Interior Photos of Proton Perdana Limousine

 

The Prime Minister of Malaysia launched the new Proton Perdana last week for the consumption of the government officials and of course, himself and his deputy included. The car comes in both 2.0L and 2.4L version as it is in its previous life as Honda Accord. The exterior styling change is very mild, concentrating on the new front bumper and grille assembly while the trunk lid trimmings has been suitably updated. The detail change of the exterior can be seen in MMN previous post, HERE.

As for the interior, Proton has put its own emblem on the steering wheel while the rest is carried over wholesomely from the Alor Gajah's made Honda Accord. The instrument panel, centre console, gear panel and pretty much everything is familiar. Where Proton works their art is for the limousine version for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Similar in trend with Proton's previous limousine, the rear passenger compartment is isolated from the chauffeur. Proton has inserted the "dashboard panel" to the rear compartment housing the the airconditioning vent and perhaps the sound system too. It looks like the lower part of the dashboard as in the front of the car. There's no fancy gadget and extreme opulence here so perhaps this is just the initial mock-up as it is quite bare.The extended window panel is actually opaque, and it housed the speaker. The legroom is humongous.

The rear seat is strictly for two, and the arm rest panel houses all the controls, presumably for the audio and other comfort item. The seat and door trim are upholstered in two-tone theme. We are still trying to get the details of the extended Proton Perdana such as the detail dimensions and more photos but it does not seem to be possible. 

New Proton Perdana Revealed, Limo Included

Proton today has handed over the first batch of the new Proton Perdana to the Prime Minister in a special event, and set to replace the ageing outgoing model which has been in service since last decade. As the whole world know, the "new" Proton Perdana is a redevelopment of the previous 8th generation Honda Accord from the year 2008. The Honda Accord has been reinterpreted with Proton design touch which include new front grille, new front bumper with heavily chromed front bumper insert ( a bit like the facelifted large Saab) while the rear end retains the old bumper, but the inner reflector on the trunk lid has been removed (ala pre-facelifted US Accord) with the chrome bar intact and the license plate area has been heavily garnished with chrome too. 

For the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Deputy Prime Minister, Proton has stretched the 8th-gen Honda Accord by significant amount to be a proper limo. However, it is obviously an unseamless stretched job as the the different in height of the front door trailing edge and rear door leading edge can clearly be seen and it is matched with the splintered panel. We don't know how long the wheelbase is extended, but it looks as if it is more than 300mm. The chrome finish on the window surround is removed too.

Also unleashed on the same day is the standard wheelbase version for the new Proton Perdana for other government official use. The standard version is more akin to your cooking Honda Accord although it too receives the similar front and rear end updates. More details after the jump.

Middle Class SUV Challenge:Mazda CX-5 vs Ford Kuga vs Honda CR-V

SUV segment is hotly contested in Malaysian market. It has evolved from the off-roader ancestor like Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero to the likes of soft roader, thanks to Honda CR-V back in mid 90's. This year, you can have it almost every sizes, from small to big luxury ones. Among the hottest option for middle class right now is Honda CR-V, now in fourth generation and hot in its heel is the turbocharged Ford Kuga and super stylish Mazda CX-5. Paultan compares them in the DRIVEN. Check it out below.

(Updated Gallery Inside) 4th Generation Honda City Unveiled - Roomier, 1.5L Petrol & Diesel

The all new Honda City has arrived!!Happened in India just a couple of moment ago, the fourth generation Honda City has been previewed to the media. Is very, very clear to see the new model is actually a gentle evolution of the current one. Critics will labelled it as a facelift, but it is actually a deeper improvement than that.

From the photos above, the side profile looks just like the current one, especially around the A-pillar. The front end adopts the new radiator grille concept seen on the new Honda Jazz/Fit, with the angular nose made an appearance, accentuated at the front bumper edge.

The rear end is however looks like the current one with the new tail light slapped on. The new tail light is much wider than before as it extends more into the trunk lid instead of sitting at the side structure panel like the current one.

The car has changed slightly in terms of dimensions. Overall length is only retained for facelifted Honda City at 4,440mm, the wheelbase has been extended by 50mm, making it 2,600mm. The car is a bit taller by at 1,495mm, while width is retained at 1,695mm. The interior is said to be roomier, with leg room and knee room on the up by 60-70mm, with 40mm more shoulder space. Boot space grows slightly to 510L.

