Thursday, March 28, 2013

2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® Makes World Debut in New York with Host of Safety Upgrades and Innovations Including HondaVAC™, the First In-Car Vacuum

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® is making its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), setting the new 'ultimate family vehicle' standard. Thoroughly refreshed for 2014, the Odyssey Touring Elite® provides core safety upgrades, sharpened exterior styling and a revised interior with a host of new features and technologies designed to make the segment's benchmark minivan even better.
Demonstrating trademark Honda innovation, the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite®  will also mark the debut of HondaVAC™, the first-ever in-vehicle vacuum system. Available exclusively in the Odyssey Touring Elite® trim, the all-new HondaVAC™ system is part of a thorough refresh of the Honda Odyssey for the 2014 model year, adding to its already class-leading fuel economy ratings and unmatched safety ratings. The 2014 Odyssey will go on sale at Honda dealerships nationwide this summer.

"The Odyssey is already the leader in its segment, and for 2014, Honda has made the modern family hauler even better," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations at American Honda. "Honda is once again showcasing its reputation for innovation with HondaVAC, and its ability to provide true value to our customers."

The 2014 Honda Odyssey brings an array of improvements to Honda's minivan, including structural upgrades expected to help it achieve top marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) stringent new small-overlap frontal crash test, which is part of IIHS's new TOP SAFETY PICK+ protocol. The refreshed Odyssey Touring Elite® will also come equipped with advanced Honda driver assistive and visibility technologies such as an Expanded View Driver's Mirror, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

The 2014 Odyssey features sleeker, more sophisticated exterior styling with a new, more deeply sculpted aluminum hood, new aluminum front fenders, a new bolder twin-bar grille, and a revised lower front fascia with integrated chrome-trimmed fog lights. New two-tone mirror housings, darker-finish projector-beam headlight housings, LED taillight bars and new badging add to the 2014 Odyssey's premium look.

Inside the 2014 Odyssey, new finishes brighten the cabin and an all-new center stack showcases a host of new features. Additional standard technology on the Odyssey Touring Elite® brings new levels of ease and connectivity to owners, including keyless Smart Entry with Push Button Start, HD Radio®, an SMS text messaging function, and HondaLink™ featuring Aha™ Mobile interface. HondaLink™, which debuted on the 2013 Honda Accord, enables Odyssey owners to connect quickly and easily to a wealth of cloud-based content. The free HondaLink™ smartphone app uses the owner's favorite online content to create live, personalized radio stations, allowing drivers to put away their phones and hear updates and news feeds from Facebook and Twitter, as well as check out restaurant reviews or find the closest coffee shop.

Standard on the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite®, the all-new HondaVAC™ was developed in conjunction with industry-leader Shop-Vac®, and is composed of a powerful vacuum, replaceable filter and canister bag, with nozzle accessories neatly integrated into a dedicated space on the driver's side bulkhead of the rear cargo area. HondaVAC™ makes quick cleanups a snap no matter the location, offering powerful cleaning suction and an integrated hose and cleaning attachments that reach into every corner of the Odyssey's cabin. The HondaVAC™ system's powerful electric motor never needs an outlet or recharging, can operate continuously when the engine is running, and will continue to operate for up to eight minutes when the vehicle is turned off for additional family duties.

Already one of the most lauded vehicles in its segment, the current 2013 Odyssey has earned IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK and NHTSA 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score crash safety ratings. The Honda Odyssey is an AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award winner, an ALG Residual Value award winner, recipient of the Best Family Cars of 2012 designation from both Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, and a Best Cars for Families award winner from U.S. News and World Report. The Odyssey represents Honda's robust product development capabilities in North America with its design, engineering and assembly all taking place in the U.S., using domestically and globally sourced parts. Currently, 95 percent of all Hondas sold in the U.S., are built in North America.

Along with the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite® and Honda's complete lineup of fun-to-drive cars and trucks, the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid and 2013 Fit EV also will be on display at the Honda booth during NYIAS press and public days. The 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV both recently became available in New York.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2014-honda-odyssey-touring-elite-makes-world-debut-in-new-york-with-host-of-safety-upgrades-and-innovations-including-hondavac-the-first-in-car-vacuum

Sunday, March 24, 2013

2014 Honda FIT/Jazz to be unveiled at 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

If this gives us anything, it shows what's in store for the Jazz/Fit abroad, and seeing as the car is built on a global design, this could very well be close to what the car is going to look like....
The all new generation of the Honda Jazz a.k.a. the Honda Fit has been in focus since some time now. Enough has been speculated about the upcoming generation of the car and the launch of the new Jazz is being eagerly waited for.

Now, it has emerged that the all new generation of the Honda Jazz/Fit will be unveiled before the end of this year and Mr. Dave Hodgetts, Managing Director, Honda UK had confirmed that the new car will make its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show that is scheduled to be held in November this year.

Brazilian publication Car&Driver reports that the all new Jazz would have a 6cm longer wheelbase and hence, will have an even roomier cabin than the current model. However, the increased wheelbase won’t really affect the overall length and the new Jazz won’t be longer than 3.96m.

This means that the new Jazz will benefit from reduced excise duty in India and might be priced really well.

The new car will come with a taillight cluster that would be shaped like a diamond and the boot, at 414 litres, will offer 30 litres of more space. The new car will also get triangular reflectors incorporated into its bumpers. The car will borrow many design cues from the Urban SUV concept that was showcased at the North American International Auto Show 2013.

