Who would have ever guessed that car thieves in Canada have a thing for the Toyota Venza? Yet, the 2009 model year version of Toyota's crossover topped the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s [IBC] top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles this year. The 2009 Venza takes the crown from the 2000 Honda Civic SiR Coupe that was last year’s number one stolen vehicle but dropped to third place in 2011, just below the 1999 Honda Civic SiR Coupe.
The Japanese carmaker's models prove to be very popular among Canadian thieves as the 1998 and 1999 Acura Integra Coupe also made the list taking the 9th and 10th spot respectively.
In between, you will find the 2006 and 2007 Ford F350 trucks, the 2002 Cadillac Escalade, the 2006 Chevy Traillblazer and –wait for it- the 2001 Pontiac Aztec…
IBC said that many of the stolen vehicles are showing up in the local market and are not necessarily being exported out of Canada.
“Consumers need to be aware when they’re in the market for used vehicles or parts,” said Rick Dubin, Vice-President, Investigative Services, IBC.
"We’re doing a good job of stopping stolen vehicles at the ports. Our data indicate that we are not seeing many of these vehicles there. We have to conclude that stolen vehicles are being re-sold locally. But because the stolen vehicles are in these local markets, buyers need to be careful,” Dubin added.
The top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Canada are:
- 2009 Toyota Venza 4-door
- 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
- 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
- 2006 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
- 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT 4-door AWD
- 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS 4-door 4WD
- 2007 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
- 2001 Pontiac Aztek 4-door AWD
- 1998 Acura Integra 2-door
- 1999 Acura Integra 2-door
PHOTO GALLERY
The new generation of the European market 2012 Honda Civic hatchback will make its world premiere tomorrow at the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, but the Japanese company is giving us our first view of the car with the release of the official photographs. 
The first thing you will notice about the 5-door Civic is of course its exterior styling. While Honda's designers kept the shape of the outgoing model intact, the devil is in the details, and whereas the previous Civic sported a futuristic styling with many creases and edges, its successor is frumpier with a lot more curves.
According to Honda, its designers "wanted to keep the sporty and advanced elements of the car's character but tailor them to express the new model's even more elegant yet dynamic feel", while the company adds that sources of inspiration included a "blended wing body" aeroplane (see picture below) in which the fuselage and wings blend into a single body.
Inside, the styling is very similar to the outgoing Civic 5d with a double layered dashboard combining both analogue and digital displays. Honda says it has improved interior quality as well as passenger space.
Under the sheetmetal, the ninth generation of the Civic sports a heavily revised version of the previous model's suspension system, which means it retains a rear torsion beam. Nevertheless, Honda's engineers claim that the reworked parts will improve the car's ride quality, comfort as well as handling and body control.
We're still waiting for more information on the available powertrains, but Honda previously disclosed that the 2012 Civic 5d will be offered with a revised 2.2-liter i-DTEC engine delivering 150HP, 10 more than the outgoing model's 2.2L CDTi unit. At the same time, CO2 emissions are down 29g/km to 110 g/km, 29 g/km.
Production of the European market hatchback will take place exclusively at Honda’s Swindon plant in the United Kingdom, with sales to start early next year.
PHOTO GALLERY
A new limited edition version of the Civic hatchback inspired by its BTCC-sibling has been added to Honda's car lineup in Britain. The new Civic Ti is based on the five-door 1.4-liter and 1.8-liter i-VTEC SE gasoline variants and according to Honda, it comes with £3,700 worth of extra equipment over and above the standard model.
Offered in an exclusive Premium White Pearl body paint, the Ti is fitted with unique, 17-inch ‘Pro Race’ wheels finished in matt black from Team Dynamics, Honda’s racing partner in the BTCC, and a Crystal Black GP body kit that includes front spoiler, rear spoiler (finished in white), side skirt inserts and rear body skirts.
Inside, Honda has added a standard Pioneer Navigation Multimedia System, which offers full-scale sat nav, entertainment and communication with a 3D graphic touch screen.
