Honda is scrambling to revamp its Civic just eight months after a new version hit showrooms, and critics say it's an admission that the compact car fell short in quality and handling. The revamp, to come by the end of 2012, is rare because new models aren't usually overhauled for at least three years. Honda executives say they're simply trying to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive small-car market.

The move comes as small car sales are on the rise in the U.S., and more people choose them because of worries about gas prices and car payments. Compacts also are no longer the cramped econoboxes of the 1980s and 1990s, and they have many of the same amenities as larger cars.

The new Civic was panned by critics when it started arriving at dealerships April 20. Consumer Reports magazine said it was less agile than its predecessor, and its interior quality was worse. The magazine refused to give the Civic its coveted "Recommended Buy" rating, saying that the braking distances were long and it suffered from a choppy ride. The car's sales ranked fourth among U.S. compacts from May through November.

The previous Civic, which came out in 2005, was known for its sporty driving, high-quality interiors, lack of noise and excellent braking, says David Champion, senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports.

"The new one seems to have fallen apart in those areas," says Champion, who thinks that Honda cut costs with the 2012 version. Honda also recalled more than 1,000 of the 2012 Civics because a fuel line could leak due to a manufacturing error.

Honda has told dealers a reworked Civic will arrive before the end of next year. The car starts around $16,000, and a base model with automatic transmission gets 32 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving. Its price and fuel mileage are about the same as its competitors. American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura said Tuesday that the company will improve the Civic's drivability, but he stopped short of saying exactly what the company will do to the rest of the car.

"It's about how do we get two or three laps ahead of the competition," says American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel. In the past two years, the usual compact-car race between the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla became a free-for-all that included high-quality entries from Chevrolet, Ford and Hyundai.

The competition will be good for buyers because companies will offer better small cars and could discount them as the competition heats up, Mendel said. He said Honda would continue to show restraint on discounts, selling its products based on their value rather than price.

The battle between the Civic and Corolla for the rank of top-selling compact in the U.S. was also upset by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The disasters disrupted production, and utput was again hampered by flooding in Thailand in the summer. Honda production only recently returned to normal, and Mendel doesn't expect dealers to be fully restocked until March.

At the same time, the competition has rolled out new models like the well-received Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus. From May through November, the only full months that the new Civic was in showrooms, the car's sales were nearly 109,000. The Cruze led the way at almost 140,000, followed by the Corolla at 118,000, and the Elantra at 110,000.

But last month, with supplies moving toward normal after the earthquake and floods, the Civic led all compacts in sales, according to Autodata Corp.

Despite the criticisms, the Civic still has a strong following of loyal customers, says Jeff Dyke, executive vice president of operations for Charlotte, N.C.-based Sonic Automotive Inc., a dealership chain that includes Honda dealers. "I can't keep one on my lot," he says.

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The 2012 Audi A5 is widely acknowledged to be one of the handsomest Audis sold, and many reviewers just give it the superlative without qualification. Certainly its designer, Walter d'Silva, said it was the most beautiful car he'd ever drawn.

The A5 Coupe is elegant and striking, especially in Audi's characteristic white color. Then, when you lop off the room, the open-air A5 Cabriolet adds a dash of decadence to the design. If we were spending more than $40,000 on a two-door luxury car from Audi, we'd want it to be the convertible.

In either guise, the Audi A5 is a boulevard cruiser--what we used to call a grand touring car--at its heart. It's a car for a couple and their luggage to travel in, though one or two additional riders can fit in the rear. It's close-coupled but not cruel. The cabin is well laid out as well as finely built, and the controls are lighter than those of other German coupes.

But again the convertible shines brighter: its well-insulated top can be dropped in a matter of seconds, and it'll raise itself quickly enough that you won't get drenched when you stop in a sudden shower. Sure, the cloth top blurs some of the coupe's crisp roofline--not to mention eating further into the rear seat space--but the sensation of sun in the face and (a little bit of) wind in the hair makes those quibbles fade into insignificance.

