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Honda plans rapid-fire launch of 2012 Civics

Honda will take a hurry-up approach when launching its delayed Civic family in April. Unlike past Civic rollouts--which spread the debuts of model types and variations over months and even years--Honda will launch every variety of the 2012 Civic within weeks of each other, said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. The family includes a sedan and coupe, multiple engines, lithium ion hybrid and natural gas versions, and a Civic Si edition.

A14 toll residents 'should be exempt'

RESIDENTS living near the UK's first proposed toll road in a decade should be exempt from payments, councillors have said. Drivers could be charged between £1 and £1.50 to travel along a new stretch of the A14 in Cambridgeshire, according to a consultation document published by the Highways Agency last month. The proposal comes after Chancellor George Osborne announced in the Autumn Statement that the Government would explore whether "in very limited circumstances" tolling could be used to fund significant new capacity on the country's roads.

Ford software maximizes hybrid efficiency

Ford will use a little navigation wizardry on two of its hybrids: the C-Max Energi plug-in and Fusion. The system will use GPS data and an algorithm to predict when a driver is close frequented destinations. The car will adjust powertrain controls to maximize efficiency.Ford calls the feature EV+, which is part of SmartGauge, standard on the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi plug-ins and on hybrid models.