Honda is preparing a mid-life update for the Civic hatch and Tourer which it hopes will put a jolt through disappointing sales for the car in Europe. In 2013, according to Automotive Industry Data, Honda sold just 38,0000 Civics in Europe; Ford shifts that many Focus models in around two months. The facelift will mostly be centred around the front end, where the Civic is likely to gain a more aggressive look, similar to that featured on the upcoming Civic Type-R. Honda will also be looking to set a hot hatch lap record on the famed Nurburgring race track, in the runup to the launch of both the Type-R and the updated standard car in October.
Perfect fit: Land Rover and Barbour get it together in the country
Land Rover and Barbour joining forces is a bit like Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro sharing the screen in Heat: you could have sworn they already had done. The iconic 4x4 maker and the equally iconic maker of waxed cotton jackets have teamed up to create an official Barbour For Land Rover line of clothes from the expected wax jackets to jumpers, gilets and matching luggage.
The range will be available through Land Rover dealers and online. Barbour MD Steve Buck said: "The unrivalled reputation of both our brands is founded upon a long history of producing products of the highest quality that combine modern innovation with tradition and heritage."
Seat delivers crossover SUV with its Leon X-Perience
We've been waiting ages for Seat to produce a crossover SUV but now it seems that, bus-like, two are coming at once. The new Spanish rival for the Qashqai, which will be built in Skoda's plant in the Czech Republic is a while off yet, but in the meantime, there's the Seat Leon X-Perience. Based on the Leon ST estate, the X-Perience is a high-riding, all-wheel-drive wagon similar in concept to the Skoda Octavia Scout with which it shares underpinnings. You can have it as either a 2.0-ltire to 1.6-litre diesel or a 1.8-litee turbo petrol. Ride height is up by 15mm and four-wheel-drive and a Haldex clutch-control system are standard. CO2 emissions for the 1.6 diesel are quoted as 126g/km. Sales will start in January, potentially just in time for some ice and snow.