In India, the 4th-gen Honda City will be offered with two 1.5L engine, one is petrol powered while the other one is diesel lump, similar to what found underneath of Honda Brio Amaze. Chassis architecture is similar to before with McPherson strut at the front and torsion beam at the back.

The interior design has been inspired by the larger Honda Civic, particularly the facelifted US Civic. The fascia has a flat surface, trimmed with silver lining, with silver bar running across the front passenger area. The centre console has been modernize with LCD touch screen and touch screen aircond control like the recently introduced in latest Honda Jazz/Fit and Honda Odyssey. The meter binnacle is blue surround. There's also bluetooth connectivity and aircond outlet for the rear passenger.

The dashboard is upright just like any small Honda. With the details as explained in the paragraph above, Honda has attempted to raise the interior perceived quality compared to the barebones of the current one. The slab panel with silver paint is now gone, and in comes a more sophisticated looking fascia. The audio unit blends well with the glossy black panel although one might feel a vast empty space overthere due to the lack of switches in the low end car like this. Naturally, the steering wheel comes from Honda Jazz/Fit, in fact the whole centre console screams the hatchback sibling. The main differentiators between the two are the fascia in front of the driver and passenger.

The rear cabin space is visibly spacious, with a completely flat rear floor as an added bonus. There is also rear air conditioning outlet as seen above. This could be in response to the move by Hyundai who is one of the earliest to put this premium feature in a mainstream car. The door trim features large chunk of fabric insert, embedded in one-piece moulded trim part.

More photos can be found after the jump.

Spyshots: Proton Rebadged Honda Accord

Proton Perdana replacement has had a very turbulence gestation period. The replacement model has been in the planning since the days of Proton MSX when the replacement was intended to look like a sedan version of the aluminium crossover. Of course it never happen. Then we started seeing a Mitsubishi 380 with Proton badge, and even the latest Mitsubishi Galant in 2006. Then came the Nissan Fuga thing and finally the freshest of them all is the rebadged Honda Accord. 

So, based on this sighting at Paultan, the government officials are set to drive the recycled Honda Accord. Proton has added their badge the normal place - front grille, steering wheel boss, and the rear fascia. We don't know yet if there's any restyling, but it should be very minor. What do you think? Is it worth it to design the car only to serve government officials? Two more photos after the jump.

New Honda HR-V Coming Soon

Back in the mid-90s, there was a small Honda SUV which slot into the segment smaller then Honda CR-V. Powered by 1.6L engine, Honda HR-V sits on Honda Logo platform. Honda discontinued this model in 2006. Seems that it will back!

Previewed by Honda Urban SUV concept, the production version has been leaked through the patent website. The design stays quite faithful to the concept version, with the details turn down for more cost efficient. Some more photos after the jump.

Honda Mobilio Revealed In Concept Form

Honda today revealed its MPV derivative of Honda Brio/Amaze, called Honda Mobilio. Despite being labelled as a concept, the MPV is a thinly veiled production version sans the flashy alloy wheel and fancy interior decor. Unlike the Datsun GO+ which is tipped to be on sale for less than 100milion Rupiah, Honda Mobilio is targeted to be class above that with price inching closer towards 180milion Rupiah.

Honda Mobilio does not hide its Honda Brio origin in its front end design, where the headlight and grille is unmistakably derived from its hatchback sibling. That is where the similarities end, although we could see some carry over parts in the dashboard too. The rest of the body design ends the similarities. Despite the class typical of mundane styling, Honda has tried to inject some character to the design to spice up the aesthetic. The beltline is characterized by "lightning bolt" line split, which came from US version of Honda Odyssey. This greatly reduce the visual mass that is usually associated with the MPV rising beltline. The D-pillar too is partly blackened, and the rear fascia too is much more elaborated with multi-surfacing which split the tailgate upper surface and the use of protruding rear light.

Unlike Toyota Avanza which sits on a lorry-type platform, Honda Mobilio sits on a stretched Honda Brio platfrom with the wheelbase extended to 2,650mm, a monocoque chassis it is. Overall length is 4,390mm, 1,680mm wide and 1,610mm tall. In comparison, segment stalwart Toyota Avanza measures 2,655mm, 4,140mm, 1,660mm and 1,695mm respectively in the dimensions which makes Honda Mobilio much longer than its fellow Japanese rival. Space is designed for 7 occupants although one can expect a second class final row of seats.

