Honda's Future Plans; Fit, HR-V, Pilot lead way for Honda

HR-V goes on sale later this year.

by Mark Rechtin of www.autonews.com

Honda Division is in a long stretch before its four big-volume vehicles -- Civic, Accord, CR-V and Odyssey -- receive sheet metal redesigns. But watch for activity to accelerate ahead of the 2017 model year.

For now, Honda is hoping the redesigned Fit subcompact hatchback and new HR-V crossover will add substantial incremental sales to the lineup. A redesigned Pilot is on the way as well in the near term.
Honda also is diving deep into turbocharging of small-displacement engines, as well as dual-clutch transmissions with seven, eight or nine gears, a slight detour from its larger push toward fuel-sipping Earth Dreams engines and continuously variable transmissions. The cost of turbocharging may limit its U.S. applications.

Here is a look at Honda's future product plans.

Fit: The redesign arrived in summer 2014.

Fit EV: The next Fit will have a different suspension module for hybrid and electric vehicle versions. Likely won't arrive until spring 2016.

HR-V: The Fit-based crossover was unveiled at the New York auto show and arrives this year. It measures 169.3 inches long, about 9 inches shorter than the Honda CR-V compact crossover. It will have the same Earth Dreams engine as the Fit but could get an added turbocharger for up-market models. Limited cargo area capacity will be countered by using the Fit's fold-flat Magic Seats technology and by stashing the fuel tank under the front seats, rather than behind the rear suspension.

Insight: Production of the Insight ends this summer, for lack of demand. Judging from executive comments, the idea of a hybrid-only nameplate to compete against the Toyota Prius has faded. Instead, Honda will create hybrid versions of existing standard vehicles, using Honda's IMA hybrid system with a lithium ion battery, connected to an Atkinson-cycle engine.

Civic: The Civic will not receive an Earth Dreams engine upgrade until its redesign in spring 2016. Honda learned its lesson regarding decontenting in the current generation; expect plenty of content in the 2017 model. In the interim, Europe is getting a Type R with a 2.0-liter 280-hp turbo-four under the hood. Might the United States get so lucky?

Civic Hybrid: When the Civic is redesigned, the hybrid version will move from its one-motor IMA system to a two-motor system, which allows extensive electric-only driving. One motor powers the wheels; the other recharges the batteries. It will be a cheaper version of the same system that is in the Accord Hybrid.

CR-Z: The possibility of a gasoline-powered version of the hybrid sporty coupe is being studied at Honda for the next generation. Honda recognizes the car is underpowered, as seen by the 187-hp HPD version now available through dealerships.

Accord: Redesigned in fall 2012. A midcycle change for the 2016 model year might allow the inclusion of a turbocharged engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but Honda typically waits for full redesigns for such major underhood changes.

Crosstour: Awkward styling has hindered customer acceptance of this hatchback. Designers are looking at something more akin to the Audi Allroad wagon for the next generation, arriving in 2015.

FCX Clarity: Honda's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will be redesigned in mid-2015. The new version's mechanical goals are a 30 percent smaller fuel cell with higher power output, 300-mile range and a refueling time of less than five minutes.

NSX variant: A Honda source says the automaker is studying giving the Acura NSX platform a less-expensive Honda-badged variant without all the complicated, pricey hybrid technology. A high-revving turbo-four engine in a midengine, rear-wheel-drive layout could be in the offing, or Honda could remap the power curve in the 3.5-liter 310-hp V-6 from the Acura RLX. It wouldn't come for at least a year after the NSX, in summer 2016 at the soonest.

CR-V: Redesigned for the 2013 model year. The CVT working its way through the Honda lineup gets installed in the 2015 midcycle change.

Pilot: The new Acura MDX is the lead vehicle for Honda's mid-sized light trucks, with a 3-inch longer wheelbase. Expect that to carry over to the Pilot when it arrives in spring 2015. However, because the MDX has an expensive suspension system, expect some minor decontenting of suspension components to hit the Pilot's price point. Sheet metal should move away from the "angry robot" look. It likely will get a 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V-6 with around 310 hp and 265 pounds-feet of torque.

Odyssey: The next-generation minivan arrives in fall 2016 on the new Acura MDX platform, although expect a decontented suspension -- possibly an air-spring setup -- to hit a lower price point. It will receive the 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V-6 at the redesign stage.

