This one's a rakish hatchback coupe with sporty manners and a high-tech engine on tap. The name traces to 1984 in Honda lore with the Civic S hatchback. When fuel injection was added in 1986, the badge became Si, with the lower-case i indicating injection. Other innovations followed, including Honda's i-VTEC wizardry of valve control.

The Si for 2006 is based on a new generational design for the traditional Civic platform, yet this year Si shows unique exterior styling with a wing topping the rear deck and aero cladding added to nose and tail. Its cockpit carries sport bucket seats with big side bolsters and bold red fabric stitching. Powertrain for the '06 Civic Si is a 2.0-liter i-VTEC four-pack juiced to 200 hp with a close-ratio six-speed shifter and helical-type limited slip differential. Si rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels capped by 215/45R17 tires.

This variation of Civic's newly designed sedan is a gasoline-electric hybrid that achieves fuel economy ratings up to 51 mpg with standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). Primary power comes from the four-cylinder gasoline-powered engine, an ultra-efficient plant composed of lightweight materials like aluminum, magnesium and durable plastics. The 1.3-liter i-VTEC plant nets 115 hp. Secondary power is delivered by a 14-kilowatt electric motor tied to a nickel-metal hydride battery.

Honda's lighter, more powerful and efficient IMA power control unit regulates the electric charge from the battery, then uses electricity generated through vehicle braking and decelerating to recharge the unit so it never needs to be plugged in for recharging like an electric vehicle. The system achieves AT-PZEV certification for 2006. Exclusive styling in the five-place cabin includes dual-tone surfaces on seats and IMA meters in the instrument cluster.

In a daring design for a two-seat coupe, Insight is the most fuel-efficient production vehicle in America. It achieves fuel economy ratings above 60 mpg with a manual five-speed transmission or up to 57 mpg with a CVT. Insight's slick shell features a prominent nose, windswept windshield, flat side panels with skirts covering rear wheelwells and flanks tapering to a blunt tail. It's an inventive concept with body weight pared through a lightweight aluminum frame and, to maximize the fuel efficiency, both a modest three-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor aboard but working together. In the cockpit, twin high-back bucket seats stand on either side of a center console, with ample space for body parts, including a generous stretch for legs. Convenience features range from power controls for windows and door locks to remote releases for the fuel door and hatch lid.

Honda's two-seat sports car, in classic roadster format with a front-mounted engine directing all power to the rear wheels, uses a rigid monocoque chassis, four-wheel double wishbone suspension, precise rack and pinion steering system, disc brakes with anti-lock controls and a race-type six-speed gearbox. A high-tech 2.2-liter aluminum four-cylinder engine for S2000 gains electronic drive-by-wire throttle control for 2006 with output reaching to 237 hp.

S2000's platform -- a load-dispersing monocoque structure that Honda calls the X-Bone frame -- has a central tunnel which functions as the car's backbone, with X-type bracing to create an unyielding foundation of uncommon torsional strength. In the cockpit two form-fitting bucket seats flank the center spine. Revamped designs for the perforated leather seats show up this year, with new audio speakers tucking into headrests. Styling for the alloy wheels is fresh, and a new paint color is offered with Racing Blue Pearl. (...BACK)