battery
* ECO Assist technology
* EPA-estimated Civic Hybrid city/highway combined fuel economy: 45 mpg
Civic Si Specifications
* 200 horsepower and 170 lb-ft, 2.4-liter i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine
* 6-speed manual transmission
* EPA-estimated Civic Si highway fuel economy: 31 mpg
1Preliminary EPA mileage estimates determined by Honda. Final EPA mileage estimates not available at the time of printing. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
2Based on 2012 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.