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A WEEK barely goes by where CO2 emissions aren’t in the news. The VW scandal brought the debate to life, while Donald Trump’s recent decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement will ensure the discussion around CO2 emissions won’t be leaving the headlines anytime soon. Driving down emissions is a priority for every car manufacturer, but rather than simply increasing engine efficiency or ramping up electric vehicle production, some are developing truly innovative ways to help tackle one of the planet’s biggest issues. Take Honda for example. Last week, it opened the doors to its R&D facility in Tochigi in Japan, and I was one of a handful of journalists invited to see the future technology it’s working on. Its latest innovation is something called Honda Smart…

■ First drive of Honda’s new 169mph monster hatchback ■ Blistering pace remains, but hot Civic is easier to live with Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ONCE again the Honda Civic Type R is the fastest front-wheel-drive hot hatch around. It knocked the VW Golf Clubsport S off the top spot back in April to reclaim its crown as the quickest front-wheel-drive production car to lap the 12.9-mile Nürburgring race track in Germany. Other than its gaudy appearance, the fourth-generation Type R bears almost no resemblance to the model it replaces. Rather than list the multitude of changes, it’s easier to tell you what hasn’t altered; the braking system, gearbox and engine are the only carry-over parts from the previous Type R, but even they’ve been tweaked. The brakes are larger than before,…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn NEXT year Honda will launch a new ‘two-motor’ hybrid vehicle in Europe. Bosses have yet to confirm what form that model will take, but it’s a safe bet that the powertrain will feature in the new CR-V, which launched at April’s Shanghai Motor Show. The system is called i-MMD (Intelligent Multi Mode Drive), and we tested it in an Odyssey MPV prototype. It comprises a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and two electric motors powered by an 11kWh lithium-ion battery. Honda claims it develops 212bhp and 315Nm of torque in total. However, unlike in a Toyota Prius, there is no physical transmission. Instead, it’s replicated by the engine and electric motors. Removing the gearbox dramatically reduces the size of the overall powertrain, saves weight and increases efficiency, according to…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE new Citroen C3 Aircross has been officially revealed ahead of its arrival in showrooms in November. It’s the latest in a line of French cars to make the transition from MPV to SUV, indirectly replacing the ageing and unfashionable C3 Picasso. Following the lead of the Peugeot 3008 and 5008, both of which started life as MPVs, the new C3 Aircross ditches the Picasso’s frumpy MPV styling for a desirable SUV body. Citroen insists it will not lose its spacious and modular interior, claiming the new Aircross is a “people-minded SUV” inspired by customers. It’ll rival cars like the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. First seen in C-Aircross guise at the Geneva Motor Show this year, the concept car has remained almost entirely intact. In fact, the…

Sam_Naylor@dennis.co.uk @SamNaylor_AE THIS is the Hyundai Kona, a new small SUV that’s gearing up to take on the Citroen C3 Aircross (Page 12) and Nissan Juke when it arrives at the end of the year. It’s designed to appeal to younger buyers, with striking looks to set it apart from rivals in the popular small SUV class. “We know we are late to the segment,” head of product management Raf Van Nuffel told us at an exclusive event ahead of the car’s official launch. “So we needed to make a bold statement with the design.” Bold is right, as the Kona features a large, cascading grille, a twin headlight treatment and black body cladding. Our car also had Acid Yellow paint and 18-inch alloy wheels. Lower-spec cars get 16 or…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods JAGUAR has revealed its rival for the Mercedes E-Class Estate and BMW 5 Series Touring (tested on Page 42); the new XF Sportbrake. It joins the saloon and quashes rumours of plans to cull the estate bodystyle after the old model was canned. The big feature is the additional boot space, granted by the larger estate rear end. With the rear seats in place the new XF Sportbrake boasts a 565-litre capacity, which is 25 litres up on the saloon. Folding the 40:20:40 seats exposes the difference, though – with the 1,700-litre volume shaming the four-door’s 885 litres. A load cover and four tie-down points also feature. With these figures, the XF Sportbrake is just about on par with the 5 Series Touring when it comes to practicality.…