Honda Mobilio is powered by the familiar i-VTEC mill displacing 1.5L picked from Honda City stablemate. Kicking out 118PS and 144Nm, the drive will be channeled to the front wheel (unlike Toyota Avanza rear wheel drive setup) via 5 speed manual or CVT gearbox.

Equipment level will be class competitive. Double blower aircond will be featured, so the 50/50 split 3rd row seat, and the flexibility will be help further with 2nd row seat that can be folded in 60/40 ratio. Safety will be taken care by dual airbags, ABS and EBD which is a standard affair from any bargain basement car today.

The significance of Honda Mobilio is that it signals Honda arrival into the lucrative Asian small MPV segment which was previously played by Toyota Avanza/Daihatsu Xenia, Nissan Gran Livina and Maruti Ertiga. Will Honda later join the pick-up bandwagon too?

More photos and live gallery of Honda Mobilio can be found after the jump.

LEAK - Honda's Avanza Rival

Our friend in AutonetMagz keep the interest in the Honda Mobilio up and running with the new leak. It is low-res grainy photo but it keep us in the clarity on how the Honda's Avanza rival shaping up. While front front fascia is very Honda Brio-like, although the grille assembly is stubbier. While the side profile is akin to Toyota Avanza with its long and slim structure, we expect the Honda Brio MPV version to be lower overall as it does not sit on the lorry platform. Official unveiling is 19 September 2013. One more photo after the jump.

Honda Mobilio - Honda's New Budget MPV

Not many days left until its planned unveiling on 19th September 2013 at Indonesia Motor Show, but one Indonesian-based website has revealed that the new Honda-Brio based MPV will be called Honda Mobilio. This is quite shocking judging by the fact that Honda Mobilio used to be a JDM MPV and seems that the new MPV is at least not as rudimentary as certain South East Asian-only offering.

The specs are already out for Indonesian market which will get i.e S and E. Consistent with the Honda's Asian trimming, S is a cheap version with E is the posher between the two. The entry level version will be available in manual only while the E version can be had either in manual or CVT guise. 

The styling is also revealed in the leak leaflet. It is however obvious the earlier sketch is very much hyperbole, as Honda Mobilio has a Toyota Avanza-like stance instead a sleek look suggested by the world-wide spread sketch. Despite retaining Honda Brio-like headlight, thats pretty much if any resemblance is exist.

Have a look at the details of the equipment of each version, and the outlook of the vehicle and compare it yourself with the styling sketch. 

Source: AutonetMagz

Only In India - The Tale of Compact Sedan

If there's one weird category of vehicle, this is one of it. In India, there is an incentive in terms of excise duty slash for a compact car  measuring less 4.0m and has engine capacity of maximum 1.2L for petrol and 1.5L for diesel. Instead of the usual 24% tax, the compact sedan is charged only 12%. This segment is lucrative and growing big. Mid last year, this segment grows by 30% while the India total automotive market grows at only 7.2%. 

Manufacturer is rushing to capitalize on this loop hole. They aim to give the maximum to the buyer at the lower side of 4.0m. The tax incentive will make it a credible business case as the final price will entice the buyer from sedan segment up, and worth the weird solution or awkward silhouette. The most popular approach is to lengthen the hatchback to the brim of 4.0m, while there are also manufacturer that chopped the tail of their sedan instead. We now heard Volkswagen is developing a challenger for this segment in based on Volkswagen Up architecture and Toyota too is working on a sedanized Toyota Etios Liva which is already based on the sedan Etios.

Honda Amaze (Honda Brio Amaze outside India) is the current biggest seller of the segment, and it has placed Honda as the top four manufacturer in India recently. It has displaced the previous class stalwart, Maruti Swift Dzire. Lets have a look at the popular offering in this segment.

As we know Honda Amaze it is the booted version of Honda Brio. You can check the launch detail <HERE>. It is 3,990mm long (remember the limit is 4,000mm), some 380mm longer than Honda Brio Hatchback and sits on 60mm longer wheelbase at 2,405mm. Apart from having a cushier seats than its rival, its 400L boot volume is commanding too. It has the usual Honda quality which results in more premium looking bodystyle and cabin finish compared to the model developed in the India homeland.

The other competitor is Maruti Swift Dzire. It is based on Suzuki Swift we all like, but with the boot strapped behind and manufactured by Indian's Maruti. The boot is supershort, it needs to be to slip below 4.0m at 3,991m as the donor Swift is already 3,850mm in the first place. Sharing 2,430mm with the hatchback, the poor boot volume of the hatchback has been increased to a more credible 316L. 