Powering the car might be an all new three cylinder petrol engine that might stretch a litre of unleaded to as many as 35.4 kilometers! The Brazilian market will also get 1.4L and 1.5L flex-fuel motors with 101hp and 106 hp of power.

For the Indian market, the Jazz could borrow the 1.5L EarthDreams diesel engine from the upcoming Honda Brio Amaze. This motor is being reported to have been developed alongside the much hyped Honda 1.6 litre EarthDreams diesel engine that powers the UK spec Civic.

The all new Honda Jazz could be in India by Diwali 2014.

Source –  caranddriverbrasil.uol.com.br

Source via;
http://caranddriverbrasil.uol.com.br/segredos/exclusivo-revelamos-o-novo-fit/4486

Burlapp Find: Next Gen 2014/2015 Honda FIT?

Hmmm, not sure what to think about this pic, seems to go against Honda's current front grill style trend.  Keep in mind that this is only a speculative rendering, only time will tell.

Source;
http://www.burlappcars.com/2013/03/201415-honda-fit.html

Possible 2015 Ford Mustang clay models leaked - photos

To have a global design

These clay models could show the next generation of the Ford Mustang due in 2015.

Lately we have been talking a lot about the engines powering the next-gen Mustang but nothing about its styling. The Blue Oval company previously mentioned the car will have a more global design and by the looks of these images it will look more modern but at the same time paying tribute to classic Mustangs.

The photos were taken at Ford's design studio and reveal a fastback appearance with wide hips, a throwback to the Mustang Mach 1. If you look closely at the poster in the background of one of the photos, you can see the new design language Ford is working on which could partially find its way on the Mustang.

Keep in mind these might be some early designs, like the ones we saw yesterday for the LaFerrari. In other words, the new Mustang could look different.

Visit the source link below for more photos.
Source: mustang6g.com

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/113032455623/possible-2015-ford-mustang-clay-models-leaked

Honda app can sense traffic jams before they hit

During a test in Indonesia, the smartphone application increased average vehicle speeds and fuel economy in heavy traffic.

by Clifford Atiyeh of www.msn.com auto's section

Honda has a smartphone application it says can predict traffic congestion and help prevent drivers from causing bottlenecks.

We've all experienced bottlenecks -- so named after the curves of the glass Coke bottle -- due to rapid slowdowns in a certain spot that cause traffic to build up steadily from behind, whereas in front it's relatively free-flowing.

Honda's smartphone app monitors the patterns of a driver's acceleration and deceleration over time and then predicts if a certain pattern, such as heavy braking, is likely to cause a traffic jam. It then coaches the driver with colors, just as many Hondas do on the instrument panel for achieving the best fuel economy, with the goal of smoothing out abrupt acceleration and braking.

Often, drivers leave little space between vehicles on congested roadways, which causes spikes in speed --  a main condition for those annoying bottlenecks.

Honda tested the app in Jakarta, Indonesia, between September and February on both a single car and as a cloud-connected network of cars running the same app. With just one car running the app, traffic jams were delayed by an average of three minutes and changes in the average speed were reduced by 60 percent. More importantly, fuel economy was improved by 20 percent. When connected to the cloud, congestion was delayed by an average of four minutes, speed changes were reduced by 70 percent and fuel economy went up 22 percent.

While many cars feature live traffic alerts and can overlay navigation maps with color-coded lines that show how fast traffic is moving on a certain route, no production system exists to stop traffic before it starts. Of course, Honda's system can't eliminate traffic -- anyone who's been to Mexico City, Mumbai or any crowded city knows that's impossible -- but friendly in-car reminders could at least dull some of the pain.

The app is not yet available, but Honda said it would eventually embed the system on future models, including a special version for its motorcycles that could send vibrating alerts to the rider.

Source;
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=2f410e99-6239-4d5f-82f7-d28ef21d4743

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Honda and Audi show the future of driving at Nvidia conference

SAN JOSE--Over the past decade, new in-car electronics have helped us navigate and made more music easily available while driving. But if the work shown at Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference (GTC) is any indication, bigger and better changes are in store.

Among the many automotive seminars at this year's GTC, Honda showed off its development of a head-up display, while Audi discussed its initiatives to make urban driving safer.

In Honda's seminar, Victor Ng-Thow-Hing, Principal Scientist at the Honda Research Institute in Mountain View, California, showed head-up display technology that makes current production examples look extremely primitive. Instead of simply projecting a speed readout or turn-by-turn directions on the windshield, Ng-Thow-Hing demonstrated work in augmented reality, projecting location sensitive information useful to drivers.
Lamborghini Aventador
Cars on display at the GTC using Nvidia technology were this Lamboghini Aventador, a McLaren MP4-12C, and a Tesla Model S.
(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

In one example, street names were projected onto the windshield in such a way as to appear to be signs on actual buildings. Ng-Thow-Hing explained that merely showing a flat street name on the windshield leads to drivers having difficulty adjusting between the 2D information of the label and the 3D world outside of the car.

This type of projection would be extremely useful in cities, where street signs can often be difficult to find amongst the urban clutter. And a clear indication of street names would lead to less confusion and stress for drivers.

Ng-Thow-Hing also showed two driver assistance projections, the first using a nine-square grid projection high up on the windshield to give drivers better situational awareness. The driver's car is always in the center square, while the other eight squares appear red when another car is in that space. This grid projection would serve the same purpose as current blind spot monitors, but also work as a quick driver reference to see note cars to the front and back.