Honda plans to build 500 examples of the limited edition Civic Ti, which will go on sale in March with prices starting at £15,995 OTR for the 1.4 i-VTEC and £16,995 for the 1.8-liter variant.
We know many of you will find it hard to believe at a first look, but this here is the completely new, North American market, 2012 Honda Civic. Even though it may seem otherwise, the 9th generation Civic has been designed from the ground up and shares very few parts -if any- with its predecessor, well that is, aside from its styling personality which has gone from bland to blander...
Not surprisingly, Honda managed to remove all the styling elements that made the Detroit Motor Show Civic concepts somewhat worth a second look from the production models.
The design similarities with the 8th generation Civic are not only visible on the outside but continue inside as wells with the dashboard styling and the near identical layout.
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The 2012 Civic lineup includes a sedan and a coupe with a conventional 1.8-liter gasoline engine, a new "HF" high fuel economy version with the same 1.8-liter unit, two sporty "Si" performance versions, along with one hybrid and a natural gas alternative-fuel variant.
Starting with the all-new Civic HF, it is powered by a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine delivering 140HP and an estimated fuel economy of 41 mpg on the highway.
The most fuel efficient model of the range is of course the Hybrid, which will be outfitted for the first time with a lithium-ion battery and a larger 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine producing a combined 110HP. Honda said the Civic Hybrid is expected to achieve an EPA-estimated city/highway combined fuel economy of 45 mpg, an improvement of 4 mpg compared to the 2011MY Civic hybrid.
Both the Civic HF and Civic Hybrid models are equipped with aerodynamic components for improved efficiency as well as with the Honda ECO Assist system.
The regular Civic Sedan and Coupe models get the 140HP 1.8-liter i-VTEC (but not the aero improvements) and are expected to return an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 39 mpg on the highway, an improvement of 3 mpg over the current model. The Civic Natural Gas model is anticipated to earn a 7 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the current version.
Finally, the sportiest model of the lot is the Si which get a larger and more powerful 2.4-liter engine as well as a new 6-speed manual transmission. Honda said it the new engine will deliver 200 horsepower with 170 ft-lb of torque. According to the company, the Si models are anticipated to achieve an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 31 mpg; an increase of 2 mpg when compared to the current model.
"The Civic is the only model in the industry that can deliver on all fronts – fuel economy, sporty performance, smart packaging, alternative fuel and long-term value," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co.,Inc. "For the ninth-generation Civic, we are emphasizing improved fuel economy across the board, from the hybrid sedan to the sporty Si model."
Honda will release more information on the new 2012 Civic closer to the on-sale date, which is expected this Spring.
2012 HONDA CIVIC SPECS
Civic HF, Sedan, Coupe and Natural Gas Specifications
- 140 horsepower, 1.8-liter i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine
- 5-speed automatic transmission
- ECO Assist technology
- EPA-estimated Civic HF highway fuel economy: 41 mpg
- EPA-estimated Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe highway fuel economy: 39 mpg
Civic Hybrid Specifications
- 110 horsepower, 1.5-liter i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine (combined gasoline + electric)
- Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
- Lithium-ion battery
- ECO Assist technology
- EPA-estimated Civic Hybrid city/highway combined fuel economy: 45 mpg
Civic Si Specifications
- 200 horsepower and 170 lb-ft, 2.4-liter i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder engine
- 6-speed manual transmission
- EPA-estimated Civic Si highway fuel economy: 31 mpg
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We will agree that a 1990s Honda Civic Coupe won't open any doors for you in this life, but is there really anything you can do about it aside from getting a better set of wheels - if that's your goal, we mean? Well, that depends on whom you ask and how much you're willing to spend. For eBay seller "Fiberglassdesign4you", the solution is a fiberglass kit that will turn your mundane, mid-1990s Honda Coupe into something that tries very hard to replicate the looks of a Bugatti Veyron 16.4. 
Honda