All A5 models come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four, even the Cabrio with quattro all-wheel drive. Transmissions are a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic. The Audi A5 range produces EPA gas-mileage ratings in the mid 20s--adequate if hardly at economy car levels. No hybrid or clean-diesel variants are offered in the States, sadly,

In base trim, the A5 comes well-equipped--as it should with a starting price north of $40,000--and the options list is long. In fact, the only real option missing is the box to tick that will guarantee sunshine, balmy breezes, and clear roads ahead when you drop the top. More's the pity.

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German luxury car-maker Audi plans to launch its sedan S6 and sports utility vehicle Q3 in India next year as it looks to achieve about 40 per cent growth in sales in 2012. The company will showcase the two models at the upcoming Auto Expo next month in the national capital. "The study is going on to introduce S6 in the Indian market. We are thinking to launch it during the second quarter of next year," Audi India Head Michael Perschke told PTI. Besides, the company is also considering to introduce smaller sports utility vehicles (SUV) such as Q3 in the Indian market, he added.

"We may launch Q3 in India very soon. It will most probably come in during the second half of 2012," Perschke said. The company will also showcase the concept of the electric hybrid version of the A3 at the Expo, he added. When asked about the sales, Perschke said: "We are expecting to end the current year with about 80 per cent sales jump. We have already crossed 5,100 units and hope to sell a total of about 5,400 units for the entire 2012". The company had sold 3,003 units in last year. "In 2012, the Indian luxury market is predicted to grow by 30-40 per cent. We are expecting a jump of minimum 50 per cent next year that is about 8,000 units," he said. Out of this expected sales, about 1,500 units will come from the imported models, he added.

On its dealership expansion plans, Perschke said: "At present, we are present in 15 locations. By the end of 2012, our plan is to have dealers at 23 locations."Audi India had earlier announced its aim to become the market leader in Indian luxury car segment by 2015 by surpassing its compatriots BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier this year, Audi India had launched a new version of its SUV Q5 at a price lower than its previous range.

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We tested the saloon version of the new Audi A6 on April 18 earlier this year. Of course, I couldn’t possibly have remembered that and so had to look it up on my laptop. There are motoring journalists who can remember the tiniest details from years back, like what the rear tyre ­pressures were on the Citroen AX GT that they tested in 1988. Hammond is not one of them. And I certainly don’t remember a whole lot of detail about the Audi A6. It was a manual 2.0-litre diesel and it was black. Because it was an Audi it was extremely well made and was full of quality materials.

I seem to remember complaining that the new A6 looked a lot like the A4 and that I wished Audi made its cars look a bit different from each other. That’s about it, the A6 was splendidly well made, good to drive but not particularly memorable.

I like this new estate version rather more than the saloon and because of that it’ll stick in my memory; well, for longer than the saloon did. Audi calls its A6 estates (and the 100 estate before it) Avant, because you always think of a catchy name if your estate car isn’t big enough to move Elton John’s piano around for him (or his shoe ­collection) or if you want it to have a windswept and interesting image.

Avant! The sort of thing Napoleon would have shouted at the battle of Waterloo. Ours has the lower powered of the two 3.0-litre V6 diesels available which means 201bhp instead of the ­gruntier engine’s 242bhp. But it’s still a mighty engine.

You can barely hear it running at tickover and you’ll strain to hear it working on the motorway, not least because at a smidgen over 80mph the engine is only turning over at 2,000rpm.

The gearbox is a CVT unit whereas the more powerful engine comes with a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. It’s silky smooth and cleverer than Stephen Hawking because it uses information from the car’s satnav to work out where it is so it knows that there’s a bend coming up and selects a suitable gear ratio for it. This £36,200 model is packed with options that raise the price by over £10,000. It’s going to make someone a great used-buy one day.

The interior is like a gentleman’s club (not that I’ve been in one) with dark brown leather, tasteful wood on the centre console and facia and high quality plastics everywhere. Audi really does this sort of thing rather well. Last week’s road test Honda Civic had a really fiddly-to-use infotainment system; I’d suggest that Honda blag an A6 Avant to see what a really stylish and easy-to-use multimedia system is like.