The second example projected the path of the driver's car when waiting to make a turn through an intersection, coloring the path in red when oncoming traffic made going ahead with the turn unsafe. Ng-Thow-Hing pointed out that drivers cannot always correctly estimate the distance and speed of traffic coming through an intersection, and so make mistakes that can lead to a crash. With this system, sensors would see the oncoming traffic and the car's processor would determine when the driver could safety make a left turn through the intersection.

The urban problem
Giving Audi's presentation was Mario Tippelhofer, an engineer working out of Volkswagen's Electronic Research Lab south of San Francisco. He prefaced Audi's work by noting that urban populations have increased in the U.S. more than 80 percent of the population now lives in an urban area.

Most accidents in urban areas are caused by traffic, passengers distracting the driver, driver stress, and the constant search for parking, according to Audi's research.
2013 Audi S7
Audi uses Nvidia technology to integrate Google Earth imagery in its A7 model.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Audi's Urban Intelligent Assist program attempts to address the causes of these accidents through a variety of technologies. One application presented by Tippelhofer was termed Smart Parking. Essentially, instead of a car's navigation routing you to a final destination, it would take you to an available parking space near the final destination. San Francisco has already installed smart parking meters, which detect when cars are parked next to them. This data can let the car know about available spaces before you start on a journey, and can update based on changing parking availability.

Complementing that technology was another application called Seamless Navigation, which would let you effortlessly send a destination from a smartphone to the car's navigation system. The car would then route to available parking, and your phone would provide walking directions to the actual destination.

Audi's parking applications would make it unnecessary to circle block after block looking for parking, and potentially causing an accident while scanning for an open spot.

Other technologies that Audi is looking to implement involve predicting traffic problems, helping drivers merge or make lane changes, and detecting when the driver's attention is away from the road ahead.
Tippelhofer said that Audi would be demonstrating some of these technologies this year.

Under the tech hood
Both the Honda and Audi technology initiatives go beyond current cabin electronics, which generally center around navigation, hands-free phone, and digital audio features. What might make these developments possible is the technology offered by Nvidia in the form of its Tegra line of graphical processing units.

At the GTC, Nvidia's Automotive Applications Manager Dave Anderson offered CNET some context for how automakers could deploy these new technologies. Nvidia's primary automotive product is the Visual Computing Module (VCM), a piece of hardware that includes a Tegra processor and will process sensor inputs from around the car, then output visual information for the driver.

Anderson touted how automakers can design a car's systems around the VCM, and plug the latest version of the module into the car at the time of production. As an example, he cited Tesla, which began designing the Model S to use Nvidia's Tegra 2 GPU. By the time the Model S was ready for production, Nvidia had released its Tegra 3 chip. The architecture let Tesla use the latest chip, keeping the car's electronics current.
Volkswagen GTD
This navigation unit in the new VW Golf runs off Nvidia's VCM.
(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

The VCM mostly solves the problem of automakers releasing cars with cabin electronics two or three years old.

Nvidia's VCM currently sees use in models from Audi, Lamborghini, and BMW. As Nvidia has only made its VCM available for two years so far, many more automakers could be jumping on the bandwagon.
Addressing the issue of component cost, Anderson said that Nvidia can offer less capable but cheaper versions of the VCM. As an example, he noted that where Audi uses an advanced version that enables such features as Google Earth integration in its navigation, Volkswagen is deploying a simpler version in the new Golf, which we saw unveiled at the Paris auto show last year.

The presentations at the GTC, and Nvidia's own automotive offerings, show a huge technological potential for the automotive industry, with future models that can make driving more convenient and, hopefully, accident-free. In fact, they make today's car technology look very primitive.

Source;
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57575479-48/honda-and-audi-show-the-future-of-driving-at-nvidia-conference/

SPYSHOTS: 2013 Toyota Vios/Corolla snapped undisguised!

If this isn't the actual next gen Corolla, it will be a SHARP indication as to what it will indeed look like....
Reader Jeff has sent in these spyshots of the 2013 Toyota Vios, taken in an unknown location. Following the third-gen car’s introduction in Indonesia, scheduled for the second half of 2013, the Malaysian launch is expected to happen sometime late this year.

Word on the wire is that the new car could be powered by an improved version of the familiar 1.5 litre VVT-i unit. Rumour has it that a CVT is likely, but according to product planners, a four-speed auto remains a possibility.

The third-gen car wears a bold new face, inspired by the likes of the next-gen Corolla Altis and Auris hatchback. Headlamps and grille are joined in a V shape, and a gaping lower grille adds a touch of sporty presence. Those appear to be projector headlamps, too.

Round the back, the tail lamps are bigger and sharper wrap-around units, now bridged by a chrome bar across the length of the boot lid. A cleaner, more grown-up look all round than the outgoing car, we think. What do you think?

Source;
http://paultan.org/2013/03/20/spyshots-2013-toyota-vios/

Next-Gen Hyundai Genesis Coupe HND-9 Concept Previewed

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran of www.motorauthority.com

Hyundai is giving us our best look yet at the company’s next-generation Genesis Coupe with the new HND-9 concept car, previewed today ahead of its official debut at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show taking place in the Korean capital next week.

Most of the details are being kept secret until next week’s debut, though Hyundai has confirmed the HND-9 is equipped with a turbocharged and direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 engine that delivers 362 horsepower.

