Honda Cars : Rumor Mill: Acura Contemplates Getting Rid of “Underpowered” 2.0 ILX | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Karla Sanchez

Though sales for the new 2013 Acura ILX have been anything but stellar, reports suggest the Japanese automaker is plotting a major powertrain change that may help turn things around for the premium compact sedan.

Acura plans on dropping the 2.0-liter I-4 from the lineup, as John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president said it’s “underpowered, and consumers don’t see the value,” to Automotive News. This could mean the racier 201-hp 2.4-liter will replace the less-inspiring mill to further set the ILX apart from the 140-hp Civic.

Currently, the more potent 2.4-liter unit is exclusively paired with a six-speed manual transmission, but Mendel also hints that a 2.4 automatic is in the works. Making such changes could help catapult ILX sales, which aren’t close to hitting the initial target of 30,000 units a year. “We’re hitting two-thirds of our expectations, but we’re growing every month and catching on more,” Mendel told Automotive News.

Acura spokesman Chuck Schifsky tells us a different story, however. “The ILX is slowly getting up to where we want it to be, and it’s taking quite a while to get the awareness built up, but the 2.0-liter isn’t going anywhere.” As for a 2.4 automatic, Schifsky says there’s no plan for that, either.


Source;
http://rumors.automobilemag.com/rumor-mill-acura-contemplates-getting-rid-of-underpowered-2-0-ilx-190651.html#axzz2Eo9Ks07Q

Honda Cars : Autoexpress: Mazda CX-3 on way | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Not sure if this would be coming to North America but it sure is interesting....

Mazda is working on a chunky new supermini-SUV, and our image shows how it could look

Mazda is planning a new small SUV, based on the next-generation 2 supermini, and our exclusive image shows how it could look.

It’s expected to be badged CX-3 and is due in 2014, when it will join a line-up of new Mazdas, ranging from the new 2 supermini and next-generation 3 family car to a new MX-5 roadster and even a city car rival to the VW up!.

When it’s released, the CX-3 will take on crossovers like Ford’s Fiesta-based EcoSport and the Nissan Juke, and aims to be one of the most efficient and best-driving models in its class.

Engineers will use Mazda’s SkyActiv technologies, applying a focus on low weight and strong efficiency to everything from the chassis to the gearbox.

A new diesel – thought to be a 1.6-litre engine – will play a major part in reducing emissions. The most efficient version of the bigger CX-5 – which features a 2.0-litre diesel – manages 61.4mpg and 119g/km, but the CX-3 could be capable of around 80mpg and 95g/km.

Mazda is also thought to be developing a 1.3-litre petrol turbo, which could feature in the CX-3 line-up.

In this class, two-wheel-drive crossovers outsell four-wheel-drive versions by some margin, so the CX-3 may be offered as a front-wheel-drive model only.

As it did in the CX-5, Mazda will attempt to deliver a taste of the MX-5’s driver appeal, so the new car’s steering and gearbox will be set up for instant responses and feedback.

Our image reveals that the CX-3’s front end will borrow the CX-5’s ‘shield’ grille, plus its chunky underbody protection, while the sharp headlights are from the 6.

Practicality will be key to the CX-3’s appeal, so engineers are working on a clever seat layout, which sees the rear seats fold flat at the touch of a button.

The newcomer will be priced from around £13,000, and we’ll get our first proper look at it in early 2014. Sales of the CX-3 are then expected to start later that year.

Source;
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/61612/mazda-cx-3-way

Honda Cars : Honda teases “Urban SUV Concept”: Jazz/FIT-based SUV | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Above is thUrban SUV Concept teaser, below is the Chinese only Li Nian Concept from Beijing in 2008.

Here’s a first teaser sketch of the upcoming Honda Urban SUV Concept which will make its world debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on 14 January 2013. The Honda Urban SUV Concept will preview a B-segment SUV based on the centre-tank layout Honda Jazz platform.

This is not the first time a concept B-segment SUV based on the Honda Jazz has been put forward. But it’s the first time it’s going to have a Honda badge. Previously, Honda and its Chinese partner showcased the Li Nian SUV concept at Beijing 2008, powered by a 1.8 litre engine. Comparing the sketch above and the Li Nian concept, it doesn’t seem to be the same design as the character line on the side is different.

Source;
http://paultan.org/2012/12/12/honda-teases-urban-suv-concept-jazz-based-suv/

Honda Cars : Honda 3-Cylinder Engines a Possibility, Exec Says | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Ever more stringent CAFE requirements in the U.S. and CO2 regulations in Europe are squeezing automakers like never before. They’re turning to technologies and fuels they would have never considered just 10 years ago. What’s Honda’s strategy to meet these standards?

