Honda has suspended automobile and motorcycle production at several facilities around the globe due to a suspected ransomware cyberattack. According to reports in Japan, domestic production is back online and shipments are flowing out of its Japanese plants. Facilities in Ohio, where popular models like the Accord and CR-V are produced along with the Acura ILX, TSX and NSX, as well as those in Turkey, India and Brazil are reportedly still offline.

"On Sunday, June 7, Honda experienced a disruption in its computer network that has caused a loss of connectivity, thus impacting our business operations," Honda said in a statement. "Our information technology team is working quickly to assess the situation."

For the 2021 model year, the Subaru Crosstrek is getting some mechanical and aesthetic updates, along with a new Sport trim (pictured above).

The biggest difference you'll find for 2021 is the addition of a new engine to the lineup. While the base and Premium trims will continue to use the 152-horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder carried over from 2020, the Sport and Limited trims will employ a new-to-Crosstrek 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine. Borrowed from the Forester, and also found in the Outback, this naturally aspirated 2.5-liter provides 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. That power is put to the wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and Subaru's torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. The base and Premium trims, with the holdover motor, still come with either a six-speed manual or optional CVT.

American Honda Motor Company's recent issues with fuel pumps continue, as a new recall affects a large number of Honda and Acura vehicles from the 2018-2020 model years. The recall covers a total of 136,057 vehicles, including select 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX, and RLX Sport Hybrid models, as well as 2018-2019 Honda Accords, Civic Hatchbacks, Civic Type Rs, HR-Vs, 2019-2020 Insights, and 2019 Fits. 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign No. 20V314000, published May 28, 2020, states that the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tanks of the aforementioned vehicles could falter or completely fail. Should the low-pressure fuel pump fail, the car could stall, regardless of its state of motion.

The Nissan NV line of vans might not be long for this world. A report from Automotive News cites unnamed sources "familiar with the plans" as proof that Nissan will extricate itself from the U.S. commercial van market.

Nissan currently sells three main types of vans here. They include the NV Cargo, NV Passenger and NV200. 

The Toyota Corolla hatchback has sponged up all the headlines lately thanks to the imminent Corolla Sport GR and "Special Edition." Product planners haven't forgotten about the sedan, according to a piece in Car and Driver, although the goodies on the way are suited for the more conservative sedan buyer. The Apex Sport Package is a cosmetic suite for the mid-grade SE and top-grade XSE trims that should become available "within the next few months." We don't much information on it at the moment, leaving the specific bodywork changes in the category of known unknowns. What is clear is that the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 169 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque won't be touched. Opting for the SE trim opens up the chance to take control with the six-speed manual, but the CVT-equipped SE and XSE are also on the menu.

A set of summer performance tires is how a Corolla fitted with the Apex Sport Package will get more out of its standard mojo. At the moment, the SE and XSE trims come with 18-inch wheels on Michelin or Yokohama all-season tires. Certain Corolla hatchbacks come with asymmetrical Dunlop high-performance all-season tires; a set of extra-sticky summer rubber on the sedan would outdo those.       

Already on sale in North America as the Toyota RAV4 Prime, the plug-in hybrid RAV4 debuts today in the automaker's home country.

Alongside the unveiling of the globally marketed Toyota Hilux, a new Toyota Fortuner SUV also debuted this week with refreshed looks, increased power, and better efficiency. Aiming to balance daily refinement with rugged capability, the updated 7-seater will hit showrooms later this summer In markets such as Australia, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, among others.

The Fortuner rides on the same platform as the Hilux, and in Australia, it sits next to the Kluger (Highlander, in America), Prado (Lexus GX, in America), and Land Cruiser 200. The lineup stands as proof that adventure-ready SUVs are currently incredibly popular around the globe and not just in the U.S.

Quick note about our winter wheels and tires: The old STI wheels are so cool – we love gold – we had to put them on our long-term Forester for a bit. We had them lying around from when we had our long-term WRX a few years back, and while I think they look better on the WRX, they don't look too bad on the Forester. The tires are a bit smaller than what I would buy for a Forester if I were looking for new ones, the recommended size is 225/60-17 and these tires are 215/55-17 – about 5% smaller in both diameter and width. 5% may not sound like a lot, but it is. With less sidewall they'll do less to mitigate big bumps, of which there are many on these Michigan roads, but any winter tire is going to outperform an all-season in the Snow Belt. There's no replacement for traction when the going gets icy. It doesn't matter if you're running the stock size if you're in a ditch.

All right, with that, let's move onto the review of our long term 2019 Subaru Forester Touring. ...

The modern-day Alpine A110 is a great sports car with a very bad timing. The automobile industry is going electric, buyers are flocking to SUVs and the coronavirus pandemic has affected all automakers, including Renault, who is still trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The current Toyota RAV4 already sports quite an edgy and striking design but this particular RAV4 is more head-turning than most thanks to a series of styling changes.

Having over 150 HP in a compact hatchback back in the day meant that you were driving a hot hatch. Today, though, this number has more than doubled, with models like the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS, to name just two.

Subaru has released the first teaser image of the 2021 Crosstrek, ahead of its debut on June 9th.

Nissan has issued yet another recall for certain Altima models in North America over the hood latch issue, the fourth for those who are still counting.

A Honda Civic just sold for $50,000. And no, it's not the brand new 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition that was announced earlier this year. While that one may seem prime for a $50,000 MSRP, the Civic we're talking about is much older. It's an Electron Blue 2000 Honda Civic Si, an EM1, if you're fluent in Honda lingo.

We promise that there is no typo on the price. Someone just won the auction on Bring a Trailer for $50,000 even. The car in question has 5,600 miles on the odometer and will now be going to its third owner. It's about as perfect as it gets from an aesthetic and mechanical standpoint, though it does have an unsightly aftermarket Pioneer head unit installed in the dash.