This is the biggest indication yet that the new Genesis coupe, which is likely to arrive as a 2016 model, will offer a turbocharged V-6 option.

We’re also likely to see an eight-speed automatic fitted in the new Genesis Coupe, which the HND-9 concept is also sporting.

Thankfully, the concept also retains a rear-wheel-drive layout.

As its name suggests, the HND-9 is the ninth concept from Hyundai’s Namyang design center in Korea. It features the latest evolution of Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design philosophy and its proportions, material choices and stylish lines all hint at the premium look and feel we can expect on the new Genesis Coupe.

Sleek character lines that stretch from headlamp to trunk, the voluminous body and striking, wide hexagonal-shaped radiator grille underscore the high performance image of the concept. And these are joined by butterfly doors, dual-exhausts tips on either side and integrated lights.

Stay tuned for the HND-9 concept’s debut at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show, which commences March 28.

As for the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, expect this second-generation model to continue with four- and six-cylinder power, as well as manual and automatic transmissions. It will ride on a shortened version of the rear-wheel-drive platform set to debut in the 2014 Hyundai Genesis sedan due out later this year, and will likely debut sometime in 2015.


Source;
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1083041_next-gen-hyundai-genesis-coupe-previewed-by-hnd-9-concept#100422520

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Honda’s media buying and planning duties go to MediaVest

American Honda Motors has concluded its Media Review which began in December. MediaVest was selected as the media agency serving both brands, with RPA selected as the creative agency for the Honda automobile brand and Mullen as the creative agency for the Acura brand.  La Agencia de Orci & Asociados will continue to be Honda's Hispanic creative agency.

MediaVest's role as the separate media agency is expected to result in more sophisticated targeting of the media mix, with a significant improvement in media buying efficiency. "Getting smarter about how we communicate was a critical goal of this process and even with the same level of investment we expect to realize more efficient and targeted media plans, which will increase the amount of money we spend on reaching our customers," said  Michael Accavitti, vice president of National Marketing Operations.

According to a statement by Honda the agency assignment, reflect a major change in strategies for Honda and Acura advertising. The new multi-agency structure will place American Honda at the hub of a collaborative team of agencies, with the focus on heightened creativity, greater efficiency and long-term strategic planning. RPA, Mullen and MediaVest together with Muse Communications (African-American targeted creative) and Orci, which retain the multicultural assignments, will report directly to American Honda rather than through a single agency.

"We are creating a new and highly collaborative path forward that will yield outstanding creative and enable us to focus more of our marketing investment on communicating with our customers," said Accavitti. "We are confident that our new team of agencies will create dynamic marketing campaigns that connect and engage consumers with our products and our brands, while achieving an even higher level of efficiency and effectiveness."

Dedicated workspace at Honda Headquarters
Each agency will have dedicated workspace at American Honda headquarters in Torrance, Calif. where agency personnel can better serve the needs of each brand by collaborating together and with the Honda and Acura teams. In addition, Mullen and MediaVest will be opening or expanding dedicated offices in Southern California. RPA, Muse and Orci are headquartered in Southern California.

From the standpoint of creative agencies, the new structure will enable RPA, Mullen, Muse and Orci to maintain a special focus on the unique needs of each brand at a time when both Honda and Acura have strong momentum with a number of all-new products just introduced or soon coming to market. "With Honda and Acura rolling out incredibly strong new products we think each agency will have a lot of good material to take our creative to the next level," said Accavitti.

Honda has a lineup of new or substantially refreshed models, including the just-introduced 2013 Honda Accord and Civic and a lineup of light trucks led by CR-V, America's top-selling SUV, and the Honda Odyssey. In 2014, Honda has announced plans to greatly expand small car sales with an all-new Honda Fit and a new model based on the Urban SUV Compact revealed at the North American International Auto Show in January 2013.

Acura is in the midst of the complete makeover of its product lineup. In 2012, the brand launched two new gateway Acura models with a redesigned RDX, which has since enjoyed 10 consecutive months of record sales, and the new ILX entry-luxury sedan. For 2013, the all-new 2014 RLX flagship sedan went on sale March 15, with an all-new 2014 MDX coming to market by mid-year. Acura has also announced plans for the introduction of the next generation of the Acura NSX supercar in about two years.

Source;

Accavitti expands Honda role

by Mark Rechtin of www.autonews.com

LOS ANGELES -- Mike Accavitti, the former Chrysler executive who became American Honda's chief marketing officer in 2011, is adding responsibility for several key departments, including product planning.
Accavitti, 54, has been promoted to senior vice president of automobile operations. While continuing to supervise national marketing operations, he will add product planning, logistics, sales and production planning, distribution, quality assurance, company vehicle administration and market research.

His ascension and new duties should give American Honda more say in the parent company's product planning process. Although Honda's U.S. engineering team is heavily involved in many products sold in North America, decisions on global platforms often are deferred to Japan.

The volume-leading Accord, Civic, Odyssey and CR-V have been redesigned in the last two years, so r&d work on the next generation is just beginning.

The pairing of Accavitti with John Mendel, executive vice president of sales, mirrors the successful structure Honda used last decade, when sales boss Dick Colliver and product chief Tom Elliott operated as a two-man team.

The change takes effect April 1.

Mendel, 58, remains in charge of American Honda sales, sales communications and dealer operations. In an interesting split, Accavitti handles national marketing and advertising, while Mendel oversees regional marketing and advertising.