 “Trend-wise, downsizing powertrains [is key]” said Tetsuo Iwamura, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. He also said small displacement engines and turbochargers “are the direction” for all automakers, but stopped short of saying if or when the capital “H” would introduce such a powertrain.

Interestingly Honda went in the opposite direction with the new Acura RDX. In its first-generation this compact luxury crossover featured a turbocharged four-banger under the hood, but the latest incarnation is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that surprisingly delivers more power and is more efficient. Front-wheel-drive models deliver up to 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

“Three-cylinders could have a possibility as well,” Iwamura said, a statement that suggests Honda is possibly considering a small engine with an odd-cylinder count.

Next year Ford will offer a Fiesta in North America with a three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. Displacing just 1.0-liter, it delivers reasonably snappy performance and superb fuel economy. If the Blue Oval is successful with this unconventional small-car effort Honda could follow suit.

Diesel is another route to higher efficiency, but if you’ve been praying for oil-burning Hondas to land at dealerships in America keep on dreaming because it doesn’t look like that is going to happen anytime soon.

Iwamura said they would have to sell between 30,000 and 50,000 diesels in the U.S. annually to make a business case for offering them. They would also have to be made available on the Accord and Civic “to be accepted by the mass market” he said.

Cost is another issue. Diesel engines are more expensive than their gasoline counterparts as is the fuel itself. Iwamura said oil refiners in the U.S. are optimized to produce gasoline; they’d have to invest in their production facilities to make more diesel. As such there’s not enough of the fuel to go around, which increases its price.

One alt-fuel area Honda has played an active role in is compressed natural gas. With the Civic, it’s the only OEM to produce a CNG-powered passenger car in the U.S. However, on the pickup side, the 2012 Ram 2500 CNG is the sole OEM-built truck in North America to be powered by the vaporous hydrocarbon.

Of course natural gas has its own issues, from limited availability at fueling stations in the U.S. to insufficient range. But one potential advantage is home filling. Drivers can top-off their tanks from the natural-gas line in their houses. There are issues, though.

Iwamura said the CNG sold at gas stations has been dried, meaning moisture has been removed from it. This is not the case with the natural gas used in people’s homes. It contains excess water, which is very bad for vehicles. Furnaces and kitchen ranges don’t mind the extra moisture.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/12/honda-3-cylinder-engines-a-possibility-exec-says.html

Honda Cars : Honda Planning Multiple Variants of Fit for North American Markets | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The Honda Fit has long been one of our favorite subcompacts, deftly combining ultra-efficient packaging with entertaining driving dynamics. But the number of variants sold in the North American market of Honda’s popular subcompact is about to triple, according to a report from Automotive News. Construction of a new assembly plant in Mexico is currently underway, where the models will be produced for both the Mexican and U.S. markets. With an annual capacity of 200,000 units, the plant should be able to handle demand from both markets.

In a nod to U.S. tastes, the next-generation Fit may be offered in a four-door sedan configuration, as well as a compact crossover, in addition to the current five-door hatchback model. Worldwide, Honda already sells multiple variations of the Fit, which is also sold in some markets as the Jazz. The recently-introduced Fit Twist was unveiled for the Brazilian market, which added more rugged styling cues and slightly higher ride height to give it somewhat of the “Outback” treatment. Alternately, Honda sells the seven-passenger Fit Shuttle in Japan and other markets for customers looking for added passenger and cargo versatility in a compact package.

Honda expects the Fit to become its fastest-growing nameplate in the years ahead, and key to its growth in the Mexican market, where Honda sold 36,209 vehicles through the end of 2011. The company has already surpassed last year’s total by selling 42,933 units through the end of October.
Will the addition of a notchback Fit eat in to Civic sedan sales, or appeal to a whole different consumer? Share your thoughts on Honda’s lineup expansion below.


Source;
http://rumors.automobilemag.com/honda-planning-multiple-variants-of-fit-for-north-american-markets-190411.html#axzz2EatqcA8N

Honda Cars : Ohio r&d for next Accord? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

TOKYO -- A clean-sheet redesign of the Honda Accord just left the gates, but engineers are already planning its successor.

Development of Honda's next-generation flagship sedan, due in 2016 or 2017, likely will be led from Ohio instead of Japan. The car may get a downsized turbocharged engine for better fuel economy. And the gasoline-electric hybrid variant will be made in North America.

That is a preview of Honda Motor Co.'s thinking from Shoji Matsui, large project leader of the Accord's current redesign.

