Honda – Page 16 – Automobiles Review

Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid Coupe now offers supercharged performance

Honda-CR-Z_thumb Honda-CR-Z_651

Honda has announced that its CR-Z Sport Hybrid Coupe can now have supercharged performance thanks to a new dealer-installed Honda Performance Development (HPD) supercharger kit that includes a wide number of improvements and enhancements. In case you do not know, HPD is Honda’s North American racing company and it develops various full lines of street performance accessories for the CR-Z, first revealed at the 2013 SEMA Show.

“The CR-Z was the first hybrid to prove that efficiency doesn’t have to come at the cost of sportiness and fun,” said Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development. “With HPD street performance accessories, including the new supercharger kit, the CR-Z will surprise everyone again with even higher levels of performance directly inspired by our on-track racing efforts.”

The new HPD supercharger kit is available for the 2013 and 2014 Honda CR-Z models with manual transmissions. It boosts total powertrain output to 197 horsepower (145 kW) versus 130 horsepower (96 kW) in the stock 2013 and 2014 Honda CR-Z models with manual transmissions thanks to the included HPD air-to-air intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, an ECU calibrated to meet CARB AT-PZEV regulations with 91 octane fuel and the HPD air filter system.

The new HPD supercharger kit is available at Honda dealers where it costs USD 5,495 but this price does not include the installation. The installation of this upgrade will not void your Honda warranty and owners of 2013 and 2014 Honda CR-Z models will get to keep the customer’s 5-year/60,000 miles (100,000 km) Honda limited powertrain warranty if the supercharger kit is installed by a Honda dealer. The HPD supercharger kit is available exclusively for CR-Z manual transmission models and HPD has developed an optional limited slip differential and HPD sport clutch for those customers looking for an even higher level of performance.

HPD also offers street performance accessories that improve track handling. They include HPD sport dampers, coil springs with reduced ride height, 300mm diameter disc brakes and HPD 18-inch wheels fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. The CR-Z is completed by a graphics package including front lip and tail spoilers, rear diffuser and HPD badge.

Source: Honda

August 22, 2014

New Honda Accord features multiple feature upgrades

2015-Honda-Accord_thumb 2015-Honda-Accord_651

Today is a big day for Honda fans around the world due to a simple reason – the 2015 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe begin to go on sale. Both vehicles are complemented by the all-new 50-mpg-rated Accord Hybrid and are sure to make a splash on the market with a combination of quality and new features.

Despite the fact that the Accord Sedan and Coupe are already very well equipped, they come with some more feature upgrades for the year 2015. Both 4-cylinder Sedan and Coupe EX-L and EX-L Navi equipment levels include the HomeLink universal remote system that can be programmed with the codes of up to three devices such as a garage-door opener or home security system. The 2015 Accord EX Coupe with a 4-cylinder engine gets the Honda LaneWatch display that makes use of a camera and an in-dash display to provide an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway. All 2015 Accord EX-L models and Coupe vehicles also come with an auto dimming rearview mirror.

The two models are driven by modern and powerful engines that feature improvements as well. There is a choice between two engines, based on Earth Dreams Technology – a 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine with direct injection and 185 horsepower (136 kW) and a 278-horsepower (204 kW) 3.5-liter VTEC V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). The first engine delivers 189 horsepower (139 kW) in the 2015 Accord Sport Sedan model.

The first 4-cylinder engine can be had with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or 6-speed manual (6MT) and reaches 36 US mpg (6.5 liters per 100 km) highway rating while the second V6 engine can be had with a six-speed automatic (6AT) transmission with a 34 US mpg (6.9 liters per 100 km) highway rating. The V6 Coupe models can be equipped with either the 6AT or a 6-speed manual with the 6AT transmission/engine combination reaching 32 US mpg (7.3 liters per 100 km) highway rating. The 2015 Honda Accord hybrid is powered by Honda’s Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) two-motor hybrid system that transitions seamlessly between electric motor power, gasoline engine power and hybrid gas-electric propulsion, delivering power to the wheels without the need of a conventional transmission. This elegant powertrain helps the Accord Hybrid earn a 50 US mpg (4.7 liters per 100 km) EPA city rating.

