Speaking to reporters at the Tokyo Auto Show, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito suggested that when the time is right he would like to build a “green” sports car. The Japanese automaker faces two big hurdles first, however: a lack of cash as well as insufficient technology. “Once we have that technology and once we have...
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Honda announced a production version of its CR-Z hybrid concept will be introduced to North America in the second half of 2010. As the second version of the CR-Z concept was unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show, Honda announced the production version will be a sporty 2-seat hybrid, the first hybrid car set up with...
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Honda is reportedly considering moving production of the sub-compact Fit to the U.S. Company president Takanobu Ito said the move is a “highly likely possibility.” The move makes good economic sense as the poor exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Japanese Yen means that profit margins on the Fit are extremely slim. Moving production...
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Ford is closing in on its Japanese rivals in the hybrid sales race. So far in 2009 the American automaker has posted a 73 percent gain in its hybrid sales with a total of 26,016 vehicles sold. That number is roughly 4,000 short of Honda’s total hybrid sales at 29,958 units, but the percentage of...
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Honda has just released images of the new 2010 Accord Crosstour’s interior and some details about a functional rear storage area. Inside, the new crossover gets a familiar Accord-like cockpit, but with a slightly thicker center console to give a more truck-like feel. As for the cargo area, it certainly looks massive (although no statistics...
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Honda apparently doesn’t think much for European designs. The Japanese automaker has just announced that it will close its European design studio, located in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, Germany. This is the latest cost cutting measure by Honda to reduce operational losses. The R&D center is responsible for design of European Honda models as well as...
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Honda’s latest concept car (van) that is scheduled to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show, looks like something you might see done to an Odyssey minivan at Hot Import Nights. The reason? It has both the typical minivan sliding rear doors, as well as front “Lambo-style” doors. Honda hasn’t released much info about the van,...
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Honda intends to put the focus on its environmentally friendly alternative energy vehicles at the Tokyo Auto Show next month, showcasing several products, including the undeniably cute EV-N electric car concept. The car will be in display in the HELLO! Zone (which apparently stands for Honda Electric mobility Loop) next to the hydrogen fuel-cell FXC...
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Honda has just announced that a revised version of its CR-Z hybrid hatchback will debut at the Tokyo Auto Show next month. Honda has already produced a concept version of this car, but the new one (shown above) is as close to production as concepts get. The design has been toned down just ever so...
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Honda is trying hard to promote its new 2010 Accord Crosstour… too hard. The Japanese automaker decided to introduce the world to its new Accord-based crossover via Facebook, where through a free and democratic process people decided it was ugly. And because it is Facebook, people didn’t hold back on their comments. Then what became...
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The U.S. auto industry showed continued improvement in the month of August, helped on by the Obama Administration’s Cash for Clunkers program. Ford was once again a big winner as sales increased 17.2 percent over last August, a significant improvement over the 2.4 percent growth in July – which was thought to be good at...
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Honda has officially revealed the 2010 Accord Crosstour Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV), which will go on sale this Fall, competing head-to-head with vehicles like the Toyota Venza. “Our concept is to broaden the appeal of the Accord line-up by leveraging traditional Accord strengths of fun-to-drive performance and handling while also adapting to dramatic shifts in...
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Honda has released two teaser images of the upcoming Accord Crosstour, which will debut on September 1st. The two images, showing a headlight and the front grille, give two very different ideas of what this Accord-based crossover will look like. The grille, while still very much an Accord design, seems slightly larger and more truck...
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Honda is planning to bring an electric car to market in the U.S. by 2015. News comes from a company spokesman in Japan, as reported in the daily business paper Nikkei. The new model would be a minicar and rumors point to a concept or prototype of the electric Honda to debut at the Tokyo...
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It’s official, Honda will debut the 2010 Accord Crosstour on September 1st and it will have… wheels and… tires. OK, so Honda’s teaser image isn’t much to go on, but knowing these sorts of manufacturer images, it was either this or some abstract of a headlight or door crease. Besides, spy photos of the upcoming...
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Honda Performance Development (HPD), a division of Honda that is behind motorsports activities like the company’s American Le Mans Series efforts, is launching a new program to help both professional and amateur racers. Dubbed Honda Racing Line, this new grassroots motorsports initiative will allow members access to HPD and OEM products, as well as certain...
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According to the U.K.’s Autocar, Honda is fast-tracking a list of updates for the Insight originally scheduled for a mid-cycle makeover that’s still several years off. The focus of the changes will be to further improve fuel-economy, which while impressive at 40/43 mpg (city/highway), lags significantly behind the 2010 Prius and its 51/48 mpg rating....
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The latest bit of Acura NSX gossip points to a return of the luxury Japanese automaker’s flagship sports car, but as an all-wheel drive hybrid. 7Tune is reporting from their sources that when the next generation NSX (known as the Advanced Sports Car Concept) was canned, it was actually more of a temporary matter as...
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Acura will not introduce a rear-drive, V8-powered luxury sedan as the automaker doesn’t need one. At least that’s what Honda president Takanobu Ito thnks. Ito told Automotive News that, “I don’t think we need a classic front-engine, rear-drive car.” Instead Ito believes Honda should chart its own course for Acura, which includes more fuel-efficient models,...
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Honda has just confirmed that it will build two additional hybrid models that will go on sale in Japan starting in February 2010. The first is the highly-anticipated CR-Z hybrid and the second is a hybrid version of the sub-compact Fit. Both models will use Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid system, a less sophisticated...
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We have just received word from Honda that its Toyota Venza competitor will go on sale this Fall. As for the name, it has been confirmed as the Honda Accord Crosstour. Early unconfirmed reports stated the on-sale date as October 26th. The crossover vehicle will be a 2010 model. Honda is set to release further...
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In the latest issue Consumer Reports tests 22 small cars and hatchbacks and Honda’s new Insight only rates a “Good.” That might not sound all that bad, but CR usually gives all Hondas an “Excellent” or “Recommended” or “Top Pick” rating. Out of 22 cars, the Insight is just 21st. The only car to rate...
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Honda is warning that it may not meet its forecasted sales target for the all-new 2010 Insight hybrid and is citing both the worldwide recession and the low cost of gas as factors. The Japanese automaker set an ambitious target of 200,000 units for the car’s first year, with almost half of those vehicle sales...
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Honda’s odd-looking Euro-spec Civic Type-R hatchback is about to get the Mugen treatment. With the success of the Honda Civic Mugen RR sedan, the Japanese Honda-tuner wants to take on the latest Type-R, adding power, dropping weight and making an already amazing package that much better. Mugen isn’t releasing any hard and fast facts yet,...
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