Honda says rendering previews the next Ridgeline.

Ridgeline: Production of the current Ridgeline stopped in June. Honda released a silhouette rendering of what it says is the next Ridgeline, to arrive in January 2016. Riding on the MDX/Pilot platform, the next-generation Ridgeline looks more like a traditional truck.

Source;
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140728/OEM04/307289974/fit-hr-v-pilot-lead-way-for-honda?r=0229B0668801A8T

Acura's Future Plans; Current to 2019

Acura TLX: The storm before the calm

Besides NSX supercar, brand will settle into product-launch lull

by Mark Rechtin of www.autonews.com

Once the TLX sedan is introduced this fall -- replacing both the TL and TSX in the lineup -- Acura will be in a product-launch lull.

All its volume products will have been launched in the last three years, so other than the upcoming NSX supercar, the brand will be carrying over existing product for several more years.

Of course, there will be midcycle changes, which could include installation of new nine- and eight-speed transmission technologies, but the sheet metal is going to remain relatively the same across the lineup for several years.

Acura also is studying bringing some sporting flair back to the rest of the lineup with the Type S designation, but how it plans to increase its vehicles' performance is being determined.

Here is a look at Acura's future product plans.

ILX: A redesign of the Honda Civic derivative comes in spring 2017. Whether Acura chooses to use a Honda Earth Dreams engine or switch to one of the new turbocharged mills is undetermined. The current ILX is critically underpowered, so Acura may vote for the turbo.

The Acura TLX will replace the TL and TSX sedans.

TLX: The redesigned 2015 TLX mid-sized sedan, unveiled at the 2014 New York auto show, will replace the TL and TSX sedans in the U.S. lineup. The TLX shares a 2.4-liter base engine with the Honda Accord, but the TLX's mill has higher compression ratios, a two-stage intake and a modified exhaust. The base TLX engine generates 206 hp. It's 1.5 seconds quicker in 0 to 60 mph than the outgoing TSX. The TLX's 290-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine is shared with the MDX and RLX and gets 5 mpg better highway fuel economy than the outgoing TL. Both the four- and six-cylinder cars will have standard four-wheel steering; the V-6 has optional Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, or SH-AWD. It goes on sale this fall, with pricing expected to be released closer to launch.

RLX: Redesigned in summer 2013. A hybrid version of the sedan was to arrive in dealerships this spring but has been delayed until late 2014.

NSX: Acura's sports car will be as much about technology as performance when it arrives in the first half of 2015. Instead of a monster engine, the NSX will have a compact, direct-injection V-6 combined with a lithium ion battery pack for power. The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system uses two integrated drive units at the rear wheels connected to a motor-generator that delivers power. Regenerative brakes will capture electricity and then deliver torque to the outside wheel -- while absorbing negative torque from the inside wheel -- as the car goes through a corner. Development issues with the new-generation hybrid may delay the launch.

RDX: Redesigned in spring 2012. Expect the next version of the crossover in calendar 2018, with a midcycle change in spring 2015.

MDX: Redesigned in summer 2013. Expect the next version in calendar 2019, with a midcycle change in mid-2016.

Source;
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140728/OEM04/307289975/acura-tlx-the-storm-before-the-calm

Newsweek: How Honda Drives Its Workforce

Interesting read....

by Jeffrey Rothfeder of www.newsweek.com

One reason for the success of Honda as an automobile maker in the US is its unconventional approach to hiring key executives. In this excerpt from his new book, Driving Honda: Inside the World’s Most Innovative Car Company, Jeffrey Rothfeder describes how Honda concluded that a former Marine Reservist would make a great manager.

Sam Fluker is  a man who easily commands respect. He's about 30 years old, large and imposing, a former Marine Reserve. But it's not just  his  bearing that compels people to listen to what he says. It is also his  dark eyes, determined and searing.

At  the  Honda plant in  Lincoln, Alabama, where he  is  an inventory control manager, Fluker supervises upward of 300 people, who log, inspect, and dispatch supply parts into the  factory as  they arrive in  a steady stream by day  and night.

Fluker, who is  black, grew up  in  the Lincoln area, in  a lower­ middle-class neighborhood, and graduated from Auburn University about two hours south of his  hometown with a degree in systems engineering.