The 2014 Accord received numerous accolades, including an unprecedented 28th Car and Driver “10 Best” title, as well as an Automobile Magazine “All-Star” award and “Best Family Car” award from Parenting magazine and Edmunds.com. Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com named the Accord a “Best Resale Value” vehicle and recognized it as having the lowest cost of ownership for a midsize sedan over a projected 5-year period. Included in the awards given to the 2014 Accord Hybrid were a MotorWeek “2014 Driver’s Choice Award,” a KBB.com “10 Best Green Car of 2014” award and a naming to Green Car Journal’s “Top 10 Green Car Technology List for 2014.”

Source: Honda

August 21, 2014

Six Customized 2015 Honda Fit to be on Display at SEMA

Six build teams will each customize 2015 Honda Fit, which later will be on display at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. In this way, the company will showcase the great personalization potential of the new model via an ambitious project vehicle program and interactive Tumblr experience, which starts today. To go further into details, Honda has selected six build teams: Bisimoto Engineering, Kontrabrands, MAD Industries, Spoon Sports USA, Tjin Edition and Kenny Vinces.

Each team will customize a 2015 Honda Fit which will later be displayed at the SEMA Show. Every single personalized Fit is expected to receive modifications such as aerodynamic body kits, wheels, custom paint jobs and much more.

To support this Fit project, Honda is starting the Fit Performance Project (#ProjectFit) on its official Tumblr page. In this way fans will have the opportunity to follow teams’ progress with each vehicle.

#ProjectFit starts from today and will continue through 22nd of October. It will feature many photos, animated GIFs and videos. On Tumblr people can vote for their favorite customized Fit by liking and reblogging posts tagged with #ProjectFit. The shop which will gather the highest total likes and reblogs will win and receive an award from Honda.

The last to be mentioned is that the Fit Performance Project posts will include several themes. For instance, “Preview” will reveal the design illustrations or renderings of the cars, the “Show Us Your Mods” will display five modifications made to the vehicle, while “In Progress” will reveal headway on the design.

Source: Honda

August 21, 2014

2015 Honda Odyssey – US Price $28,975

2015 Honda Odyssey is now available on the market with a starting Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $28,975. The MPV was the top selling minivan with individual (retail) car buyers in the U.S. in 2013 and in the first five months of 2014. The study based on new-vehicle registration statistics from IHS Automotive.

2015 Odyssey comes with a number of upgrades including the acclaimed in-vehicle vacuum cleaner, the HondaVAC^™, featured on the Odyssey Touring Elite. Other upgrades designed to meet the needs of active families included the addition of a standard 6-speed automatic transmission resulting in class-leading EPA fuel-economy ratings, enhanced safety equipment and connectivity features.

The engine range includes a 3.5 liter V6 – 248HP (182 kW) at 5,700RPM and 338Nm (250 lb-ft) at 4,800RPM. The EPA fuel-economy ratings are 19 mpg US in city and 28 mpg US in highway.

There are five trim levels – LX, EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite. A keyless entry system with push button start on EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite allows the driver to approach the vehicle, open the door and start the engine – all without touching a key.

The interior features high-grade meter illumination and interior lighting, chrome-trimmed instrument dials and door handles, an available 7” touch-screen, and an ideally positioned DVD player for the available Rear Entertainment System.

TRIM	MSRP¹	EPA MPG³ (city/highway/combined)
Odyssey LX	$28,975	19/28/22
Odyssey EX	$32,275	19/28/22
Odyssey EX-L	$35,775	19/28/22
Odyssey EX-L with RES	$37,375	19/28/22
Odyssey EX-L with Navi	$37,775	19/28/22
Odyssey Touring	$42,030	19/28/22
Odyssey Touring Elite	$44,600	19/28/22

Source: Honda

August 4, 2014

Honda CR-V crowned as most reliable SUV

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Everyone wants to have a reliable car – after all you would want to have a car that is cheap to maintain and that will give you driving pleasure, taking you anywhere, instead of making you spend tons of cash and waste time in car repair shops. Well, the British Which? Car web site has made your choice a bit easier by naming the Honda CR-V the most reliable SUV for year 2014.

The model in particular that has earned this prize is the 4 x 4 Honda CR-V 2.2 i-VTEC model up to three years old. The car has zero reported breakdowns, average annual repair costs of just GBP 10 and an overall reliability score of 98.5% over a 12-month period.