Accavitti's new duties give more clout to an area of American Honda previously overseen by Art St. Cyr, vice president of corporate planning and logistics. St. Cyr retains those duties, but now reports to Accavitti.
As before, both Accavitti and Mendel will report to American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura, who recently was promoted to executive officer of Honda Motor Co.

Accavitti joined Honda after a short stint at Cisco Systems, which followed a 25-year career at Chrysler. He was president of the Dodge brand and lead marketing executive at Chrysler Group before his 2009 departure.

Currently, Accavitti's main job is overseeing the $900 million national advertising agency review for the Honda and Acura brands. A decision regarding the final four candidates, including incumbent agency RPA, is expected by the end of March.

Source;
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130318/OEM02/303189967/accavitti-expands-honda-role#axzz2NzahINOk

Monday, March 18, 2013

All-New 2014 Acura MDX to Restake Luxury SUV Benchmark Status at the 2013 New York International Auto Show

With its sharpened performance, efficient design, and refined cabin, the third-generation MDX aims to redefine the 7-passenger luxury SUV segment
The production version of the all-new 2014 Acura MDX will be unveiled March 27, at the 2013 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), which will further cement the model's position as the benchmark in the three-row luxury SUV category. Utilizing a completely new platform that has been optimized in every respect, the seven-passenger MDX will offer enhanced ride comfort, a more versatile cabin, and increased fuel efficiency, while also improving dynamic performance.

The new third-generation 2014 Acura MDX is equipped with a highly efficient direct-injected 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), and will be offered in both SH-AWD and 2-wheel-drive drivetrain variants, the latter configuration being a first for the model. The 2014 MDX features a longer wheelbase that raises ride quality, increases second-row legroom, and improves third-row seat access. In addition, the 2014 Acura MDX harnesses a collection of Acura signature technologies, including the next-generation of the AcuraLink® Connectivity System and Jewel Eye™ LED headlamps.

The 2014 MDX offers a collection of innovative driver assistive and visibility technologies such as the Multi-Angle Rearview Camera and the available Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow, and Blind Spot Information (BSI). The third-generation MDX is also equipped with a broad array of advanced safety technologies, including the next generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ II (ACE™ II) body structure and the available Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems. Further, the 2014 MDX is expected to achieve top-level safety ratings, including a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA and a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS.

The Acura press conference is scheduled for 12:10 PM (EDT) on March 27, 2013 inside the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Shortly after, the recorded press conference will be available for view on www.acuranews.com and www.youtube.com/acura. For members of the media, press materials and photography will be posted at www.acuranews.com immediately following the press conference.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/all-new-2014-acura-mdx-to-restake-luxury-suv-benchmark-status-at-the-2013-new-york-international-auto-show

2014 Honda Odyssey to Debut with Innovative New Features at the 2013 New York International Auto Show

Honda will reveal details of the refreshed 2014 Odyssey, including some innovative new features, at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). The 2014 Odyssey further strengthens the Honda minivan's position as the segment's most coveted family-friendly vehicle, and adds to its status as the strongest overall ownership value in its class.

The 2013 Odyssey is already an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK, an AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award winner, an ALG Residual Value award winner, and one of the Best Family Cars of 2012 according to the editors of Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.

The 2014 Odyssey along with Honda's complete line-up of fuel efficient, innovative and fun-to-drive cars and trucks, including the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid and 2013 Fit EV, will be on display at the Honda booth during NYIAS press and public days. Both the 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV were recently launched at select Honda dealerships in New York.

With an EPA fuel economy rating of 115 MPGe in electric-only mode, the Accord Plug-In is the most efficient sedan in America, and also the first production car to meet the U.S. EPA's more stringent LEV3/SULEV20 vehicle emissions standard. The five-passenger all-electric 2013 Honda Fit EV delivers 189 lb-ft of torque from its electric motor and features a fully independent, multi-link rear suspension that serves as the foundation for Honda's fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82 miles.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2014-honda-odyssey-to-debut-with-innovative-new-features-at-the-2013-new-york-international-auto-show

Honda History: Car Buzz - Unearthed: 1991 Honda CRX Si

by Jay Traugott of www.carbuzz.com
 
A completely original example of one of the best models Honda has ever built is now up for sale. 
 
There was a time when Honda was considered a rebel in the automotive industry. It didn’t always play by the rules established by larger automakers. Those companies often felt that when it came to cars, bigger was always better. Instead, Honda designed small and medium-sized cars that were very reliable, had solid power outputs from smaller engines, and were a hoot to drive. Today it is claimed, and rightly so, that Honda has lost some of its former magic in its quest to go more mainstream.

While we hope Honda one day manages to rediscover its roots, there was a time when it built one of the best all-around small hatches on the market. It needs little to no introduction but the Honda CRX is unquestionably one of the Japanese marque's finest models. First launched in the US in 1983, the CRX was powered by a 1.3-liter inline-four with just 58 horsepower, which was soon upgraded to 1.5-liters with around 75 hp. But what was truly incredible was its fuel economy numbers. The US-spec CRX HF (High Fuel economy) returned 41 mpg city and 50 mpg highway – and this was more than a decade before the first hybrids began to appear.