At £545, the self-opening tailgate is perhaps somewhere you might consider saving a few quid. I wouldn’t if I were you. It’s the sort of gadget that makes a useful estate even more useful even though it could do with being a bit faster in action.

The luggage cover slides backwards and forwards electrically, too. There’s not as much space in the back of the A6 Avant as there is in the rear of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but it’s very similar to a BMW 5-Series Touring. It’s a bit annoying that the rear seats’ backrests don’t fold completely flat, which they should on what is meant to be a practical car.

Our Avant is a simple two-wheel drive version, but a Quattro version is ­available with petrol and diesel engines. Unless you live somewhere where it is guaranteed to snow and you will fit winter tyres, I don’t think it’s a great loss. Modern stability control systems are so good anyway and the 2wd A6 Avant feels extremely surefooted.

It’s not fun to drive, but then neither is the Mercedes E-Class estate. That car is one of the best cars in the world. The Audi gives it a good run, ­especially on quality, but doesn’t topple the Merc from its throne.

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Last night, Audi of America's media agency, MediaCom, was recognized by Media Magazine with two Creative Media Awards for their campaigns for Audi.  Audi received more nominations than any other brand this year.  The Creative Media Awards honor advertisers and their agencies for the year's most creative and innovative media campaigns.  The awards culminated at a dinner reception and ceremony hosted in New York.

The "Sunday Strategy" campaign for Audi was named the winner in the Media Plan category, cited by the judges for its "high impact and tricky media execution with a real center of gravity." Focusing the launch of the Audi A8 and the 2011 communications plan around Sunday with content integrations across news, entertainment, and sports – including print and broadcast media spots, digital content takeovers online, on iPad and in mobile, including the first-ever YouTube homepage takeover on Super Bowl Sunday – Audi was able to effectively envelope consumers in Audi messaging. As a result, Audi leapt into the luxury auto consideration set, with search volume jumping 51% on Sundays, and an additional 500,000 site visits directly attributed to Sunday strategy. Additionally, Audi A8 market share increased 10 percentage points vs. the year prior.

The "Untitled Jersey City Project" campaign for Audi, a short-form original drama series of eight two-minute episodes created in association with FX Networks to celebrate the launch of the all-new 2012 Audi A6, was recognized in the Creative category.  "Untitled Jersey City Project" was teased during the Primetime Emmy Awards and in cinema, broadcast during FX'S Sunday Night Movie franchise over four weeks, and was brought to life online and in social media.  The campaign garnered 62 million PR impressions and witnessed a 472% spike in Search volume on nights when the episodes aired. The Audi A6 received the highest recognition of all, reflected in a 51% year-over-year sales increase during the campaign time period.

MediaCom was also nominated in the Outdoor or Place-Based Media category for Audi's "Times Square's First Social Media Billboard," and in the Research/Consumer Insights category for "Sunday Strategy."  Overall, MediaCom was nominated eight times and was the most shortlisted agency in the competition.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

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The Japan-based automobile company, Honda Motor recently announced its plans for the upcoming Detroit International Motor Show. Honda has decided to introduce its 2013 Accord Coupe Concept, joining other new car concepts that are lined for the North American Auto Show to be held during January next year.

The company as expected chose not to reveal details about its new Honda Accord Coupe Concept; however, it has been confirmed that the new model will be a two-door coupe. Moreover, the car maker also said that the next generation Honda Accord Coupe Concept is slated to go on sale by fall next year.

The 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept will be the ninth generation model under its best-selling Accord brand. Although details about the new coupe concept have been kept under wraps, the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept is predicted to be the first among many new Honda Accords expected in the future.

Since its inception during 1976, when the first generation Honda Accord was introduced, the model has pioneered in terms of performance, styling, comfort and safety. Till date, Accord is valued as one of the best-selling cars in the United States of America. Moreover, the 2012 edition of Honda Accord was awarded with the highest initial quality in its segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality Study (IQS).

The company has confirmed that the ninth generation Honda Accord will also be available in plug-in hybrid option, which will serve as a convenient alternative for short trips and routine driving of around 15 miles in a single charge. The two-motor system in the 2013 Honda Accord will work on three different modes, gasoline-electric, electric-only and a unique engine direct-drive mode.