Impressed? If yes, this is not everything – the Honda CR-V shines with 0.14 faults reported compared to 0.88 for the worst performing in its category and 0.11 days off the road with the worst performing recording an average of 1.09 days. The survey has covered 49 000 owners and some 58 000 cars over a twelve month period.

Leon Brannan, Head of Cars for Honda (UK) comments: “It’s fantastic to see Honda’s excellent reputation for reliability recognised yet again, particularly from a name as respected and trusted as Which?. It’s also really useful to get feedback from customers living with their Hondas day in, day out, as this gives us insight which we can use to continually maintain our high levels of service.”

The latest addition to the Honda CR-V line – the 1.6-liter i-DTEC vehicle – proves the quality, refinement, comfort and reliability of the brand. This car can cover up to 800 miles (1287 km) on a single tank of fuel and its CO2 emissions are just 119 g/km, which means that in the UK the CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC qualifies for zero road tax for the first year and a road tax that can be as low as GBP 30 thereafter.

Source: Honda UK

July 25, 2014

Acura Starts Production Of 2015 TLX In Ohio

The mass-production of the 2015 Acura TLX has just begun at the Marysville Auto Plant. The new performance luxury sedan is scheduled to hit the dealerships across the United States in August. The car was designed, developed and engineered by R&D teams in Ohio and Los Angeles. However, it has been exclusively built in Ohio. TLX looks just great. It combines the sports-sedan athleticism typical for Acura (Honda) with the luxury-sedan refinement.

This Acura vehicle will be driven by either of two powerful and efficient direct-injected engines: the 206 horsepower (151 kW) 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder, and a 290 horsepower (213 kW) 3.5-liter SOHC V-6 unit. Both are both produced locally.

The first one is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (8DCT) with torque converter, while the second comes mated to the nine-speed automatic transmission (9AT). There are also two next-generation Acura precision-handling technologies included: Precision All-Wheel Steer (P-AWS) and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD).

Innovations to the manufacturing process that are to be used include a roll hemming technology which allows for more exquisite vehicle styling, as well as the application of new sound-deadening materials which deliver ultra-quiet cabin of the TLX.

Standard equipment in the TLX features LEDs at the front, rearview camera, Hill Start Assist and push button ignition. Inside, there is a 7” infotainment system, heated and ventilated front seats, LED interior lighting, automatic climate control, 10-speaker 455-watt Acura ELS Premium Audio System. In terms of safety this Acura includes Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Source: Acura

July 15, 2014

Honda Launches 2014 Civic Black Edition

2014 Honda Civic Black Edition has been launched only for the customers of United Kingdom. The new Civic model will be offered with either the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel or 1.8 i-VTEC petrol engines. Its styling combines a number of gloss black elements which lend the car dynamic and at the same time bold look. At the front and sides, we see black front and side skirts, while at the rear – there is a rear bumper garnish. These elements work together, thus contributing for a more aggressive profile.

Furthermore, the car also features an aluminium badge with the Black Edition logo and gloss black roof spoiler which additionally highlights car’s dynamic shape. Even more – the bold look is rounded out by harmoniously integrated covers for the side mirrors, gloss black fuel lid cover and black alloy wheels.

If the five-door hatchback is equipped with the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine, then it will deliver 120 hp (88 kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft). On the other hand, driven by the 1.8 i-VTEC powertrain, the power of the new Honda model is rated at 142 hp (104 kW) and 174 Nm (128 lb-ft).

Of course, the diesel engine is more economically viable than the petrol one. It returns 78.5 mpg with CO2 emissions estimated at 94g/km. On the other hand, the petrol engine returns 46.3 mpg and has higher emissions at 145g/km.

Source: Honda

July 9, 2014

Honda Civic Type R Is Back! [VIDEO]

Honda Civic Type R receives a new teaser campaign. The company has released already the firs video of it, which you can watch below. Honda says that this is a ‘racing car for the road’ and in fact that the new model promises to be the most extreme Type R ever built. It will boast bold and aggressive styling characteristics that are to embody the great performance characteristics of Type R. The campaign is based on the theme of ‘R-rated’. The sixty second film released as a start of the teaser campaign is ‘Disruption’.