On top of this, the CRX was still wicked fun to drive thanks to that peppy engine and five-speed manual gearbox. The second-gen model launched in 1988 and while its exterior design wasn’t all that dramatically different, Honda made some major changes under the skin. For starters, the CRX switched to a full independent wishbone suspension and fuel injection engines, which ranged from 1.5 to 1.6 liters. Outside of the US, however, Honda offered buyers an optional 1.6-liter VTEC inline-four that was good for 150 hp. The CRX was only the second Honda model to receive a VTEC engine; the Acura Integra came first.
The very fact Honda had the balls to put such an advanced and powerful engine in a small and unfriendly family car, even if it was overseas, says a lot about its rebelliousness. Try to picture an American automaker at that time, take Chevy for example, putting a state-of-the-art, fuel efficient high-output four-pot in the old Cavalier three-door hatchback: That car had a choice of two thirsty and uninspiring four-cylinders and a V6 option. US buyers could also opt for the CRX Si, which came with a 1.6-liter unit that eventually produced up to 108 horsepower and was mated to a five-speed manual.

A third-generation CRX came in 1992, but it was officially called the Civic del Sol. Silly name aside, it featured a targa top roof and wasn’t met with the same enthusiasm amongst fans as the first two gen models were. In 1997 however, the del Sol was discontinued, thereby ending the CRX lineage. Honda tried to pass off the current CRZ hybrid as the spiritual successor to the old CRX but that car simply failed to capture the spirit of the original, despite it being the first hybrid to offer a manual gearbox. Today, the CRX still has a loyal following with many owners driving their cars with minimal mechanical problems.

This 1991 CRX Si that’s currently up for sale on eBay has just 39,000 miles on the clock and is completely original with no modifications. Power comes from that wonderful naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter inline-four mated to a five-speed manual. The car’s second and current owner bought it from its original eighty-year-old owner around a year ago and has kept it in pristine shape. It comes with the original owner’s and service manuals as well as an unused jack, spare and toolkit. As of writing, the top bid was $12,100 so it’s clear that people are willing to pay a solid amount for an all-original CRX in top condition.
 
Source: cgi.ebay.com
 
Source;

Honda Amaze interiors spied

by Venkat Desirazu

The Honda Amaze is one of the most eagerly anticipated compact sedans in the Indian market and has been a hot topic of discussion in motoring communities across the country. A while ago Team-bhp brought us pictures of the car at a dealership. Now they have managed to get pictures of the interiors of the Japanese automakers highly anticipated sedan.

We have been saying for many months now that the Amaze shares many of its components with the Brio hatchback and this has turned out to be completely true. The Amaze has the same dashboard as the Brio complete with the two-tone design. It has the same instrument cluster, music system as well as HVAC controls. The front and back seats still have the integrated headrests and are in a light shade of beige with brown cushions.

The backseat uses the same colour combination due to the change in design (hatch to compact sedan) looks a lot more spacious than its non-booted cousin. Both headroom and legroom in the back look to be pretty decent for two people and while a third person can fit in the back, it will be a bit of a squeeze. The model that has been spied is the top-end VX petrol, so we can expect that in the lower spec models, the interiors will be quite spartan.

As we have said before, the Amaze will Honda’s first diesel car for the Indian market. It will be powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged i-DTEC diesel engine which produces 90bhp. This has been derived from the 1.6-litre Earthdreams diesel mill that was unveiled last year. The petrol variant will use a 1.2-litre mill which produces 88bhp and 109Nm of torque. This engine also powers the Jazz and the Brio.

Source;
http://www.carwale.com/news/10212-honda-amaze-interiors-spied.html

Autos.ca; Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan


Review by Brendan McAleer, photos by Brendan McAleer and Autos.ca staff

All things considered, it really would be best if the Mazda6 pictured above was brown.

Sure, the swelling lines of the ’6 would look rich and luscious in a deep metallic colour, in the spirit of the brownnaissance that’s sweeping through the auto industry (Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are suddenly fond of using the hue in press shots) – but that’s not what’s behind my reasoning. No, brown would be appropriate because what we’ve got here is the oldest taste-test in the book: Vanilla versus Chocolate.
Luckily, the Accord happens to be the right colour, same as my washer and dryer; possibly the same as your iPod. So, an apparent contest between an appliance and a four-door Miata – should be an easy victory for the Mazda, right? Not quite.

Style/Design
While the compact car market remains Canada’s largest volume segment in terms of vehicle sales, buying a mid-sized family car isn’t quite the emotionless choice that selecting an A-to-B commuter can be. Sure, you need some everyday four-door essentials, but this is a big purchase and come Sunday morning, you’ll probably be proudly washing it in the driveway with the kids.

The folks who buy, lease or finance a mid-sized family sedan are likely to bring it home, park it out front and surreptitiously check to see whether the neighbours are peeping through the curtains enviously. You want something practical, but also something you can be proud of.

Almost immediately, you have to hand it to Mazda’s styling team for sculpting probably the best-looking mid-sized car on the market bar the Ford Fusion. Some of the long-hood-short-deck profile is due to packaging considerations for the Mazda’s high-compression engine (more on that later), but you’d be hard-pressed to find an angle from which the Mazda6 doesn’t look the proverbial million bucks.

Riding around the tony neighbourhood of West Vancouver, where 911s are more common than Vee-Dubs and Audi/BMW ownership is practically a compulsory city bylaw, my GT-trim tester still manages to turn a few heads. It looks more expensive than it is.

In comparison, the Accord aims not to offend anyone’s palate too much and mostly succeeds. Sport trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a subtle rear spoiler and chrome exhaust tips by way of decorating a conservative, squared-off shape.

