The Car Tech blog

Although Honda's Integrated Motor Assist gasoline-electric hybrid system was originally dual-mode, purely internal combustion and internal combustion with electric motor assist (best thought of as an electric turbocharger), it has been further developed to operate in electric-only mode in some conditions.

That's interesting, but during a recent week with a 2009 Civic Hybrid, I never did figure out just exactly what those conditions were. Unlike most competitors, Honda is very low-key about hybrid power train dynamics. There is, as of now anyway, no real-time power diagram on the dash to show passengers how green they are. And because the engine never stops rotating--when it's decommissioned the VTEC and engine management hardware and software merely stops fuel flow to the injectors, stops the ignition system, and holds the valves open to reduce pumping losses--it's extremely hard to tell when the engine is not running. Because it's really always running, just not using fuel or producing power when "shut off".

Earlier this week, I attended a Honda event, and a Civic Hybrid was part of the program. What better circumstance to find the answers to my questions, given that there were plenty of Honda engineers and public relations people to ask. Not only did I get my question answered, I got a demonstration, and then was able to try for EV-ness myself.

It's Electric!

(Credit: Carey Russ)

Here's how: Select the instantaneous mileage display on the readout next to the speedometer. At a steady and light throttle opening, on a level or slightly downhill road, when instantaneous mileage is 100 mpg--the maximum number displayed--and there is a light amount of assist, say two or three bars on that display in the main instrument cluster, and the battery is charged, you're in an electric vehicle. There is no sudden bump when the engine shuts off, and almost no change in the interior noise level, which is low anyway.

Too much throttle, and the car will be in gas-only or gas+IMA assist mode. Too little throttle, and it will go into coasting or regenerative braking mode. The Civic won't go too far in EV mode, although both the Honda representative and I got it to go for over a mile on one stretch of appropriate road. He was surprised. Honda is not making a big fuss over this development, as it's only an incremental development of a simple, elegant system. However, expect to see more of the IMA system in the future.

Read the full 2009 Honda Civic LX-S review.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

We were disappointed to see that our 2009 Honda Civic LX-S was practically devoid of much of the cabin tech that we like to see on the dashboard of our test vehicles. There was neither Bluetooth hands-free nor GPS navigation. There wasn't even a trip computer that calculated fuel economy. Even the Honda Fit has a mpg meter.

The Civic is one of the most oft-modified cars in the world, so we decided to upgrade ours. Because of the heavily proprietary nature of the Civic's base audio system, swapping the receiver for an all-in-one unit was out of the question. With this limitation, we decided to go with some "bolt-on" cabin tech.

The Honda Civic HFP Sedan Concept was unveiled alongside tuned vehicles by Mugen, Tjin, and Galpin. View them all by clicking here.

(Credit: Honda Motors)

While Honda didn't roll out any new models or concepts at SEMA 2008, it did introduce a few new trim levels and accessory packages to some old favorites. The Civic Honda Factory Performance Concept sedan represents Honda's quest to bring the performance of its Type-R and Si models in line with its green initiatives.

Along with the HFP Civic, there were tuned Fits by Mugen and Tjin, tuned Pilots and Ridgelines, and a rather hot Accord Coupe. These vehicles represent the broad range of directions that owners take when customizing their Honda vehicles and the degree to which Honda has embraced the auto-enthusiast subculture.

View the full Honda Factory Performance gallery.

When you talk about car audio, you're usually discussing amplifiers, audio sources, and speakers. The harmonic qualities of your vehicle's tires usually don't come into play. That is, unless you're talking about Honda's Civic Musical Road in Lancaster, Calif.

The road was modified as part of an advertisement for Honda's Civic and is the latest in a series of musical roads around the world. Grooves were cut in the road in such a way that, when driven over at a certain speed, they cause the vehicle's tires to vibrate and play music. The song we're supposed to hear is a section of "The William Tell Overture," most commonly known as the theme song of The Lone Ranger and as chase music in Bugs Bunny cartoons.

The video above illustrates that it's a very poor rendition of "The William Tell Overture," but Honda insists the road was tuned to the tires and wheelbase of the Honda Civic, which may or may not explain why the song is so out of tune. If our ear for music is right, it also sounds like drivers need to be going much faster than the posted 55mph speed limit to get the octave and tempo right.

The road is due to be paved over Tuesday, due to complaints from neighboring homeowners who have to listen to the song being played so badly and repetitively by the many tourists the musical road has attracted.

Drivers interested in other singing roads should check out South Korea's Anyang Singing Road or Japan's Melody Road. We, on the other hand, will just stick to listening to our music through the vehicle's speakers.

(Credit: Honda)

Honda unveiled its 2009 Civic lineup this Tuesday. As should be expected, the new model receives some incremental styling changes in the form of a tweaked grille and headlamp combo, clear turn signals in the rear, and a new, more aggressive three opening front bumper cover. Power output remains unchanged for the gasoline, natural gas, and hybrid variants. Honda has, however, made vehicle stability control standard for top-tier trim packages.

Inside the cabin, Honda is still offering the same optional DVD-based satellite navigation system that we saw on the 2007 Civic Hybrid model, but has added Bluetooth hands-free capabilities to the system. Oddly enough the Honda navigation still offers that weird PCMCIA card slot that allows the use of a digital memory card and PC Card adapter to store MP3- and WMA-formatted music.

Honda has also added a new LX-S trim level, which is a sport-styled LX model, and a DX-VP trim level that sits just above the DX trim level and adds air conditioning and an audio system, which inadvertently brings to focus the fact that Honda even offers a radio-free Civic DX in the first place.

Click the image to access the gallery

(Credit: CNET Networks)

With all the buzz around hybrids and hydrogen cars, it's easy to forget that the cleanest vehicle on the road is the natural-gas powered Honda Civic GX. While it might be clean, however, it is a pain to fill up thanks to its paltry 220-mile range and a scarcity of public natural gas fueling stations (fewer than 150 nationwide). To make life easier for GX owners, Honda has partnered with FuelMaker to develop the Phill home refueling station, which enables drivers to fill their tanks in their own garage. We got a close-up view of the first Phill system to be installed San Francisco. Check out the pics here.