Matsui has led the Accord since 2009. A good English speaker and self-confessed Disneyland devotee, the jovial engineer was tapped for his expertise in developing cars for America.

He cut his teeth on earlier generations of the U.S.-spec Accord and most recently was chief engineer of the Odyssey minivan. His orders with that vehicle: Seamlessly transfer Odyssey lead development from Japan to Honda's American r&d center in Ohio.

With the ninth-generation Accord, which hit showrooms in September, Matsui overhauled the car with the American market in mind. The same strategy will apply for the 10th-generation Accord.
The Accord is already one of Honda's most Americanized cars. But the company's global tech center in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, still handles key engineering.

That will change with the next generation, Matsui says.

"Technologically speaking, Ohio is fully capable," Matsui told Automotive News. "As the future trend, it is for sure that the r&d is being transferred over there."

Honda has said that the Ohio tech center will lead development of the next-generation Civic. A spokeswoman says no decision has been made for the Accord.

But President Takanobu Ito, in an October interview, said he wants to give America top responsibility for the next Accord.

Honda also aims to build the hybrid version of the car in North America. That shift would require a beefed-up r&d operation and a new supply chain for specialty parts such as batteries.

Honda plans to make the plug-in and regular hybrid variants of the new Accord at the company's Sayama plant north of Tokyo, at least initially. The plug-in hits the United States next year.

But hybrid manufacturing should shift to the United States by 2015, within the Accord's current generation, Matsui said.

"We intend to produce them around the world within the current design of the vehicle," Matsui said. "It's not too far away. Right now in Ohio, they are looking into it and making studies."

The start of hybrid manufacturing would have to coincide with a Christmas or summer shutdown to allow for factory retooling, he said. That limits the window to twice a year.

For the next generation, made-in-USA hybrids should be routine. Matsui also expects some drivetrain tweaks next time around.

Boosting fuel economy was key in the recent redesign.

To increase efficiency, Honda considered using a downsized turbocharged engine. But Matsui's team scrapped the idea because it felt the turbocharger's delayed kick-in wasn't conducive to the smooth ride the team desired from a family sedan.

But Honda hasn't forgotten the idea.

"For the next-generation Accord, it will get a downsized turbo for better fuel efficiency," Matsui predicted, saying that turbo systems and control technologies are evolving quickly.

In the newest Accord, Matsui opted to improve fuel economy by using a continuously variable transmission.

One problem: CVTs typically deliver slower driving response than automatic transmissions. But Ito wanted the CVT to deliver better torque than an automatic at low RPMs.

Matsui said the solution was to keep the CVT for fuel efficiency and add a direct-injection engine to boost torque.

Source;

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121203/OEM03/312039984

Honda Cars : 2014 Honda Accord PHEV priced at $40,570 (USD) | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Andrew Christian

The 2013 Honda Accord has already started selling and will get two hybrid versions. Honda took the opportunity at the Los Angeles Auto Show to announce the pricing for the 2014 Accord Plug-In. In addition, Honda confirmed that a regular hybrid model will follow next summer. Honda has already confirmed the Plug-In Hybrid awhile back but has revealed that the Accord PHEV will begin to sell in only a few short weeks. By January 15, buyers in New York and California will be able to get their Accord PHEV, priced from $40,570, including destination costs. A hybrid tax credit has yet to be confirmed. For this price, consumers get an Accord with a design that’s slight different for improved aerodynamics. All of the Accord Touring creature comforts and features (such as forward collision and lane departure warnings, as well as a rear-facing LaneWatch camera) can offer up to 115 MPGe, the EPA said. The Accord PHEV has an electric-vehicle-only range of 13 miles.

At this point, the gasoline engine would kick in. It has an overall fuel economy of 47 mpg city, 46 mpg highway, 46 mpg combined. The range is slightly shorter than extended-range electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt but the outcome is that drivers could recharge their Accord plug-ins in shorter than one hour with a 240-volt charger or three hours with the use of a 120-volt outlet. Furthermore, the Accord PHEV is eligible for California’s vaunted “Access OK” carpool-lane-exemption stickers, which permits single commuters to utilize HOV lanes.

There will be a less expensive hybrid available if the Plug-In costs too much. The 2013 Honda Accord Hybrid will appear more like the Honda Accords with traditional gas engines but it offers 49 mpg city, 45 mpg highway, 47 mpg combined due to its next-generation, two-motor Hybrid system that should offer a performance and economy that’s better than the current Integrated Motor Assist unit. These figures are nearly totally in line with those of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which claims 47 mpg in the city, on the highway, and in combined driving.

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/2014-honda-accord-phev-priced-at-40570/