He  never expected to work in  an automobile factory. Rather, upon finishing college, he  envisioned a life  as  an  officer in the  Marines, and if he  eventually did  work in  the private sector, it would be in  the supply chain of a clean business like Walmart or  in a relatively light industry like  textile manufacturing.

But  that tidy  plan  changed when he  met  Honda recruiters at  an Auburn job  fair  in  his  senior year. By this point, Fluker was in  his early twenties, married, and his wife was  pregnant; he was  a bit over­whelmed by  his  responsibilities but  felt  that his  military aspirations would provide a smooth transition into a relatively stable career in which he didn't have  to worry about losing his  job and his income.

Upon meeting Fluker at the fair, the Honda executives imagined his  future  differently. The Lincoln factory, the most advanced in Honda's  portfolio, would open in  August 2001, within  the next year, and the  automaker was looking for  dependable, self-reliant, meticulous, principled, and creatively thoughtful people to work there.

Experience in  the  auto industry -- or  any  knowledge of  auto manufacturing, for  that matter -- was not a requirement; conscientiousness, an independent disposition and assiduousness were. Fluker had these characteristics in  spades.

In a series of interviews for  the job  at Honda, Fluker was asked about his  home life and his  goals, his  hobbies and his  passions, how he  would address specific personal  challenges at work involving coworkers -- belligerence,  bullying, undercutting and tattling, for example -- more than he  was queried about his  knowledge of logistics  and supply chains or  his  unfamiliarity with the  automobile sector.

As the  interviews progressed it became clear to  him  that Honda would make him  an  offer  that would ultimately lead to  a manage­ment role.

"I think I got  them with my work ethic and my personal story of what I achieved on  my  own -- to be  a  senior in  college, working a full-time job, having a wife, a baby on  the  way, and being a Marine. And I was honest to a fault with them. I didn't even  think I wanted the  job, so  I had nothing to  lose,” said Fluker.

"In fact, it  probably would have been easier if I didn't get  the job so I could just  do  the plan I had in  mind for  myself. Turns out, that's exactly the  kind  of person they  love  to  hire."

Indeed,  Honda’s hiring  and  employee  promotion practices,  like so many  aspects  of the  company, defy logic — at  least  of the  sort that  most  other  organizations subscribe  to.  The unorthodox ways that Honda chooses employees — and the unorthodox employees that Honda chooses—stand in sharp  contrast to  typical  auto  industry practices.

Most  automobile manufacturing jobs are filled by people who evince a love for vehicles, some technical knowledge about cars and  the personality to follow  directions closely, whether in a lean Japanese  factory  or  a less disciplined  American  plant — a formula that  Honda perceives  as limiting  and  lacking  in imagination.

Instead,  Honda seeks workers who  have charted an irregular course, whose  path  in  life has  been  a  bit  odd  and  unconventional. And the farther they’ve strayed  from  the auto  industry — and are free of the preexisting biases about how automobile manufacturing should be done — the better.  “We want  independent people,  who  can see auto manufacturing with  fresh  eyes, not  blind  followers,” said  Honda CEO Takanobu Ito on many occasions.

Ito’s comment is a sanitized  and  more  practical version  of the qualification that  Soichiro  Honda said he looked  for when  making hiring decisions,  according to lean expert  James Womack, coauthor of The Machine  That Changed  the World. Asked for the single most important attribute that  an ideal Honda applicant should  have, Soi­chiro noted  that  he preferred “people who had been in trouble.”

Soichiro was obviously  being cheeky. But not entirely so. In only a slightly roundabout way, he was articulating Honda Motor’s third critical  organizational principle:  respect  individuals and,  more  pre­cisely,  individualism.

Since  the  company’s   founding, Honda  has stood  alone in aggressively questioning and then often breaking the rules for how a successful industrial outfit should  behave. That  contrarian streak  has gotten  Honda into uncomfortable feuds with,  for example, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry, which Honda defied upon making and then exporting its  first  cars, and with rival  Japanese companies in  calling for  trade liberalization that would permit more imports of products from global rivals.

Moreover, that attitude has  drawn skepticism (undue, as it turns out) after some of Honda's more outrageous departures from the  norm, such as  the decision as  a start-up to construct its  own  dies   and stamping equipment (and since then virtually all  of its factory hardware and software), its  longshot entries against established compa­nies  in world-class motorcycle and Formula l races, or  its  confidence that it could build an  engine that cleared the  Environmental Protection Agency's pollution standard before any other carmakers.