The newest challenger coming this year is Mahinda Verito Vibe. Verito is the rehashed Dacia Logan, which took the world by storm last decade with its 5,000 Euros cars. Having it second life in India, Mahinda has chopped the tail to comply with the compact car rule. No one thought that the boot can be any shorter than Swift Dzire, but Mahinda has different idea. Measuring 3,991mm long, it is much shorter than the 4,277mm sedan it is based on. The boot also is a hybrid between hatchback and sedan whereby it is hatchback in look, but open in sedan style. 

Can we implement the same strategy in Malaysia? Instead of giving incentive to hybrid cars which is beyond reach for many people, why don't we populate the low end of the market. It could kill the national car, but if in return we can have so many specialized model from the global manufacturer why not? What about unregulating only one segment of the market, let's say compact MPV with engine capacity of less than 1.5L, accomodate 7 people and maximum 4.2m in length? Or a 4 door segment with maximum 1.0L engine capacity and 400L boot?

More information about any of these cars can be obtained from India website linked below:

Mahinda Verito Vibe

Maruti Swift Dzire

Honda Amaze

9th Generation Honda Accord Launched in Malaysia

The ninth iteration of Honda Accord has been launched in Malaysia. Locally assembled in Honda Melaka plant, the new Honda Accord is priced very competitively starting from only RM139,800 for the base 2.0 VTi model, which makes it cheaper even than the Korean entry. Two other models are available, a higher specification 2.0L VTi-L at RM149,800 and 2.4L VTi-L at RM172,800. Fellow Japanese rival  Toyota Camry starts at RM149,915 for 2.0E and topped by 2.5L variant at RM180,917. The sleek Mazda6 is also pricier at RM159,455 for the 2.0L model and RM189,728 although it is CBU. So Honda has nailed it this time around as far as pricing is concern.

If pricing alone won't entice you, you'll be glad to know that the new Honda Accord is more comprehensively equipped than the outgoing car. Luxury amenities is thrown in more generously, and this is being topped by the new clothes that is more prestigious with its crisp body surfacing, intricate light detailing and classier interior design.

The base 2.0L VTi comes with beige interior upholstered in fabric. There are two screen in dashboard, the smaller and lower one for audio system while the larger upper mounted screen is for i-MID. There's also dual zone aircond, rear aircond duct and parking sensor. The exterior is garnished by 17' alloy wheel, LED day time running light and LED rear combi. Auto headlamp function is included too.

Opting for the higher specs VTi-L version gains you a dark cabin upholstered in leather trim, electrically adjustable driver seat, key less entry, starter button, hands-free Bluetooth functionality, cruise control, intelligent automatic airconditioning, rear door sunshade, sat-nav, HDD audio and DVD player. Both 2.0L variant soldiers on the carried over SOHC 2.0L linked to 5 speed automatic transmission. The engine has been massaged for greater refinement and economy, pushing out 155PS and 190Nm.

The 2.4L version is loaded with all bell and whistles that Honda currently knows how to make. The headlight is pulled out from the brand's luxury arm Acura, and LED item with auto-levelling and the car shod on 18' alloy wheel. The interior is decked out with paddle shifter, rear view mirror with auto dimming, wood trim, powered passenger seat, powered rear glass sunshade and premium sub woofer. Safety is upped too with 4 airbags in addition to the driving aids called LaneWatch and Active Cornering Light. The engine is new, replacing the K24 mill. It is of the Earth Dream Technology umbrella although it lacks the direct injection system. The new engine makes 175PS@6,200rpm and 225Nm@4,000rpm. Ultimate horsepower is slightly less than the outgoing engine although it is 7% more economy and 6% lighter.

In tune with the new Honda Civic, the 9th-gen Honda Accord is smaller than its predecessor. Compared to the outgoing model, the new Honda Accord is 80mm shorter at 4,870mm, 25mm shorter wheelbase at 2,775mm, 5mm wider at 1,850mm and 10mm lower at 1,465mm. Space however has not been compromised at rear legroom increased by 35mm while the boot is 23L more than before. All has been achieved thanks to the more efficient packaging including thinner seat structure.Honda also has replaced the double wishbone suspension at the front with McPherson strut while the rear end end is still multi-link.

