The Driver - Spring 2017 TheDriver_Spring_2017_v4_singles | Page 18

2018 Honda Civic
Type R
GENEVA
T
he Honda Civic Type R has
been touring around the globe,
receiving plenty of attention. It will
be the first time that the Type R will be
sold in North America, and those who
have drooled over its looks wanted to
finally hear about its performance specs.
It was the Geneva Motor Show
when Honda finally announced that
its turbocharged, 2.0-litre VTEC four-
cylinder will produce 306 hp in North
America – 315 hp for its foreign cars due
to a different European testing procedure.
The engine will be matched exclusively
to a six-speed manual transmission with
active rev matching capabilities.
The Civic Type R is as sexy as it
comes for a hatch with flared wheel
arches, enormous side intakes, a massive
rear wing and tri-mounted centralized
exhaust pipes. It’s a hot hatch dream
that’s ready to roll with an under-six-
second 0-100 km/h sprint.
On the inside, the fire-breathing hot
hatch gets similar flair with red touches
on the steering wheel, dash, doors and
on the Recaro seats.
With the production model now
revealed, all that’s left is for it to go on
sale.
We are still a few months away
in Canada, but expect pricing to
be announced shortly, along with
some more specs.
2018 Volvo XC60
GENEVA
V
olvo sales are on the rise, and
to keep the momentum going,
the Swedish brand is betting on
its fully-redesigned XC60 – the brand’s
global best-seller.
This will be the first time in nine years
that the XC60 compact crossover gets
a generational makeover. This second-
generational product uses Volvo’s new
Scalable Product Architecture (SPA)
– the same one that the XC90 rides
on – and has been made longer and
wider with a reduction in height. It may
be the largest vehicle in its segment, but
through the use of aluminum and high-
strength steel, the XC60 maintains its
weight and improves on fuel economy.
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THE DRIVER
from the approaching
vehicle and back into
safety. On top of all
this, there’s Pilot Assist
that takes control of
steering and braking
during traffic jams.
The semi-
autonomous safety
features are impressive
and show a bit of what
Volvo has in store for
the future, but under the hood isn’t too
shabby either. There are multiple engine
choices with its all-wheel-drive gas
being the projected top-seller, but the
hottest topic was its plug-in hybrid that
combines for 407 hp and only uses 2.1
L/100 km in fuel economy.
“The Civic Type R is as sexy as
it comes for a hatch with flared
wheel arches, enormous side
intakes, a massive rear wing
and tri-mounted centralized
exhaust pipes.”
Safety always plays a key role with
Volvo, and this one is no different. The
XC60 receives a City Safety system
with steer assist to avoid a collision with
vehicles, pedestrians or large animals at
speeds of 50-100 km/h when braking
will not suffice.
Another system called Oncoming
Lane Mitigation is used when the driver
is facing a head-on collision at speeds
between 60-140 km/h. It will alert the
driver, as well as steer the vehicle away
The new 2018 Volvo XC60 is
expected to be released in late
2017. TDM