Such untempered innovation in  ideas and practice can   only be achieved with  employees who,  in   fact, wouldn't flourish -- who would, in Soichiro's words, be in  trouble -- in organizational models constructed primarily around rules and structured systems, no  mat­ter how progressively or intelligently plotted, Honda believes. Or put positively, an  individual who can thrive in  paradox and contradiction, who would instinctively explore the  way things are traditionally  done expressly to contradict them -- who, in fact, sees a glass not as half  full or  half  empty, but  as twice the  size that it needs to be and considers designing a vessel  with different dimensions -- would  be  a suitable Honda candidate.

In this, as  in  many other ways, Honda views itself  as the  mirror image of  Toyota, its oldest rival. In a  recent interview with  me, Womack recalled a wonderfully humorous conversation he had with Shoichiro Irimajiri, who ran Honda's North American operations in the  1980s, in which Irimajiri depicted the personalities of the  two gi­ant  Japanese automakers through colorful descriptions of their employees.

“'I will now imitate Toyota man,'" Womack remembered Irimajiri saying. "At  which point Irimajiri puts on  blinders and then proceeds to walk straight into the  wall and fall  down. He said, 'Ah, Toyota man. Very, very good in a straight line. But no peripheral vi­sion, like the Roman legions.’ ”

Then,  Irimajiri  said, according to Womack: “‘Ah, now,  Honda man.’  Without the blinders,  Irimajiri’s  down  crouching behind  the furniture and he’s running around from one side of the room  to the other,  and he says, ‘Honda man, guerrilla  fighter. Honda man loves chaos.  Toyota man hates,  hates chaos.’ ”

Honda’s off ­kilter  approach to hiring—its  belief that  each indi­vidual  must  actively  redefine  the contours of his or her  job rather than the other way around—has produced some eyebrow-­raising employment policies, starting at the very top.

Each of Honda’s CEOs came up through the company’s  engineering  ranks.  And all of them at some time were former  chiefs of the automaker’s prized  autonomous research  and development unit.

That’s an extraordinary record:  conventional wisdom  among multinationals holds that  the most effective chief executives are specialists in marketing, sales, or perhaps accounting, anything but en­gineering. As a result, even CEOs in technologically based industries, like pharmaceuticals or computer hardware and  software, tend  to know little about designing or manufacturing the products that they sell.

Still, that’s not considered a disadvantage because the skills that engineers are thought to have most are believed to be the least valu­able to a corporation’s financial performance.

Source;
http://www.newsweek.com/how-honda-drives-its-workforce-261814

2015 Honda Civic Tourer Facelift Spied Testing

The Civic Tourer is still the newest car offered by Honda in Europe, until the Jazz and HR-V launch. Despite this, a facelift is being developed, bringing the compact estate model in line with other Hondas, especially the regular Civic hatch, which was revealed back in 2012 and will also receive a facelift.

Our spies stationed in Germany have just sent us the first photos of a Civic Tourer facelift. The car is fully camouflaged and has UK number plates, despite being left-hand drive. That's because Honda's production and development facilities in Swindon do most of the work of keeping European customers happy.

Like we said in the beginning of the article, the Civic Tourer is still a brand new car. However, the manufacturer is changing the front grille, the bumper and the headlights to give it a more modern look. Round the back, changes are more subtle, but the graphics of the taillights have been enhanced to make the Tourer more recognizable at night.

Honda never actually planned to make an estate with a Civic badge, but due to customer demand, the Tourer was launched last year. From the nose to the end of the rear doors, it's almost exactly the same car as the regular hatcg, but a bigger boot is added to increase cargo volume. The extra 235mm of total length go towards one of the biggest cargo areas in the class, superior to the Golf and Octavia load carriers.

Another reason why Honda is planning an update of the slow selling Civic is to pump some life into the engine range, which could for the first time include a 1.5-liter petrol turbo with i-VTEC technology.

On the safety side, the Civic Tourer already has plenty of tech on offer thanks to two driver assistance packages that include lane departure, collision warning and automatic cruise control. What could change is the price they're offered for. Honda firmly believes that in order to compete with popular German compacts, it needs to undercut them in terms of price. That's why the Civic Tourer is offered with an adaptive damper system that only targets the rear wheels and is twice as cheap as that of a Golf.

