Paris Preview: Honda readies refreshed Civic Hybrid and i-DTEC gearbox

click above for more shots of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

It's the impending debut of the all-new Prius-assaulting Insight hybrid that's got our hearts all aflutter over Honda's booth at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, but that's not all the automaker will be bringing with it to the City of Lights. Along with the new dedicated hybrid we'll see the latest version of its older and somewhat less interesting brother, the Civic Hybrid, that along with the rest of the Civic line for '09, gets a small bit of freshening for the new model year. We do like the looks of the new front-end, but besides that, there's not much to see here... and so we move along to the CR-Z hybrid coupe that Honda's been showing off since Tokyo. Big H's other stab at saving the world runs on hydrogen, the FCX Clarity. Despite the fact that nobody in Europe will be able to buy it, it'll be there with bells on.

Honda will also use the Paris Motor Show to introduce the Continent to its new-for-'09 Jazz, known to us Yanks as the Fit. Something else that should be of interest to the Europeans is Honda's first automatic gearbox for its ubiquitous 2.2-liter diesel engine, dubbed the i-DTEC, which rounds out the new stuff that Honda has to show in Paris.

BMW exec confirms electric city car

Fuel-efficient city cars are being created at automaker R&D departments the world over, and even BMW plans on getting in on the action. BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German automaker was working on a 'mega city car' that will carry an all-new look, and two powertrains. One micro car will receive motivation with the aid of standard combustion, but the other will be pure electric. The electric vehicle will also comply with a California mandate that by 2012 there must be a fuel cell or battery-powered car that can travel 200 on a single charge. For comparison sake, GM promises at least 40 miles for the Chevy Volt, and Mitsubishi is looking at 100 mpg for the iMiEV.

It's also worth mentioning that the BMW CEO specifically pointed out that it meets California regulations, signaling that the vehicle would be available Stateside. There is still no word regarding which of BMW's three brands would be used for the vehicle, but we're still very sure it won't be a Rolls Royce.