Along with being the ninth edition of Accord, the 2013 Accord Coupe Concept will mark completion of 30 years of the model's production at the company's American production plant in Marysville, Ohio. The 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept is expected to carry further the successful standing established over the years.

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You Know that feeling you get when you see a supercar sitting in the parking lot of the local six-buck-a-cup coffee shop? The ache in your stomach, knowing that toddling back and forth from the gated community to the strip mall is all the driving that poor car will ever do? We get that same feeling when we see an F-150 that doesn't have at least 1000 pounds in the bed or 5000 pounds hanging off the hitch. Just like that supercar, the F-150 is a tool built for a purpose. It has a goal in life, and the people who never use it as it was intended are squandering the truck's ability and a heritage that goes back to 1948.

We had a pair of Ford F-150s for our 2012 Truck of the Year testing that represent two of the more popular trim levels: a Platinum Edition EcoBoost and an XLT 5.0-liter V-8. New for this year, but not on hand, are Ford's entry-level 302-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 and the range-topping 411-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 from the Raptor now available in the Lariat, Platinum, and Harley Davidson Editions. We extensively tested all four engine options early this year, including strapping each one down to a chassis dyno, so we're very familiar with power levels and delivery of the entire lineup.

The EcoBoost is the obvious orange in the apple crate here. Ford's throwing a gasoline direct-injection, twin-turbo-fed V-6 under the hood of a full-size truck is almost enough to knock the earth off its axis. What's even more shocking is that an engine that looks like it would be at home mid-mounted in a sports car is actually better than any of the eight-piston offerings in maybe any company's lineup. It clearly checks the box for Engineering Excellence, one of the key criteria for any Of The Year competitor. Truck Trend editor Allyson Harwood noted, "On the road, the EcoBoost makes the 5.0-liter look like obsolete technology. The twin-turbo V-6 is incredibly quick and eager, power is abundant throughout the rpm range, and I didn't really notice any lag."

All our testers had similar remarks, and for good reason. The EcoBoost delivers more torque to the ground than the big 6.2-liter up to roughly 5000 rpm and more than the 5.0-liter all the way up to 6000. In loaded, towing, and uphill testing, several judges noted how hard the 5.0-liter was working. "Power seems opposite of where you want it in a truck" to "had to keep the throttle mashed while the transmission hunted" were typical comments.

To be fair, the testers who drove the 5.0-liter first were bigger fans, at least until they drove the EcoBoost. "Moved over a half-ton with ease at very impressive NVH levels," logged Lieberman, adding that the V-8 sounds "good and burbly." Kiino loved the "musclecar engine note" and wondered if this is the "boss of trucks." The V-8 is obviously still a good engine, but it's overshadowed by a great engine. This is often the problem with advancement: People don't know what they've always wanted until after they've experienced it.

It seems as though Ford's big marketing push with the EcoBoost is centered on fuel economy. During our testing, the EcoBoost turned in almost identical numbers to the 5.0-liter V-8. Most consumers will look at that and think there isn't really an advantage to buying the slightly more expensive twin-turbo V-6 if the efficiency benefits prove negligible. Were the performance between the two the same, we'd agree, but the smaller engine's performance is closer to the 6.2-liter V-8's. If they could just make it sound like a V-8, everyone would be happy.

Regardless of the drivetrain, the judges were unanimously impressed with the F-150's ability to earn its keep. In towing or hauling, the consensus was both trucks only got better the harder they were working. "It rides even better at 80 mph with a payload than without. It carries out its business like there's nothing there," wrote Jurnecka. "As nice as the ride was unloaded, it got even better loaded," agreed Harwood.

Even in handling tests, the F-150 feels more planted and better balanced with a payload in the bed. Some trucks feel as though the load is trying to peel the truck off the asphalt and roll it over, but in fast turns, the F-150 is still using both rear tires to put power down. We aren't delusional about how people will use these trucks; no one is buying one as a sports car. However, our performance driving translates directly to how an F-150 will handle in emergency situations. We'd be confident to throw one of these, even loaded, through an emergency lane change.