This family-oriented package has just started testing and will not be under this year's Christmas tree. It will take at least until the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March before we get to see Honda's new estate.

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2015-honda-civic-tourer-facelift-spied-testing-84466.html

Acura NSX prototype bursts into flames during testing (and with that, Acura officially reaches Supercar status....)

A prototype for Acura’s second-generation NSX supercar only started testing at the Nürburgring yesterday, but already the car has been destroyed.

The prototype caught fire during today's round of testing but fortunately the driver managed to pull over and jump out before the flames spread to the rest of the car.

Onlookers said the fire started at the rear before engulfing the rest.

The latest photos show the car as it is burning, a roaring fire completely enveloping the rear compartment before safety crews arrive to put out the flames.

The rear is where the car’s twin-turbocharged engine is located as well as its gearbox and one of its three electric motors.

It’s not clear what caused the fire but we do know the air intakes and vents on the latest prototype are larger than those on previous prototypes as well as the original concept from 2012, suggesting the design has required additional cooling.

Fortunately the fire occurred during testing, and we’re sure engineers will address the issue before production of the new NSX commences next year.

As previously reported, the new NSX will be going on sale sometime in 2015, as a 2016 model.

It will be badged an Acura for the American and Chinese markets and a Honda everywhere else.

Development of the new NSX is taking place primarily in the U.S. and production will be handled at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio.

The drivetrain of the new NSX is a complex hybrid system consisting of a V-6, dual-clutch transmission, lithium-ion battery and three electric motors.

Two of the electric motors power the front wheels independently, while the third, integrated with the V-6 and dual-clutch transmission, helps power the rear wheels.

The system is Acura’s new Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive, and a tamer setup is featured in the 2014 RLX Sport Hybrid SH-AWD.

Source;
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1093473_2016-acura-nsx-burns-to-the-ground-during-ring-testing

2015 Honda/Acura NSX spied at the Nürburgring hiding production body

Will feature a Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system

The highly anticipated 2015 Honda/Acura NSX has been spied undergoing final testing in Germany around the Nürburgring circuit.

Honda has been relatively quiet lately about the long-awaited NSX revival but now we have a fresh batch of spy photos with a camouflaged prototype testing at the 'Ring, ahead of a full reveal likely to occur before the end of the year since the company has already announced plans to begin production in 2015 at a newly established Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio where they are investing 70M USD. As a reminder, the 2015 NSX is being developed by Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio.

The car appears to look virtually the same as the Acura NSX concept shown at last year's NAIAS in Detroit which itself was a minor revision of a concept exhibited a year earlier at the same venue. It will make use of a three-motor high-performance hybrid system encompassing two electric motors driving the front wheels along with a third motor built into an all-new dual-clutch transmission while a mid-mounted V6 engine will power the rear axle.

Honda has labeled this system as Sport Hybrid Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) and they say it will be capable to provide the NSX reboot with "instant delivery of negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering to achieve a new level of driving performance unparalleled by current AWD systems."

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/114072278572/2015-hondaacura-nsx-spied-at-the-nrburgring-hiding-production

Lexus said building a 600HP monster coupe to revamp reputation

by Chris Davies of www.slashgear.com

Lexus may not be the first car brand that comes to mind when you think of outrageously extreme performance vehicles, but that may change if rumors of a twin-turbo production version of the striking LF-LC concept toting 600HP+ pan out. Likely to launch as the Lexus SC F, the hottest of the SC coupe range will supposedly have a meatier version of the 5.0 V8 set to power the top-spec Lexus RC F.


Revealed back in 2012, the LF-LC was more of a design study than a true intention of Lexus' production plans; however, the degree of positive response to the concept convinced Lexus execs to take the car more seriously.

According to Motor Trend's sources, "seriously" may turn out to be shorthand for "crazy fast and unexpectedly extreme" if Lexus' current prototypes are anything to go by. A twin-turbo test mule is said to be doing the rounds in Japan, its production offspring set to sit at the top of a three model range that will also include a hybrid.

Most affordable of the SC series will be a non-turbo V8, which is predicted to muster around 450HP. The SC H will sit in the middle, with a 500HP hybrid powerplant that Motor Trend predicts will borrow in no small part from the Toyota/BMW tech collaboration.

