Turbo Zone

Would you like the next Honda Civic to look like this?

Several pictures of the Honda Civic Type R concept have leaked to the web ahead of its official debut today.

Designed to preview the 2015 production model, the concept is described as a “racing car for the road.” As a result, it has been equipped with an aerodynamic body kit that includes a front splitter, aggressive side skirts, a rear diffuser and a massive rear wing. We can also see LED-infused headlights, a ventilated hood, gloss black accents and a four-tailpipe exhaust system.

Technical specifications are still pending but Honda has previously confirmed the car will have a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that develops “at least” 280 HP (206 kW). That doesn’t sound overly impressive but Honda Motor Europe President Manabu Nishimae has said “We have recently spent a week at the Nürburgring, carrying out extensive testing and we are on target, and have already set a time approaching the lap record.”

Coming in the heels of the Toyota Wigo launch here in the Philippines, the global office of the giant automaker is exhibiting in Geneva the all-new Aygo together with its French cousins, the second-gen Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1.

Looking a bit more upscale than the French duo, Toyota’s second generation of the Aygo has grown in length by 25mm to 3,455mm while height has dropped by 5mm to 1,460mm but even so front headroom is up by 7mm. In addition, Toyota decided to widen both front and rear tracks by 8mm and applied a completely different front fascia compared to the new C1 and 108 thanks to an “X” graphic which makes the model look quite interesting and unique.

The revamped Aygo has a sloping beltline and an integral rear spoiler while body style choices will be limited to three and five doors as it seems Toyota hasn’t developed an open-top version like its French relatives. At the back we notice a hexagonal tailgate with the bumper extends to the more muscular rear wheel arches making the car look bigger than it actually is.

Power comes exclusively from an updated variant of Toyota’s three-cylinder 1.0-liter gasoline engine which now delivers 68 bhp (51 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 95 Nm (70 lb-ft) at 4,300 rpm to the 14- or 15-inch alloys. Drag coefficient is down from 0.30 to 0.29 which has helped improve fuel economy to 57.2 mpg US (68.8 mpg UK or 4.1 liters / 100 km) with corresponding CO2 emissions of 95 g/km. For the interior Toyota has designed a trapezoidal center console and elongated the cabin by 9mm even though the 2,340mm was left untouched. Also up is the luggage room as the capacity has increased by 29 liters while the firm’s newly developed x-touch multimedia system takes care of the entertainment department with a 7-inch touchscreen display offered as standard with a rear view camera.

Nissan is presenting in Geneva the facelifted Juke Nismo RS which has gained a bit more power. If you will recall, the “regular” Juke was displayed in the 2012 Philippine International Motor Show, which was said to be launched that year. The Juke turned out to be a joke, as the model introduction did not materialize.

In Geneva, showcased alongside the regular Juke facelift, the hotter Nismo RS derivative carries over the same styling tweaks but more importantly packs an extra punch from its 1.6-liter DIG-T turbocharged gasoline engine. Output of the motor has increased by 18 HP (13 kW) and 20 Nm (27 lb-ft) to 218 HP (160 kW) and 280 Nm (379 lb-ft).

Moreover, the 2WD variant will be offered as standard with a mechanical limited-slip differential while the size of the front disc brakes has increased from 296mm to 320mm. The list of updates continues with rear ventilated disc brakes, tweaked spring and damper settings along with a strengthened body structure and optional Recaro bucket seats.

It should be noted the torque increase is available on the version equipped with a manual six-speed manual gearbox, while the AWD version has torque vectoring and an Xtronic transmission with an eight-speed manual mode and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Nissan has also modified the exhaust system which now delivers a sportier soundtrack as a result of the muffler’s larger diameter.

Back home, the Nissan Juke seems to have been erased from memory, with the launch of two new models. Recently, the motoring media has been receiving invites for the launch of Nissan Sylphy and Altima this Friday, March 7, courtesy of the “new” Nissan Philippines. Based on the dealers’ teasers in their Facebook account, the units should be available in the showrooms by March 10. Watch out for the full features and specifications here soon.