Ford tells us there are roughly 650,000 different ways to equip an F-150, including engines, cabs, beds, wheelbases, and assorted options, but not paint color. The moral of the story is, if you're seeking a truck and can't spec out an F-150 to suit your needs, you may want to look into buying your own personal freight train. Our judges found the XLT a more honest approach to trucks, with Kiino calling it "clean and functional." Jurnecka referred to it as "cheap, but palatable with the reduced MSRP." The V-8 XLT comes in at $38,745, which was considered about right for a work truck and seemed like a steal compared with the $50,115 Platinum Edition EcoBoost.

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Based on our inputs from customers, interested buyers and car enthusiasts all over India, Team ZigWheels presents to its treasured readers the most memorable automobile launched in India this year

New launches, eye-catching face-lifts, jazzy feature upgrades and revised pricing strategies are the very fundamentals that serve as the backbone of an evolving four-wheeler industry, especially in a culturally diverse nation like India, where only the right mix finally makes the perfect cocktail.
 
Like in 2010, new car launches have been abundant this year as well, and as expected it’s the influential modern day hatchbacks like the Honda Brio and the even smaller but sexier Hyundai Eon that have come so very close to attaining the divine stature of a quintessential Indian small car, something that even indigenous old timers like Maruti Suzuki, not to mention internationally reputed brands like Volkswagen and Toyota have yearned to deliver to their discerning Indian customers year after year.
 
While the B-Segment in India continues to inch closer to a picture perfect scenario, a year of utter exuberance has just blown across the Indian subcontinent in a hurried gusto, and in less than twelve months since Mercedes-Benz announced its 125th year of existence in the automotive world, India has already become a nascent supercar market, with entry of world famous badges the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg, Aston Martin and others.

While, this may be true, the market at large continues to cater to the mass market consumers, and even in that respect 2011 has sprung some positive surprises. Based on feedback obtained from our readers and interested new car buyers, we have narrowed down our list of special mentions from this year’s new car launches to those that at least for our users have shown tremendous recall value, and in a sense symbolize the year that was for the Indian auto market.
 
In the second half of the calendar year, Honda witnessed its two most exciting months as a progressive small car supplier to India’s competition stiff hatchback battlefield. While the launch of the Honda Brio was amongst the most anticipated this year, the re-entry of a face-lifted and better priced Jazz proved to be a righteous revival for Honda’s original compact hatchback for India. “Already backed by the Honda badge, the new Jazz with its revised pricing and bolder design upgrades now makes a lot of sense. It is undoubtedly the most memorable automobile launch for me this year,” said Amit Shinde from Pune.

Speaking of stunning new face-lifts on existing small cars in the country, none have had a head to toe make-over quite like the all new Indica Vista, or should I say the Tata Manza, now without a boot. Nevertheless, the Manza mimicking style treatment has definitely extended the shelf life of the Vista hatch from Tata Motors, and many have take notice. Deba Prasad from Delhi was particularly impressed with the overall look of the new Indica Vista. Speaking to ZigWheels, he said, “The glossier look, nicely laid out cabin and the overall fit and finish is huge improvement from the older Vista model. The car feels just as good to drive and I am overall quite satisfied with this product.”

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Volkswagen’s design boss has confirmed Audi will produce a crossover coupe to go head-to-head with the BMW X6. Volkswagen Group design director Walter de’Silva told Automotive News Europe Audi has given the green light to production of the new SUV, which is expected to be called the Audi Q6.

“We will definitely launch a sportier crossover in between the Q7 and Q5,” de’Silva said, without giving an indication of when the all-new model would go on sale. The confirmation follows de’Silva’s earlier comments that Volkswagen is planning a small SUV to slot beneath the Tiguan in its global line-up.

The Q6 will mirror the high-riding, sloping-roof styling of the BMW X6, aiming to steal sales from the polarising yet successful Bavarian. After the first nine months of 2011, the X6 was the fifth most popular premium large SUV in Europe. The BMW X5 was ranked number one while Audi’s top seller, the Q7, sat behind the X6 in sixth.