Price comparison with the fellow Japanese rival is as mentioned above. In terms of dimension, Toyota Camry measures 4,825mm long, 1,825mm wide and 1,470mm tall. Its wheelbase is similar to the new Honda Accord at 2,775mm and boot stands in at 515L, a lot smaller than Accord. Mazda6 is a tad shorter at 4,850mm, 1,840mm wide, lower at 1,450mm, longer wheelbase at 2,830mm but cosier in terms cabin space and the boot volume is a good deal smaller too.

Small gallery can be found after the jump.

Honda NSX and Lexus LF-CC Lined for Japan Super GT 2014

Two contenders for Japan Super GT 2014 were lined up today at Suzuka Circuit, respectively Honda and Lexus with their NSX and LF-CC. Both will compete in GT500 class, which means according to the Japan Automobile Federation, will be powered by 2.0L in-line 4 cylinder with force induction. Honda has confirmed NSX will feature hybrid powertrain system while there is no news yet on Lexus.

Lexus LF-CC will take the baton from the long-serving SC430, which gave Lexus 2 titles in 2006 and 2009.

Several more photos of Honda NSX Concept GT can be found after the jump.

Honda Civic Tourer Revealed

Honda has released the first photo of the forthcoming Honda Civic Tourer ahead of its Frankfurt Motorshow planned debut. The wagon version of Honda Civic Euro stays incredibly faithful to the concept showcased in Geneva Motorshow earlier in the year.

The swooping Civic Tourer retains the hatchback 1,770mm width and 1,440mm height, but gains significant 285mm in the length, all of which attributed by rear overhang. The increase in space in voluminous, whereby the boot space is humongous 624L with rear seats up, an increased from already spacious 477L of the hatchback. With the rear "Magic Seat" folded, the capacity shots to 1,668L. The practicality is further enhanced with lower loading lip by 137mm compared to the hatchback, which now stands merely 565mm. The "Magic Seat" has one-touch operation for its folding mechanism, and so is the standard tonneau cover which can be folded/unfolded by one touch effort. Honda also make a big noise about its new Adaptive Damper System which enhance stability and comfort in various loading capacity.

 Honda Civic Tourer looks like no other Estate/Touring/Wagon on the market, with the seamless integration of the rear end with smooth flowing body curve. The rising beltline is as per the Euro hatch, and the extended roof while remain almost conventional, the side structure plunge downwards the D-pillar. This, and the concealed rear door handles gives it a silhouette that can even be sporty, in MMN opinion carry some cues from the Honda Jade China-made low slung MPV.

The car will be assembled in Swindon and scheduled to be on sale early next year with choice of 1.8L i-VTEC gasoline and 1.8L i-DTEC turbodiesel engine. Small gallery can be found after the jump.

Honda Jade - a stunning looking MPV!

Dongfeng-Honda has released its latest MPV, the Jade which was showcased earlier in the year as thinly disguised concept. The 6 seater in build on a stretched Honda Civic platfrom and at the moment is for China market only. Honda Jade however looks so good that one wonder if this is a lightly modified 3rd-gen Honda Stream as it is too good and well engineered to be simply a China-domestic model.

Honda Jade bears more than passing resemblance to the Honda Civic, particularly at the front, while the rear light is characteristically wears similar theme to the recently launched Honda Fit/Jazz. Bucking the trend where the FB Civic has a chopped wheelbase over the FD predecessor, Honda Jade has a 20mm longer wheelbase then the outgoing Stream at 2,760mm. In terms of other dimension, Jade is 4,660mm long, 1,775mm wide and 1,500mm tall, compared to 4,575mm, narrow 1,695mm and 1,575mm of the current Honda Stream. This makes Jade has a sportier stance thanks to the lower height and wider body. The curvaceous side profile contribute to the elegant flowing look too. 

We don't have the details of the chassis just yet, but it should be mimicking the latest Honda Civic with its all independent struts and multi-link setup. This particular model wears a 215/45 R17 low profile. In powertrain department, it shades Civic too, with the 140bhp 1.8L available initially while the 2.0L mill is set to appear later. Strangely Honda has decided to differentiate the trim level with the transmission (apart from the usual accessories) where the low-end model channeled its drive via a 5 speed automatic while the top line spots a CVT.

