First Sight: Honda Civic - North America

 This is the new US market, 8th generation Honda Civic that follows on soon from the announcement of the 8th generation European Civic about to make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and the Civic Si Coupe concept shown at Chicago earlier this year. Although relating closely to its hatchback European sibling, the US market Civic is available as a four door sedan or two door coupe - underscoring the principal difference in market preference between Europe and America for this size of car. Specification The Si Coupe is available from launch with the 2.0 liter, 197bhp VTEC engine, whilst the sedan and standard coupe have a 1.8 liter, 140 bhp VTEC engine.

GM covers partial repair cost for defective fuel-level sensors

General Motors has said it will cover half the cost for repairing defective fuel gauges in 2005- through 2009- model-year Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Saab 9-7X sport-utility vehicles. GM's agreement to pay half the repair costs puts an end to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's probe, opened earlier this year. NHSTA was checking into reports that the gauges showed there was more gas in the tank than there actually was.

Jaguar ads 'too focussed on speed'

ADVERTS for Jaguar have been banned for focusing on the cars' speed and encouraging dangerous driving. The four video ads on Jaguar's website showed a car driving at speed through a tunnel and crossing over the single white lines in the middle of a road, before driving across a mountain road at night. Another scene showed a car driving on open land at high speed, while voice-overs said: "The adaptive dynamics technology reacts 20 times faster than the human eye.