The X6 is taking a little longer to catch on in Australia, however. After 11 months of the year, BMW Australia has sold 303 X6s (down 13.4 per cent from 2010) compared with 2480 X5s. The Audi Q7 accounts for almost five per cent of the luxury SUV market, with 1261 sales so far in 2011.

De’Silva said Audi is considering another SUV to sit between the Q3 and Q5 – likely to be called the Q4 – but is yet to sign off on this model. The compact crossover would compete with the upcoming BMW X4, which was confirmed by the BMW’s CEO in September.

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History was made Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway, as Audi’s R8 GRAND-AM car made its U.S. debut, turning laps on the historic Florida high banks. The factory effort, run by Audi subsidiary quattro GmbH, was just one of two-dozen entries taking part in the first of a two-day Rolex Sports Car Series test at Daytona in preparation for next month’s 50th Rolex 24.

Audi factory driver Frank Stippler handled driving duties of the mid-engine sportscar, decked out in an Audi of America stars-and-stripe livery. The German completed 66 trouble-free laps around the 2.54-mile circuit, posting a best time of 1:54.643.

While it was nearly five seconds off the GT class-setting TRG Porsche, it came as an encouraging first day for a car that was only completed just hours before it took the track, as veteran Audi Sport engineer Brad Kettler explains.

"We actually picked up the car at the Atlanta [airport] on the way here,” Kettler told SPEED.com. “We brought it down here and had some safety regulation stuff to put in it and ended up working on it in the parking lot behind the hotel for a day.

“It’s kind of been back to the basics, but it's alright. Sometimes you have to do that. It's cool for me because having so many years with Joest and the big prototypes, you kind of lose a touch of the essence of these things... Here, we're very much back to the basics with crew guys and a toolbox."

Kettler is leading Audi’s efforts this week, helping run its R8 “test mule” to gather data prior to the delivery of customer cars later this month. While the objective today was clearly for endurance veteran Stippler to keep the car on the track and stay out of trouble, he’s certain there is more speed to come.

“We took it relatively easy in terms of really pushing the car today,” Kettler said. “I'm quite happy with the results. The guys feel like we're in a pretty good position to try and tweak on it and get it to go a bit quicker.

"Today was really just figuring out if our gearing is correct and whether we're in the right range of spring vs. tire, those kind of things. We know the car has more performance in it, just if we maximize the way it behaves. The car ran very well today and we didn't have any trouble with it."

This week’s test is clearly two-fold for the German manufacturer, which has a major presence from Audi of America, and is working to finalize agreements for three additional Audi R8 GRAND-AM cars to join the already announced APR Motorsport effort on the grid at Daytona next month.

Romolo Liebchen, head of customer sport at quattro GmbH, is hopeful additional customers will commit to programs after seeing the test car’s performance on track. APR Motorsport, the first customer, is expected to take delivery of its car before Christmas.

"There are a few who are more interested,” Liebchen said. “At the moment I see a minimum two cars [for the Rolex 24] and I hope maybe after these two days, it will be easier to make the final decision. They haven't signed up but want to see the car and talk to us again. It's difficult to buy a car you haven't seen."

Kettler said the goal tomorrow will be to continue clocking laps and learning the intricacies of the GRAND-AM specification car, which by appearance may not be very different from the 100-plus race winning FIA GT3-spec model, but does have a significant list of adjustments.

When compared to the R8 LMS, the R8 GRAND-AM has a 50-70 horsepower reduction and lacks both ABS and traction control. It also sports a thicker roll cage, smaller splitter, revised cooling system, new diffuser as well as GRAND-AM spec wheels, tires, rear wing and safety equipment.

"The most important thing you can come out of here is a lot of laps run. It's so we can understand some trends of what the car is going to do and how it behaves,” Kettler said. “Having worked for Audi for so long, it's consistency that wins the races. We're going to try and keep the eye on the ball... I want a car that's solid and easily drivable and good all day and all night. That's what we want to do.”

Kettler expects a ramped up testing effort for next month's "Roar Before the 24", which would include the factory-run car, assisted by Kettler Motor Werks, as well as the first batch of customer cars.

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