The low slung exterior is complemented by a suitably youthful interior. Clad in an all-black trims, punctuated by a simulated dark wood trim accented with chrome lining, the interior is a big departure from the spartan 2nd-gen Honda Stream. For one, it has followed the latest two generation of Honda Civic in utilizing a digital meter binnacle set higher-up in the dashboard. Gone is the angular Honda Civic dashboard theme and in comes a flowing dashboard that wears both the design element from Civic and latest Accord. The gear lever section particular is carried over from the larger D-Segment sibling while the steering wheel comes from Civic. There is also a central mounted rear aircond vent to cool the rear occupant. 

In this setup, Honda Jade is a 6 seater with second row captain seat. The rear most seat looks quite well-engineered in terms of its folding setup as it disappears completely beneath the floor instead of merely folded on top of the floor. This increased the depth of the (admittedly and commonly) short boot when the the 3rd row is deployed for use.

So what do you think? Can this be the new much awaited 3rd-gen Honda Stream? It looks global enough design-wise and it would be a pity if it is reserved only for China while the rest of the world gets the angular and conservative looking (read new Civic, Accord and Jazz) Hondas.

Many, many years ago I really fancied the low slung 7 seater that Honda always produced, particularly the second generation Honda Odyssey and second generation Honda Stream. Seems that low slung tradition of Honda multi-purposes vehicle continues.....

More photos can be found after the jump.

Honda Jade = 2014 Honda Stream?

Honda unveiled the Jade MPV at Shanghai Motorshow, and citing it as the China-market MPV to be sold by Dongfeng-Honda JV in Chinese market. However, with the current Honda Stream is kicking into its seventh year of life, it is hard to believe that this model is China-only.

We think this is indeed the forthcoming Honda Stream, a 3rd generation compact MPV. The details are clear, the size is clearly indicates it sits on a Honda Civic-derived platform, and the front end blows everything away with its Civic-alike headlight.

The exterior is fresher-looking than the already-dated 2nd gen Stream, with the afore-mentioned Civic snout, flowing side glass and the fresh take of the rear end that ditch Stream's traditional vertical tail light. The interior looks production ready, with its steering wheel handed from Civic, and the gearknob from 2013 Honda Accord. The climate control panel also look-alike the one from the latest Accord. The dashboard could signal the shift of Stream current architecture towards digital display similar to its sedan-sibling.

Some more photo can be found below.

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First Sighting of 3rd-Gen Honda Stream

It is the 7th year of service now for the sleek Honda Stream since its 2006 introduction, and the first sight of its replacement has been caught, in China. Set to be inspired by the Concept S previewed in Beijing Motor Show,  the next Honda Stream will be introduced in China market in the middle of the 2013, with the debut scheduled for April's Shanghai Auto Show.

The recipe for the new Stream will be very much similar to its predecessors, i.e a low-floor 7 seater concept. Traditionally, Honda Stream is based on the Honda Civic, so the Civic FB will be the donor vehicle, albeit with a lengthened wheelbase as it has always been for the last two Streams.

The sole photo here shows that the new Stream will get a swoopy glass house, similar in trend with the Concept S, as well as a nod the the first generation. This rear shot also indicate a possibility of the switch from the vertical rear light to a horizontal one. The squarer rear end too bears some resemblance to the current Odyssey.

Malaysia typically gets a CBU Stream, with launches way later than any other market. Expect at least a year delay compared to other essential market, so that will take us into 2014.

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2013 American Honda Civic - the detail differences

Honda has debuted its heavily facelifted North American Civic at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The updated model received a total aesthetic makeover on the outside and inside, and the chassis setting has been recalibated, both intending to rectify the cheap-car feeling of the 2012 model and set to deliver a more satisfying driving experience.

From the outset, it is clear that the 2012 Honda Civic is the car for recession time. In order to fulfill the targeted projected area in side, front, rear and top elevation with minimum material achievable, all the surfaces has been flattened. Why? The curvier metal and plastic panels consume more raw material for a given projection area and the heavier the curve, the deeper the tooling (stamping or moulding) has to be. Hence, a flatter surface not only uses less material, but the tooling can be made smaller and cheaper too. So, there goes the wrap-around fender and sculpted dashboard of the Civic FD generation. While they were at that, all the expensive garnishing like the interior bezel has been taken away too.

This time around, Honda America has re-sculpted the entire front end by giving is a new hood, bumper and grille. The plain looking front end has been beefed up with more substantial bumper featuring the thick chrome bar too. The grille outline has been thickened, and chromed too ala the new Accord. The hood panel has been reprofiled and this lend a more voluptuous look.

