BRIEFS - Civic revamps

• Civic revamps

The 2012 Honda Civic hybrid sedan has the best Environmental Protection Agency estimated fuel economy of any sedan in the United States. It clocks 44/44/44 miles per gallon city/highway/combined.

To achieve this feat, Honda uses a 1.5-litre i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and 20-kW lithium-ion battery, which is five kW more powerful and lighter than the nickel-metal hydride batteries it replaces. The total combined horse power for the gasolene engine and electric motor is 110 horse power (hp) at 5,500 revs per minute (rpm) and torque is rated at 127 lb-ft at 1,000-3,500 rpm.

• Impreza impresses

The 2012 Subaru Impreza is the fourth-generation model. The Impreza will be powered by a new 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed four-cylinder Boxer engine which produces 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque.

The weight of the car has been reduced to increase fuel efficiency. Power will go to the ground with a choice of a five-speed manual transmission or the second-generation Lineartronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The fuel economy is rated at 27 miles per gallon (mpg)city and 36 mpg highway. The size of the fuel tank has been reduced from 16.9 gallons to 14.6 gallons since the driving range has been increased. With this 30 per cent increase in fuel the 2012 Impreza is the most fuel efficient All-Wheel Drive Car in America.

• Tiida turns tide

The Nissan Tiida which is sold in 165 countries globally is Nissan best selling model in the product line up.

The 2012 Tiida will have a HR16DE 1.6L four cylinder that makes 108 horse power and return a fuel economy of 28 miles per gallon (mpg) city and 34mpg hwy. Dual injectors has been installed in the engine to help improve the fuel economy. There is word of a turbo charged version of the Tiida. Nissan will also be the first Japanese automaker to introduce a turbo-charged engine in the Chinese market.

• GM eyes US plants

DETROIT (AP):

General Motors says it will invest US$109 million in two Michigan operations, keeping or creating 96 jobs.

The investment will fund production of engines for the Chevrolet Cruze compact and Volt electric car.

GM says the money is part of a US$2-billion investment announced earlier this week that will create or keep more than 4,000 jobs at 17 GM facilities in eight states.

• Prius delay?

TOKYO (AP):

Some buyers will have to wait until April next year for deliveries of the latest Toyota Prius because of shortages of a new battery that is adding to production delays from the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The launch Friday of the more spacious "Prius a," or "Prius alpha," a revamp of Toyota's popular gasolene-electric hybrid, had been initially set for April. But the March 11 magnitude-9.0 earthquake in northeastern Japan destroyed key parts suppliers and forced a delay.

• Amarok rips it down

Volkswagen marked the UK launch of its new Amarok truck with a rather unusual demonstration: using four pickups to demolish a gigantic, 67-metre of (220 feet)-tall steel chimney weighing in at around 140 tons.

So, four standard Amarok pickups — fitted with the standard 163HP 2.0-litre TDI engine — simultaneously pulled four 200-metre long ropes attached to the top of the chimney and successfully brought the structure down.