Unexpectedly, Lexus is said to be readying an even more potent version of the RC F, slotting the twin-turbo V8 into a $120,000 monster. That could launch as the RC FS in 2017.

If it all pans out, it's a sudden flurry of turbo tinkering from Lexus, which only waded into boosted engines with the NX crossover that will launch later this year. Lexus opted to develop its own, in-house turbo system rather than source it externally, though attached to a 2.0-liter four cylinder it only musters 235HP, a far cry from the supercar performance expected of the SC.


Source;
http://www.slashgear.com/lexus-said-building-a-600hp-monster-coupe-to-revamp-reputation-18337793/

MagX Renders Toyota's next Small SUV

I had to use Google Translate for the below;

Small SUV Toyota's can see the design at last

The model is introduced into the position below the RAV4 was too large, small SUV also serves as successor car ist. I caught the design of such a small SUV is wearing on the market at the time. Design that Nokka~tsu the design trend of recent Toyota seems to be given.

I'd like see the illustration above. Headlamp wide feeling is emphasized reminds the "leer" given SAI you big minor.

Garnish black trapezoid disposed in the mask center, also serves as a radiator grille. Deformation trapezoidal bumper painted underneath, in the same color as the body is also characteristic. Drawn the eye also trapezoidal air intake provided just above the lower end of the spoiler.

To be outdone in the impact of the front mask, rear view also seems to be built fairly As shown in the illustration above. You get the impression similar to the first generation Nissan Murano at first glance, but this was due to combination lamps disposed to the rear wheel tuning wheel arch. Quarter window of the triangle that is cut at an angle as well, would be one of the factors that seem like an Murano.

Convex back bottom of the window, which is considered as characteristic attention Nanoha, not in the competitive car's (stepped) design. This is similar to the design of the rear-end processing of Estima and Harrier. In addition, half of the back window hatch on the gate are summarized in square keynote, by moderate inclination angle is woven, is devised so that it looks light and sporty.

The engine equipped with is, downsizing of turbo 1.2L Toyota advance the development behind the scenes. D4-S using a combination of port injection and in-cylinder injection is incorporated, the power of the 1.6L class and good fuel economy are compatible. There is also an interesting news MT well CVT that is set.

1.8L hybrid lineup in addition to this. This will be shared with the next-generation Prius. In addition, BMW-made diesel turbo also seems to be set for the European version.

Appearance has been scheduled for early 2016. The deal in the country, the possibility of the Nets shop Corolla to lose from the commodity group Rumion, or have been sold ist is high.

※ It is a prediction article about the announcement of the new car in the July 1, 2014. It does not guarantee publication

Source;
http://www.carsensor.net/contents/editor/_25388.html 

AutoExpress: New Honda Civic Type-R concept meets its fans

Honda Type R fans from around Europe converged on Belgium’s Spa race track to get up close and personal with honda’s new hot Civic.

The death of the Honda Civic Type R four years ago epitomised Tokyo’s drift away from the fast, furious and fun hot hatch.

During its time, Honda’s hero overcame criticism of its crashy ride quality and power deficit to other hot hatches, until EU emissions legislation forced the brand to wield the axe.

The Type R was Honda’s last true performance car, and when it left the range it took plenty of credibility with it.

To get your head around how frustrating it is for Honda fans that the company no longer sells a model with an R stamped on its rev-hungry engine, you just have to talk to existing Type R owners.

For the rest of the article, just follow this link;

Source;
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/honda/civic/87829/new-honda-civic-type-r-concept-meets-its-fans

Honda puts final touches to new compact SUV (HR-V)

Already on sale in Japan as the Vezel and revealed in North America as the HR-V, the European version of the new compact SUV has yet to be given a name, although Honda sources confirmed to Autocar at the Vezel’s Tokyo motor show reveal last year that Vezel would not be used here.

The HR-V name was also used on a compact SUV that launched in the UK in 1999.

Whatever name Honda decides on for it, the model will line up against the likes of the Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka and Ford EcoSport in a segment rapidly growing in popularity in the UK and further afield.

The new SUV is based on the underpinnings on the next-generation Jazz (FIT here), another model that’s already been revealed and is on sale in other global markets without having made it to Europe yet. As with the next-gen Jazz, the compact SUV will not be built at Honda’s Swindon plant.