The weedy rear end design has been totally ditched. From both photos above (credited to Autoblog), the entire trunk lid is an newly designed item and it features an embedded tail light too. Mind you, it is not the half-hearted reflector insert like the Asian model, but a totally new jewel-like light assembly. Together with the chunkier rear bumper particularly at the lower portion, the rear end now has a more planted stance.

The upscaling move continues with the cabin design. The drab cabin of the 2012 car made way for the redesigned dashboard, floor console and door trim. For the centre console, the audio and aircond control panel has been re-specified with more premium design. The airvents has been resized and garnished with chrome surround. Similar treatment are given to the gear console where the gear base is trimmed in metal-look, and the gear slot is chrome-lined. Similar chrome line is inserted to the cup holder too, although it still lacks the sliding cover of the Asian car. The door trim has been revised, whereby the top portion has been totally redesigned, and now moulded with padded material like the Asian car. Subtle silver insert is there too to punch additional elegant touch. Both the dashboard and door trim top panel comes with leather-like stitching for an added opulence. Tricot headliner complete the interior makeover.

The improvement does not stop there. Honda has taken the opportunity to quicken the steering ratio, stiffen the anti roll bar and front spring while the front disc brake has been enlarged by 20mm to 282mm. All these measures to a better handling and braking performance.

Safety has been enhanced too. Debuting on 2013 Honda Civic are the SmartVent which is a device to minimise the excessive side airbag deployment force, curtain airbags and new alert system in the form of Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Warning systems.

Also making an inroad into the 2013 Civic is a host of multimedia experience found on the recently introduced Honda Accord. Among them are the Bluetooth Hands Free Link, rear view camera, colored i-MID, Pandora Interface and SMS functionality.

Lets get into the detail of the changed item and how does it fare with the outgoing 2012 car, and to certain extend we would like to draw some comparison with the Asian car. The new fascia really added the much needed premium touch to the Civic. The original American Civic bumper is a tad drab compared to the Asian version, which subtly comes with chunkier lower edge and hence looks sportier. Meshed grille insert also has replaced the previous horizontal bars item. 

Majority of the change happen at the back. It is clear cut here that the more jewel-like rear light and tastefully applied chrome does bring the Civic outlook to a more premium level. The lower valence too lends some air of solidity to the rear end of the Civic, which can look under-substance on both outgoing American and current Asian car.

For the interior, apart from the redesign centre cluster, the re-defined gear console has certainly hit the mark. The current gear console, on any continent, can be best described as cheap looking. The black gear surround really belongs to the Honda City class instead of the Civic class. Honda has ditched the previous console, and income a wider gear base that is finished in the metal look (like Civic FD) and the gear gate has been chrome-lined. Honda Malaysia, can you find a way to incorporate this minor enhancement somehow in our Civic? 

The Asian Honda Civic has been blessed with the soft touch material on the upper door trim section, while the 2012 American Civic did not come with this. For the 2013 enhancement, Honda did not simply take the Asian design and applied to the American Civic, it has gone the long route by redesigning the upper section. The padded upper section also come with the stitch-like finishing and the silver accent is a nice addition. The silver trim looks really integrated, unlike the after-though look like the Asian Civic.

The audio system also has not been spared in this round of extensive update. The jumbo-sized audio button with its plain design has been updated. The panel is now more contoured and glossy in finishing and there is also some chrome insert included too.

In North America, the new 2013 Honda Civic continues to come in the sedan and coupe guise. While the sedan has received all the detail update, the coupe make do with the new wheel design. Trim wise, the entry level DX trim has been dropped, thus now comprises of LX, EX, EX-L and Si. The first 3 trims are powered by the familiar 1.8L mill paired to either 5 speed manual or automatic transmission. The range-topper Si is powered by the 2.4L engine and paired only to the 6 speed manual gearbox. In between, there is also a natural gas version with 1.8L engine (110hp) while the Civic Hybrid is powered by the 1.5L gasoline hooked to the IMA system.

For all the improvement, the Civic range starts from $18,615 for the Sedan LX and stops at $26,465 for the Civic Natural Gas. Compared to the 2012 price, the price increase is mere $160.

What do you think about the enhanced Honda Civic? Are there any update you would like to have in the Malaysian version? More photos of the 2013 Honda Civic can be found after the jump.