And yet, somehow it all works. The Honda might lack the initial flash of the Mazda, but it has lines that will still look classically good when it’s five years old with hood chips and parking-lot door-dings. Think of it as good bone structure – nothing fades faster than cutting-edge style.

What’s more, a few points have to be deducted from the Mazda as only the expensive GT trim wears the 19-inch big shoes to fill out the wheel wells. 17-inch alloys are standard on the GX and GS trims – and they look fine. However, the 18-inchers on the Honda come as the very first upgrade over stock.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
2014 Mazda6 (left) & 2013 Honda Accord (right). Click image to enlarge

Efficiency
Anyone who’s purchased a new vehicle in the past few years knows how laughably optimistic Natural Resources Canada can be in reporting average fuel consumption. Still, on paper the Mazda6 pips the Accord handily at just 7.6/5.1 L/100 km city/highway versus the Accord’s 8.7/5.7 rating.

Those figures are an automatic-to-automatic comparison by the way, but my Mazda6 tester was actually a six-speed manual that is rated a few tenths of a litre worse than the excellent Mazda six-speed auto, yet still ahead of the CVT-equipped Honda Accord. However, we can extrapolate from the results.

In the real world, or at least Vancouver’s traffic, one of two things happen. Either volume is heavy and sluggish and you inch along at low rpms, or everyone drives like they’re fleeing the scene of a major jewellery heist.

The end result of a week’s worth of mostly city driving is a dead heat between the automatic Accord and the manual-box Mazda at around 10 L/100 km. Not trusting on-board computers, this figure is based on the fuel burned by each vehicle over the week, calculated against mileage travelled.

How useful is such a measurement? Not much: slight variability in air-temperature over the week, an extra ten minutes of idling in traffic or a slightly higher average speed, and a plus-or-minus figure of at least 10 percent should be taken into account.

However, take into account the Mazda’s reduced efficiency due to the manual tranny and the 6 should theoretically be 10 percent better than the Accord over a year’s worth of driving.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
2014 Mazda6. Click image to enlarge

Features/Value
Apples to apples, you might save a couple hundred dollars in fuel bills by choosing to buy into Mazda’s Skyactiv technology. Over five years, that’s a cool grand in your jeans – well worth considering, right?

Flipping open the Canadian Black Book shows a clean 2007 Mazda6 GT sitting at wholesale values of around $8,600. The same exercise for a roughly equivalent ’07 Accord EX shows $9,300. While fuel and maintenance are certainly costs to be considered, vehicle depreciation is the greatest cost a new-car owner will face and that big H-badge on the front of the Accord still imparts confidence in the used-car market.

Taking a look at bang-for-buck, the Mazda6 commands a price premium over an approximately equivalent Accord when looking at traditional features like a power moonroof or leather interior. The leather-equipped EX-L Accord undercuts the Luxury-package Mazda6 GX at $29,090 compared to $30,395. The Honda’s rear seats are heated as well – more luxury-level trickle-down for the rest of us!

Pare things down to the base models and the $23,990 Accord LX again is slightly cheaper than the base $24,495 Mazda6 GX. Your chances of finding a basic manual version of either car are pretty slim, but that $500 spread remains when selecting the slightly more costly automatic options.

Still, with both cars coming standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, heated front seats, and LCD displays, it’s hardly fair to call either model basic. Worth noting is the Honda’s standard backup camera and much-larger screen at 8 inches wide; however, the Mazda does offer touchscreen capability on its smaller 5.8-inch display.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
2013 Honda Accord. Click image to enlarge

Safety
If you actually have the misfortune to ram either one of these mid-sizers into an unyielding object, you’ll be happy to note that both cars are IIHS top safety picks. The Accord does fare slightly better than the ’6 in the small overlap front-impact test, but either one is a safe, comfortable place to be sitting while driving into the medium-sized tree of your choosing. Or what have you.

‘Course, if you do impact something it won’t be the car’s fault. As mentioned, the Honda Accord has a back-up camera as standard (with multiple angles in higher trim levels), and also can be equipped with a clever passenger-side blind-spot camera that shows what your mirror misses in a wide-angle shot on the centre-mounted display when turning right. Warning chimes for both lane departure and frontal collision are available on EX-L trim and upwards.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
2013 Honda Accord. Click image to enlarge
As my Accord Sport tester wasn’t equipped with anything other than the standard backup camera, it’d be unfair to comment as to the effectiveness of Honda’s safety tech. Instead, I’ll editorialize a little that the asymmetric nature of Honda’s camera is a bit odd (great for avoiding cyclists, not really useful on a blind on-ramp). I’ll also just express the vain hope that all these safety gizmos don’t turn us all into even worse drivers, like the permanently distracted, technology-dependent blobs from Pixar’s “Wall-E”.
However, if an electronic safety net is your thing, then, boy, has Mazda got a car for you. You have to pay for it, as a back-up camera is only available on the GS and up, but a whole host of warning systems are available on the GT. GS and GT models have an audible blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alerts; an optional GT-only technology package has gee-whiz goodies like radar-controlled cruise control, automatic high-beam control – even an automated city-speed braking system.
Mazda’s blind-spot system works extremely well – and if you’ve set your mirrors properly, you really don’t need it. More useful is the rear cross-traffic warning. Getting out of my driveway involves backing up a small slope into a busy street – difficult with the swoopy rear styling of the ’6 and compounded by my neighbour’s street-parked long-box pickup truck. I was frankly impressed by the Mazda’s seeming ability to look around the pickup and alert me of high-speed miscreants careening along, heedless of reverse lights.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
2014 Mazda6. Click image to enlarge

