Few performance cars have captured the attention of car enthusiasts in 2020 quite like the Toyota GR Yaris. Even less have been so divisive, with some reviewers panning it – like JDM Masters (see the review here), while others are commending it, as is the case with this test by Jonny Smith from The Lake Brake Show who recently had the opportunity to put one through its paces in the UK.
Buried in Mazda's generally bleak second-quarter earnings report were a few juicy nuggets of news. Though the company had an operating loss of $502 million and sales are down 21 percent in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hiroshima-based firm has big plans for the future. Enthusiasts and environmentalists alike should take note.
Firstly, Mazda showed an image of its upcoming straight-six engine. Essentially, it's the SkyActiv four that powers all of Mazda's current lineup, but with two additional cylinders. Unsurprisingly, the company says that it can be engineered to fit any of the current SkyActiv guises — the standard octane-variable gasoline powered G, the diesel D, and the sparkless-ignition X. The big six will pair with a new eight-speed automatic and can be combined with either a plug-in or 48-volt mild hybrid system, promising big power and efficiency.
We've had surprisingly good looks at the 2022 Honda Civic sedan and hatchback so far, mainly thanks to patent drawings that surfaced on the internet. But we haven't seen it very clearly in the sheetmetal, or at least we hadn't until one of our spy photographers sent us the above photos. They show a prototype sedan out driving with what seems like production bodywork and minimal camouflage.
Looking at this prototype, it seems to match up well with the patent renderings. It has a longer, flatter nose with wide headlights. The trunk lid is more defined from the rear pillar. The taillights are also wide and thin compared with the funky boomerang lights of the current model. And in general, the Civic is looking more like a mini Accord. The proportions look better in real life than in the drawings, with the overhangs not looking quite so extreme.
Honda will officially unveil the new eleventh generation Civic in prototype form on November 17.
There's a brand-new Civic on the way for the 2022 model year, and while Honda isn't quite ready to rip the covers off (that's coming Tuesday, November 17, at 9:45 p.m. on the East Coast or 6:45 p.m. out West), the Japanese automaker hopes to whet the appetites of potential owners with the teasers you see above and below (we bumped up the brightness to bring out as much detail as possible). The image is purposely obscured, of course, but we do get to see enough of the rear shapes to suggest the new version will be more gracefully styled than the current version.
Though we only have one view, it does seem that the overall shape of the lights and the exaggerated spoiler shape match up with the patent images of the sedan we saw a few months back. If those prove accurate, expect the 2022 Civic sedan to have a swept-back style similar to the current Accord. Patent images of a hatchback have also been found.
TOKYO — Nissan on Thursday cut its forecast for an annual operating loss by 28%, albeit to a still-whopping $3.2 billion, helped by restructuring efforts and better-than-expected sales.
In a reversal from the aggressive expansion pursued by ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn, Nissan is reducing production and its vehicle line-up by a fifth, and slashing costs by 300 billion yen in three years to improve profits.
Honda has launched a pilot program that will allow customers to lease certified pre-owned vehicles.
If you're feeling blue, you're not the only one as Acura has announced the 2021 NSX will be offered in Long Beach Blue Pearl.
Acura announced it's expanding the NSX's color palette with a heritage-inspired hue named Long Beach Blue for the 2021 model year. The color was inaugurated during the 2002 model year by the first-generation NSX.
Shake the thoughts of the Pacific Ocean and its sandy beaches out of your head; the color is named after the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which Acura sponsors, not after a surfing spot. It joins other motorsport-themed colors, including Indy Yellow and Thermal Orange, and is a reformulated version of the first Long Beach Blue released some 18 years ago. It looks a little bit lighter than the color that inspired it, though it's just as eye-catching.
In the minivan world, the 2021 Toyota Sienna is a very big deal. For starters, there aren't a lot of minivan models any more – four in fact – so any completely redesigned version is noteworthy. Yet, this is also the first all-new Sienna in 10 years; a much lengthier gap between generations than usual, and one that resulted in its predecessor getting awfully long in the tooth despite consistent updates. A new Sienna has therefore been overdue, but Toyota at least used the extra years to develop a van that moves the ball far downfield.
What's under a minivan's hood rarely makes headlines, but in this case, it does. Every 2021 Sienna is a hybrid, foregoing the usual V6 and its low-20s-mpg fuel economy in favor of Toyota's familiar gasoline-electric powertrain that returns an EPA-estimated 36 mpg combined. Sure, it's not quite as quick as those V6-powered vans, but we're not sure how much minivan buyers will care about that. The Chrysler Pacifica is the only other minivan available as a hybrid, but that's a plug-in hybrid model that provides some all-electric range and carries a higher initial price tag.
Lexus introduced an updated version of the LS, its flagship sedan, earlier in 2020, but it left out details about the American-spec model. As expected, it announced our version of the car will get several improvements for 2021.
Now in its fifth generation, the LS receives an array of small but significant changes that come together to make the ride quieter and more comfortable. Engineers explained they revised the spring and damper rates, increased the diameter of the anti-roll bars, and added larger liquid-filled front and rear bushings for an even cushier rider.
Honda is looking to become the world’s first carmaker to mass produce Level 3 autonomous vehicles, as per Reuters. These cars will be capable of driving themselves in congested motorway traffic while legally allowing drivers to take their eyes off the road.
TOKYO — Honda said on Wednesday it will be the world's first automaker to mass produce sensor-packed Level 3 autonomous cars that will allow drivers to let their vehicles navigate congested expressway traffic.
"Honda is planning to launch sales of a Honda Legend (luxury sedan) equipped with the newly approved automated driving equipment" before the end of March 2021, Honda said in a press release. The Honda Legend is mechanically similar to the Acura RLX sold in the United States.
We won't bury the lede. The 2021 Honda Accord is still a stupendous sedan and arguably the best in its segment. The car was completely revamped for 2018, and none of its competition have overtaken it since. Some among us will contend that the Mazda6 is top dog for pure driving enjoyment, but the Accord stands tall alongside the Mazda and is only getting better as this latest generation is treated to its mid-cycle update.
That said, there is one specific change that does have us bummed, and that's the loss of the manual transmission. With a take rate of just 2%, Honda decided it wasn't worth the trouble anymore. Guess you'll just have to buy a Civic Type R.