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The 2013 Honda Civic has become the first compact car to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+) rating. To qualify for the 2013 TSP+ award, vehicles must earn good ratings for occupant protection in at least 4 of 5 evaluations and no less than acceptable in the fifth test. The evaluations include frontal and side impact tests, rear seat based impact test, roof strength test and the latest small overlap frontal impact test. According to Chuck Thomas, Honda's chief engineer in charge of collision safety, Honda took the opportunity to make some changes to the car's structure alongside with the facelift. Specifically, the 2013 Civic gets higher-strength materials to reinforce the cabin space together with some additional components in the structure and engine compartment. Although the styling of the latest Civic may appear too 'tame' to some, there is no doubt that it is one safe sedan for your family. Joining the Civic in receiving the coveted TSP+ rating include the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ and the all new Mazda 6.

Honda has released the details of its new 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, the first mass-produced engine from Honda's latest Earth Dreams series of fuel efficient powertrains. The new motor will be first utilized in the Civic come early 2013 and later on in the new CRV. The 1.6-litre unit is the lightest diesel engine in its class, thanks a variety of weight-saving measures. It has an aluminium cylinder head joined to an open deck aluminium block and the thickness of the cylinder walls has been reduced to 8mm as compared to 9mm for the 2.2-litre i-DTEC. This makes the engine 47 kg lighter than the 2.2-litre power plant. The engine is also equipped with a Garret turbocharger featuring an efficient variable-nozzle design. All these mean that the fuel economy is rated at an impressive 3.59L/100km while CO2 emission stands at 94 g/km. It churns out 120bhp at 4,000 rpm and has a peak torque of 300Nm at 2,000 rpm. Hyundai's award-winning 1.6-litre CRDI lump produces slightly more power at 126bhp but less torque at 264Nm. Designed specifically for the European market, the new engine will be produced at Honda's facility in Swindon, U.K., with an output of 500 units per day.

[extract] When the 9th generation Honda Civic went on sale in 2011, the design was not well-received by the automotive community. In fact, many believed that it was a step backwards from the previous generation