Also worth noting is the Mazda6’s adaptive front lighting system. Available only on GT models, this setup turns the projector headlamps along with the front wheels, as though the car is “looking” through the corner. It’s not new technology (you can get the same equipment on the Mazda3), but it’s still an excellent feature and one that makes night-time country roads much more liveable.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
Left – 2014 Mazda6, right – 2013 Honda Accord. Click image to enlarge

Space
Manufacturers will happily provide all manner of objective measurement in the area of interior space. Thus, I am able to tell you that the Honda Accord has 10 mm more rear headroom than the Mazda6. That’s not even enough of a difference to change your hairstyle.

Hip room and shoulder room are slightly in Honda’s favour as well. Overall, reading through the spec sheets, the Accord’s passenger volume is larger by 98 L, which will please if you are a family of extra-large amoebas.

Cargo space also skews in favour of the Accord, though I have to speculate how much of the Honda’s advantage is down to the upper portion of the trunk: both cars use a torsion set up rather than gas struts and Mazda has shrouded theirs to prevent it crushing luggage. Points deducted from Honda for the single-piece (rather than 60/40) folding rear seatback.

Despite relatively minor differences, I can subjectively tell you that the best way to differentiate the Mazda6′s interior from that of the Accord is to describe the former as a cockpit. Where the Accord is airy and spacious, the ’6 is closed-in, cloistered, a place for a driver to focus on driving.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
2014 Mazda6. Click image to enlarge

Driving Experience
Slotting the Mazda into first or plopping the Accord into “D” seems like a formality. Surely the sleeker Mazda with its high-compression engine, bolstered seats, and brand focus on driving pleasure will be the runaway winner; after all, these are the guys behind the Miata. There might be 18-inch alloys on that big white couch, but it’s still just a decently reliable ride with the personality of mashed potatoes, right?

Not so fast. Mazda might still build the MX-5, but Honda is the company that once built the CRX and the S2000, the Acura NSX and the Integra Type-R. When it comes to an engaging four-cylinder engine and a willing chassis, Honda used to be the go-to badge. They’ve just been, I don’t know, taking a nap for the past few years.

Well guess what. Soichiro Honda just woke up.

Even though my Accord Sport is equipped with the enthusiast’s bane, a CVT, it’s no ordinary Continually Terrible Transmission. Back to back with the Mazda6, the Accord’s 2.4L direct-injection engine feels somehow gruntier than the Mazda6’s torquier-on-paper 2.5L Skyactiv.

It’s got to be trickery from the belt-drive transmission as the two cars are extremely close in power output: 189 hp at 6,400 rpm for the Sport version of the Accord, 184 hp at 5,700 rpm for the Mazda6. Torque is similarly close at 185 lb-ft at 3250 rpm for the Mazda and 182 lb-ft at 3900 rpm for the Honda. If you can feel five horsepower’s worth of difference, then you must be a stagecoach driver.

Despite the slightly greater torque, a great-shifting manual transmission (kudos to Mazda for making the stick available right up to the top-trim GT), and a curb weight that’s effectively one fully grown passenger lighter than the Accord, the Mazda6 doesn’t run away with the handling crown. Its steering is crisper, its engine more willing to rev – and better sounding when it does.

However, punting the Accord Sport through my favourite hairpin on-ramp, I can’t help feeling that the difference isn’t as pronounced as you’d expect. The Accord is light on its feet, with a punchy midrange and plenty of grip from 235-mm-wide tires (Sport and Touring models).

Pulling the same stunt with the ’6 shows the Mazda to be slightly more feelsome in the bends. The six-speed transmission is no Miata gearbox – let’s not get carried away – but it is crisp shifting and the Skyactiv four-pot is a gloriously fizzy little thing. Much like most Mazdas, past and present, the ’6 is at its happiest when you’re thrashing it up through the rev-range; this as a contrast with the Accord, which still feels pretty zoomy, albeit happier at the 80 percent.
Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisonsComparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan car comparisons
Left – 2013 Honda Accord in black, right – 2014 Mazda6 in white, just to keep you on your toes.

Conclusion
Neck and neck through the finish line, and we’re doubly impressed. Firstly, Mazda has built a car that’s strongly appealing and dynamic to drive – a machine that thrills, yet still manages to deal with day-to-day schlepping with hardly any drawbacks.

However, the laurels can’t go to both, and it’s the Accord that narrowly feels like the better total package. It’s a hair better in the value department, a tad more spacious; it’s broadly appealing and, best of all, marks something of a return-to-form for Honda driving pleasure.

What’s more, there’s the sense that this car’s going to be a great hand-me-down for the kids one day; the automotive equivalent of a faithful Labrador retriever. Like the somewhat-staid styling, the engineering under the skin is conservative enough to stand the test of time.

As a conquest vehicle, the Mazda6 is the real deal, a must-drive on any shopper’s list, and the available manual-transmission in everything except the Tech-package GT would be a major factor in successfully courting my purchasing dollar.

However, the thing about Vanilla is that, done right, it’s pretty darn tasty. And it goes with everything.

Source;
http://www.autos.ca/car-comparisons/comparison-test-2014-mazda6-vs-2013-honda-accord-sedan/?all=1