Acura has officially announced that it will add a Sport Wagon version of the TSX sedan to its lineup next fall. Already on sale in other markets as the Accord Touring, the TSX Sport Wagon will likely get all the same specs as the current sedan. Acura says it will provide further details as the on sale date gets closer.
Just after last week's Tokyo Auto Show, IL News Editor Kelly Toepke had a chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with Honda's new president Takanobu Ito.
He laid out several of Honda's goals in the coming years as well as explaining some of the reasons for his actions so far. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the conversation.
In response to a question on his expected time line for hydrogen-powered cars:
"My wish, within 10 years. Please tell your government to build more hydrogen stations."
"Hydrogen stations are not being built as fast as we had hoped, so we have to prepare ourselves with battery EVs."
Regarding the cancellation of the NSX:
"I'm the one that stopped that program."
"I personally would love to develop another sports car, but if our wish is to come true we need to overcome two challenges:
1. Bad economy, need more profit to have freedom to build new cars.
2. Need to develop new green technologies. One we have an abundance of cash, we will develop a green sports car, not like the car Lexus announced yesterday."
And finally his view of the Acura brand:
"There's a certain level of confusion within the Acura line-up, we're in the midst of a big change. Post-Lehman we dropped the larger-than-V6 engine, and have to adjust to new consumer demands."
According to a report in Automotive News, Honda is refocusing its future product plan with an even greater emphasis on reduced weight and improved mileage. Yes, this from a company that already boasts one of the most efficient fleets on the market. Such are the demands of the upcoming fuel mileage standards in the U.S.
The next-generation Honda Civic was the first car to see changes under the new plan. Instead of getting slightly bigger as planned, the redesigned Civic has actually become smaller than the current model. Honda also plans to add more hybrid cars to its lineup and may even develop fully electric cars, a strategy it previously considered unnecessary.
Are snow tires a disaster on dry pavement? And how about summer tires in the snow? Should you just buy all-season rubber and not worry about the weather?
These are just a few of the questions we tried to answer with our Ultimate Tire Test. From the snow fields of northern Minnesota to the test track at California Speedway, we tested three different tires in a variety of conditions. Some of the results were expected while others surprised our test team and challenged conventional thinking.
There was one tire missing from the final results. We also tested a dedicated snow tire in a slightly smaller size to see how that would affect performance. You can't order it that way from the factory, but we thought you might be interested in seeing the results anyway. See the numbers after the jump.
Ultimate Tire Test: All-Season vs. Snow vs. Summer
Continue reading Tire Test: All-Season vs. Snow vs. Summer.
Along with the near-production ready CR-Z hybrid and more pure concepts like the EV-N and Skydeck, Honda also showed off the production version of its new VFR1200 sport touring motorcycle.
It maintains the VFR's V4 engine layout, but adds a substantial bump in displacement along with a throttle by wire system and shaft drive. This VFR is also the first production motorcycle to offer a dual-clutch transmission as an option in place of the standard six-speed manual.
To our eye, this VFR also revealed one more thing: There's still some design talent left at Honda. Hopefully some of that talent will work its way over to the car side of the business.
The CR-Z concept is a pretty good start. Next up - Acura.
One of the most popular cars at the Tokyo show this week, the four-passenger Honda CR-Z concept not only looked good on the display stand, but Honda offered some actual news about its future.
Arriving in the U.S. as a two-seater coupe, the future production hybrid will debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January, with production starting later in the year.
The 1.5-liter i-VTEC + IMA hybrid powertrain will be paired with a six-speed manual transmission in the new coupe.
Although the six-speed manual is a first, the original Honda Insight came with a five-speed manual shifter, so a hybrid stick is not unprecedented.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor
2009 Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Honda CR-Z Concept
Not often do "cool" and "minivan" go together, but Honda's Skydeck hybrid concept has successfully bridged the gap.
The six-passenger Skydeck has an all-glass roof and three rows of super-slim "floating" sport seats, with front scissor doors and rear sliding doors.
Honda hasn't yet announced an intention to build the hybrid minivan, but the concept vehicle could be an early sign that Honda is already considering its next-generation IMA hybrid system in larger vehicles.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor
2009 Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Honda Skydeck Concept
Continue reading Honda Skydeck Concept at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.
Honda says its new EV-N concept car, "with its rounded, simple, unadorned exterior makes friends easily."
We just think it's cute.
With a 78.6-inch wheelbase and an overall length of just 112.6 inches (nearly 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper), the EV-N is definitely designed to stay inside the city limits.
Powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged by solar power, the little four-passenger Honda also offers two built-in chargers for the Honda U3-X. The unicycle-esque "personal mobility device" looks like a cross between a barstool and a can opener.