The core engine is set to be a version of Honda’s 1.6-litre turbodiesel found in the Civic and CR-V. Options elsewhere include a direct injection, four cylinder 1.5-litre hybrid and Honda’s new 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo motor, although no detail has been given by Honda Europe on an engine line-up for either the new SUV or the upcoming Jazz replacement. (We in North America will only be getting the 1.5L 130hp).

The car is expected to be offered with both manual transmission and a seven-speed double clutch gearbox.

As these spy pictures of the model testing in the Alps reveal, the styling will not radically depart from the versions of the SUV on sale in other global markets. The chassis will be tweaked to suit European tastes, while the interior trim and specification is likely to be upgraded for the same reasons.

Source;
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/scoop/honda-puts-final-touches-new-compact-suv

2015 Honda CRV Headlights?

Makes sense that this could be the headlights to the upcoming Minor Model Change 2015 Honda CRV, just like the Accord, they could add the LED lights under neath the Projector lens. 

Looking at the spyshots that are floating around, this would confirm things.

Here is the Euro CRV for 2015.

Thanks for the find Mark!

2015 Honda Pilot Special Edition Spec's

The Pilot adds SPECIAL EDITION (Replaces the EX trim) trim to its 2015 model lineup in order to provide Honda owners with an enhanced driving experience. The Pilot SPECIAL EDITION includes unique and innovative features such as:

•Honda DVD Rear Entertainment System with 9-inch display, integrated remote
•control and wireless headsets with personal surround sound
•18” aluminum-alloy wheels (2 tone) design
•One-touch power moonroof with tilt feature
•SiriusXM®
•115-volt power outlet
•Conversation mirror with sunglasses holder
•Security system
•Body-coloured heated power side mirrors
•Chrome exhaust finishers
•Fog lights
•Roof rails
•HomeLink® remote system
•Driver’s seat with 10-way power adjustment including power lumbar support
•Heated front seats

Source;
Honda Canada

Honda claims overall win, production electric vehicle record at Pikes Peak

Romain Dumas raced to the overall win at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The 2014 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb resulted in two more Pikes Peak titles for Honda, as four Honda drivers and riders earned top-five class finishes in Sunday's 12.42-mile trek up the mountain.
The Honda effort was highlighted by Romain Dumas, who scored his first overall Pikes Peak title. Roy Richards also came up big in his Honda Fit EV, winning the Electric Production class with a record run of 12 minutes, 55.591 seconds.

"After [finishing 2nd in] 2012, the target was to win one," Dumas said. "This year, we did a perfect job, the [Honda engine] was running good and we prepared how we should. I knew I was running smoothly, so I didn't want to take any risks. It was a clear run. It was not incredible, but it was enough to win and that was the target anyway. We are very happy, and this is a big win for the team.'

This year marked the 13th consecutive year that a Honda-powered vehicle has won at least one class in the Pikes Peak event.

"I am very pleased with the Fit EV's performance this year," Richards said. "We knew from last year's practice times that the Fit EV had a shot at the record, but weather spoiled our run. Building on the knowledge gained from last year, our team refined the suspension settings and did additional weight reduction. The results were better than we expected with a new record for the production EV class."

Associates from American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Performance Development (HPD), Honda North America and Honda R&D combined to field six vehicles for Honda associates in this year's race. With five of the six Honda drivers having previously competed at Pikes Peak, each of the six vehicles made successful runs to the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak summit.

Honda provided power for Dumas in his own Norma RD Limited prototype chassis entry in the Unlimited class. Starting first, Dumas pushed his Honda powerplant to a race-winning time of 9:05.801 to claim his first race win and the first overall Pikes Peak victory for a Honda-powered car.

James Robinson posted the fastest time of the six Honda associate-driven vehicles in his Acura Pikes Peak NSX, finishing sixth in the Open Class with a time of 11:09.134. Zach Jacobs rode his Honda CBR600RR throughout the course's 156 turns in 11:11.885 to place fifth in the Middleweight motorcycle class, while Sage Marie's effort of 11:59.095 in his Honda S2000 was good for fourth in the Time Attack 2 class.

Keith Steidl placed sixth in the quad class with a time of 12:31.245, while the only rookie in the 2014 class, Corey Taguchi, placed fourth in the Exhibition standings after posting a time of 14:26.438 in his Honda Fit.

Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140702/motorsports/140709977