The 2012 Honda CR-V will, in fact, launch on schedule. Honda has reportedly told its dealers that the crossover will arrive on time despite initial concerns about the impact of Thai floodson the vehicle’s production. Honda had originally cautioned that the vehicle may be delayed by several weeks due to a shortage of components produced in Thailand. That crisis has apparently been avoided.

The 2012 Civic wasn’t so fortunate. Weather delays related to the tsunami and flood disasters in Japan resulted in a production shortage for the new compact that hampered the model’s launch.

Even with the CR-V arriving on dealer lots as scheduled, Honda is still cutting back production to cope with component shortages. In a separate report, Automotive News says that the company is temporarily adjusting manufacturing at its six plants in the United States and Canada as a result of flooding in Thailand. Some of the facilities will operate at above the 50 percent capacity Honda originally forecasted when it became clear that the company’s suppliers would be impacted by the weather. The slow-down is expected to stretch until November 25 in Canada and November 23 in the States.

Honda would love nothing more than to sell a boatload of Civic sedans and coupes. Problem is, there just aren’t enough of them to go around. Speaking to Inside Line, Chuck Schifsky, an American Honda Motor Co. spokesman, said:

“Civic sales are down for one simple reason: Low dealer inventory as a result of a shortage of small parts caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake earlier this year, which nearly halted production of the 2012 Civic… This is a supply problem, not a demand problem. There just aren’t any Civics on dealer lots.”

Not only did the earthquake and tsunami in Japan cause production problems, the current flooding in Thailand “will cause another delay in production,” says Schifsky. In other words, if you’re in the market for a new Civic, you’ll likely find yourself waiting for a while.

It’s also worth mentioning that we’ve heard reports that public response to the 2012 Civic has not been the resounding success Honda had hoped for, leading to the possibility that a refresh of the compact will come sooner rather than later.

We knew Honda’s load-lugging curiosity, the Ridgeline pickup, was getting a modest refresh for the 2012 model year, and we even knew there was a new Sport model waiting in the wings. But now we have more details – including pricing.

For 2012, the Ridgeline range starts at $29,250* for the entry-level RT model and zooms all the way to $37,180* for the top-shelf RTL with navigation. The sweet spot, however, might just be the new Sport model shown above. At $29,995* it’s only $749 more than the base RT, yet includes such visual niceties as 18-inch alloys (the base RT rolls on 17-inch steelies), blacked-out honeycomb grille and matching light bezels, as well as fog lamps and tinted rear windows. Inside, there’s a leather-wrap wheel with audio controls, an aux input on the stereo and floor mats. (*All Ridgeline models are subject to a $810 delivery charge).

Range-wide changes for 2012 include a new front grille and various small aero improvements that help net the genre-straddling pickup a revised fuel economy rating of 15 city and 21 highway, an increase of 1 mpg on the interstate. The rest of the range remains basically unchanged, including the 3.5-liter V6 that offers 250 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque and its trademark in-bed trunk.

If it’s too early to start drinking, crack open a cold one anyway. You’re gonna need a beer to cry into. Top Gear reports that Honda has no plans to produce the CR-Z Mugen RR Hybrid Concept. Zero. None. While we saw this coming a mile off, some deeply-oppressed optimistic shard of our psyche clung to the hope that Honda would awaken from its performance coma. Alas, no. The world will be denied the CR-Z it deserves.

We probably don’t need to remind you that the CR-Z Mugen RR Hybrid Concept makes heavy use of carbon fiber. The doors, hood and front fenders are all formed from the lightweight material, as is a complete underbody tray. With 197 horsepower on tap, the concept clicks off a 0-60 dash in 6.6 seconds, and if you’re restrained enough to run it in Eco mode, it can return somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 mpg.

Honda has released UK pricing and equipment levels for the new Civic, which made its world premiere at the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt earlier this month. Buyers can order their car now with first deliveries set to take place in January.

In Britain, the ninth-generation Civic will be available with three engines and a choice of four trim levels. Prices for the five-door hatchback start at £16,495 for the entry-level 1.4-liter petrol model and top out at £26,595 for a fully equipped 2.2-liter diesel.

All versions of the 2012 Civic are fitted with an ECON driving mode, which is similar to the one seen on the Jazz and Insight hybrids managing engine settings in order to improve fuel consumption, It also includes an “Idle Stop” auto stop/start system on manual-gearbox equipped models.

The entry-level SE trim level includes 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic air-conditioning and USB connectivity for MP3 players and costs £16,495 with the 100HP 1.4-liter petrol engine, £17,995 with the 140HP 1.8-liter unit and £20,095 with the 150HP 2.2-liter i-DTEC diesel.