Honda also showed the EV-Cub concept motorcyle and the EV-Monpal electric scooter concept alongside the EV-N and U3-X.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor
2009 Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Honda EV-N Concept
Walk This Way: Honda Shows Off U3-X "Personal Mobility" Device
Nothing like a hometown crew to get the best access. Looks like MotorMagazine in Japan has already been up close and personal with several of the cars debuting at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show in a couple of weeks. The Toyota FT-86, Honda CR-Z, Mitsubishi PX-MiEV, Nissan Leaf and Mazda Kiyora are all laid out for your inspection. Enjoy all of their hard work.
Honda has finally released details on its highly anticipated VFR 1200F sport-touring bike. Not only does it have all-new styling and a huge 1237cc V4 engine, this new VFR also features an optional dual clutch automatic transmission, the first of its kind in a motorcycle.
Honda says the new transmission will improve mileage and offer three different shift modes, two of them automatic, the third manual. The transmission was developed for "large-displacement motorcycles, particularly sports models destined for use in traditional large motorcycle markets," says Honda.
There's no mention of any automotive variations of this transmission, but if Honda can make this setup work well for its bikes, how long do you think it will be before they expand the idea to the automotive division? Yeah, not very long. Video after the break.
Continue reading New 2010 Honda VFR1200F Features Dual Clutch Transmission.
Finalists for the annual Green Car of the Year award have been announced. The Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI all made the cut.
The Volkswagen Jetta TDi won last year, so we can't help but think the Audi and Golf have a slim chance of taking home the prize this year. And given that the Ford Fusion didn't win last year, it seems unlikely that the Mercury Milan stands much of a chance either.
So that pretty leaves the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. Got any guesses which one will win?
Comparison Test: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius
Remember that Honda Accord Crosstour wagon that made its debut on Facebook awhile back? Well, it's back, and this time Honda has provided shots of the interior to give you an idea how much room there is in back.
Does it look like it's worth it to you?
Honda also noted that the Crosstour will come standard with a 3.5-liter V6 and be positioned at the top of the Accord lineup. It also notes that the Accord Crosstour will offer "four-wheel drive" as an option. Wonder what kind of transfer case they're using?
Cute electric cars should be around every corner at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, but we think there might be more to the Honda EV-N concept than a lithium-ion battery pack. The sheetmetal on this concept is all retro'd up in the style of the original Honda minicar, the 1967 Honda N360, which used a 354cc, 2-cylinder motorcycle engine good for 31 hp at 8,500 rpm.
The EV-N is a touch more advanced than the N360 and features Honda's "HELLO" technology to enable it to communicate with other Hondas and apparently the world at large. Your Japanese kei car might as well stay connected, you know, even if you can't legally send a text message.
More darling photos after the jump.
Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Honda EV-N Concept.
Japanese customers have an endless appetite for cool minivans, so no Tokyo auto show would be complete without at least a half-dozen. Here's Honda's entry for 2009: the Skydeck concept.
The Honda Skydeck is a 6-seat hybrid minivan. We know that Honda wants to take the Insight's hybrid formula and expand it into new areas of the market and the attractive Skydeck is one possible direction. But the appeal of such a vehicle would likely be limited to Japan, where the minivan is sacred. In the U.S., a hybrid minivan still seems like a tough sell to familymobile buyers who, no matter what they, always, always have their eye on the bottom line and won't necessarily spend big bucks on hybrid tech.
For now, at least, the Skydeck is a pure concept with no word of what's under the hood. But the Skydeck could be more significant than it initially appears with its flamboyant scissor-type doors. You see, it relocates the Insight's hybrid system battery to sit within the centre console that runs along the cabin floor -- perhaps a clue to a next-generation IMA hybrid system designed to power bigger vehicles.
More photos after the jump.
Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Honda Skydeck Concept.
Here's another instance of Honda calling a car a concept when it's actually mere inches away from production. This is the 2011 Honda CR-Z, and it is a reborn 1983-92 Civic CRX. It goes on sale in Japan in February 2010, with the U.S. following a few months after that.
Compact and sleek, this 161-inch long coupe/three-door hatch was first shown as a real concept at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show. Now two years on, the 2009 show car is "95 percent" of the real thing, according to Honda officials. The final, final production version will be unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Show in January.
We know that the 2011 CR-Z will be powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC inline-4 combined with Honda's IMA hybrid powertrain, tied to a 6-speed manual gearbox -- essentially the sportiest drivetrain setup the company has offered in a hybrid to date. However, we still think it's likely that Honda will broaden the appeal of the CR-Z line by offering several drivetrain options -- perhaps a price-leader base model with just the 1.5-liter gas engine and perhaps, perhaps a CR-Z Si with a slightly larger, revvier engine.
The CR-Z's busy, compact 2+2 cabin is now virtually production ready and it's believed the car's Ni-Mh battery pack lies beneath the rear floor, as per the Honda Insight, on which it's is based. Even the wheels on this "concept" look production-spec, and if the "lack" of exhaust pipes on the CR-Z gives you pause, just have a look at the tail of a production Insight -- the pipes are concealed on that car, too.
More photos after the jump.
Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Honda CR-Z, the Production-Ready Concept Car.
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