Honda is rushing to redo by the end of next year the new-generation 2012 Civic that just rolled out April 20, says a report today by the Associated Press.

According to the AP's Tom Krisher, Honda is telling dealers they'll get revamped Civic by the end of 2012, an update just 18 months into the new model cycle that normally would come in 3 to 5 years.

Krisher says Honda execs confirmed that the early redo , but say they're just trying to stay ahead of the competition. The compact segment got pretty much a complete batch of redesigned models this year. "It's about how do we get two or three laps ahead of the competition," American Honda Executive VP John Mendel told Krisher.

But the new Civic has also been panned by critics. Consumer Reports stripped the new Civic of its "Recommended Buy" status, saying the 2012 was a step backward. It said the 2012 was less agile than the last version and had a lower-quality interior quality. It also said its brakes took too long to stop the car and that the ride was choppy.

American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura told Krisher today that the Civic is still the leader in compacts, but that Honda will improve the Civic's drivability. Iwamura gave no details of what else Honda will do to the car.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Honda has told dealers the will get restyled front and rear fascias, a more upscale interior and better fuel economy. (We wonder if those mpg's will come in part from a new 6-speed automatic, like most of the competition has now, rather than the 5-speed Honda continued to use in the 2012. )

While the redo is a rush, sticking with the 2012 unchanged would have left Honda with a lukewarm new entry in a segment full of hot new models.

Civic is a signature product for Honda and is its No.2-seller though November at 200,690, between Accord's 217,995 and CR-V's 196,787, reports Autodata.

Among compact segment sales, it is third year-to-date with 10%, behind Toyota Corolla's 10.9% and Chevy Cruze's 10.7%. And the redesigned Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus are coming up fast in its rear-view mirror at 8.7% and 8.1%. Also, sales of the new VW Jetta are growing fast, and Chrysler Group is about to roll out a new Alfa-Romeo-based Caliber replacement called Dodge Dart.

But the Si's "recommend" was half-hearted. Said CR: "While the Si performed better than more basic versions of the Civic, the car still suffers from many of the same drawbacks as other Civics: vague steering, cheap plastics, a jittery ride, and lots of noise."

Southern California Honda Civic hybrid owner Heather Peters won $9,867 in a court fight with Honda over what she said was her car's too-low mileage.

Here's the Associated Press report:

The Southern California owner of a Honda hybrid car won her unusual small-claims court lawsuit against the automaker over the vehicle's failure to deliver its stated fuel economy.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan awarded Heather Peters $9,867 on Wednesday, saying Honda did mislead her about the expected mileage.

"At a bare minimum Honda was aware ... that by the time Peters bought her car there were problems with its living up to its advertised mileage," he wrote in the judgment.

Peters opted out of a class-action lawsuit so she could try to claim a higher payment for the failure of her Civic to deliver the 50 miles per gallon that was advertised when she bought it.

Informed of the decision by The Associated Press, Peters exulted, "Wow! Fantastic."

I am absolutely thrilled. Sometimes big justice comes in small packages," she said. "This is a victory for Honda Civic owners everywhere."

Honda hadn't seen the decision Wednesday afternoon but planned to issue a statement after it was reviewed, said spokesman Chris Martin.

Peters, a former lawyer, hoped to inspire a flood of lawsuits by the other 200,000 owners of the Hybrid Honda Civic model sold in 2006. She said that if all 200,000 owners of the cars sued and won in small claims cost, it could Honda Motor Co. $2 billion.

She launched a website, DontSettleWithHonda.org, and said she was contacted by hundreds of other car owners seeking guidance in how to file small claims suits if they opted out of a class-action case already filed.

The upside of small claims court is that there are no attorneys' fees and cases are decided quickly. Individual payments are far greater than in class-action cases.

Honda's proposed class-action settlement would give aggrieved owners $100 to $200 each and a $1,000 credit toward the purchase of a new car. Legal fees in the class action case would give trial lawyers $8.5 million, Peters said.

Legal experts had said it was unlikely that all owners would take the small claims route because of the time and energy involved in pursuing such lawsuits. But it was a unique approach that could have an impact.

Carnahan held two hearings on the claim in January.

Peters claimed her car never came close to the advertised 50 mpg and that it got no more than 30 miles per gallon when the battery began deteriorating. She still owns the car and wanted to be compensated for money lost on gas, as well as punitive damages, amounting to $10,000.

A Honda technical expert who testified at an earlier hearing said the company was required by federal law to post the sticker estimating the highest mileage the car could get. But he said the mileage varied on how the car was driven. The company said Peters was not deceived.

A judge in San Diego County is due to rule in March on whether to approve Honda's class-action settlement. Members of the class have until Feb. 11 to accept or decline the deal.

Small claims courts generally handle private disputes that do not involve large amounts of money. In many states, that means small debts, quarrels between tenants and landlords, and contract disagreements. Attorneys aren't usually there; in California, litigants aren't allowed to have lawyers argue their case.

The limit for small claims damages in California is $10,000. In other states it ranges from $2,500 to $15,000.

A Honda technical expert who testified at an earlier hearing said the company was required by federal law to post the sticker estimating the highest mileage the car could get. But he said the mileage varied on how the car was driven. The company said Peters was not deceived.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan awarded Heather Peters $9,867 on Wednesday, saying Honda did mislead her about the expected mileage.

"At a bare minimum Honda was aware ... that by the time Peters bought her car there were problems with its living up to its advertised mileage," he wrote in the judgment.