It starts showing a sunny day on a suburban street, where family is packing a picnic into the boot of their car. The atmosphere is happy and jolly, including the music. Suddenly, the picture distorts and pixelates and the Honda R-Rated advisory flickers up on screen. Then we see the Honda R-rated advisory notice appear. What happens next … just see the video!

All in all, the Type R is probably is very extreme: it definitely pushes boundaries. This of course, encompasses the spirit of Civic Type R perfectly, and “Disruption” sets the energy and adrenaline levels very high.

At the base of the new campaign is the slogan ‘We R Back’. The new Honda Civic Type R will be launched in Europe in 2015. Type R Concept model makes its UK debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

httpv://youtu.be/i2KNFWW-PV4

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Honda

June 25, 2014

Honda Adds Special Edition To 2015 Pilot Range

2015 Honda Pilot Special Edition includes styling, technology and convenience upgrades. The eight-passenger is considered by many as an ultimate family adventure vehicle, and is currently available in five trim levels. The vehicle is not only practical but also delivers class-leading EPA highway fuel economy rating of 25 mpg as well as towing capacity of 4,500 pounds. The new Pilot Special Edition is positioned between the EX and EX-L trim levels, and s currently available at company’s dealerships.

The three-row eight-seater is characterized by its sporty pewter gray aluminum alloy wheels, special SE badging, one-touch-open power moonroof. Sirus XM radio and a Honda DVD Rear Entertainment System come as a standard, so do the remote entry, rearview camera and an integrated Class III trailer hitch.

The Pilot, regardless of the trim level, is powered by the 250-horsepower4 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). The engine is coupled with a five-speed automatic transmission with Grade Logic Control.

All five trim levels will be available with 2-wheel drive or with Honda‘s Variable Torque Management 4-wheel-drive system (VTM-4). The latter adds fully automatic 4-wheel-drive capability and includes a “lock mode” which can offer the optimum torque transfer to the rear wheels to aid extraction from extremely low traction or stuck conditions.

A rigid body structure and fully independent suspension with MacPherson strut front and multi-link with trailing arm rear complement the powertrain. Full US pricing is listed below:

TRIM	MSRP	EPA Fuel EconomyRating (city/highway/combined)

Pilot LX 2WD	$29,870	18/25/21
Pilot EX 2WD	$32,120	18/25/21
Pilot SE 2WD	$33,120	18/25/21
Pilot EX-L 2WD with RES	$36,970	18/25/21
Pilot EX-L 2WD with Navi	$37,370	18/25/21
Pilot Touring 2WD with RES and Navi	$40,020	18/25/21
Pilot LX 4WD	$31,470	17/24/20
Pilot EX 4WD	$33,720	17/24/20
Pilot SE 4WD	$34,720	17/24/20
Pilot EX-L 4WD	$36,970	17/24/20
Pilot EX-L 4WD with RES	$38,570	17/24/20
Pilot EX-L 4WD with Navi	$38,970	17/24/20
Pilot Touring 4WD with RES and Navi	$41,620	17/24/20

Source: Honda

June 4, 2014

2015 Honda Spirior To Be Launched In China

Honda Spirior Concept was introduced in April at the autoshow in Beijing. The car is currently prepared in production form and is to debut the Chinese market at the Guangzhou Auto Show in the beginning of December. 2015 Spirior model is to be based on the firstly introduced 2009 model. It targets the younger customers, specifically those who live in urban areas. The new Spirior will offer enhancements in terms of exterior design, dynamic performance and technologies. It will also include many safety features.

In North America, Spirior is known as Acura TSX, while in Europe and Japan – as the eight generation Honda Accord. In China, the car will be powered by the 2.0 liter and 2.4 liter four-cylinder petrol engines. The powertrains will be mated as a standard with a Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission, while an eight speed DCT will be probably the optional variant.

The 2.4 liter engine will deliver to its future customers 201 horsepower (148 kW). There is a rumor of another engine in the range – the 3.5 liter V6 one, which develops 280 horsepower (206 kW).

2015 Honda Spirior has bold lines and a wide, powerful stance. It will come equipped with a standard Xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights and a glass moonroof, and will run on 17-inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels. Optional are the split 5-spoke 18-inch aluminum wheels. More details to be announced near official launch.

Source: Honda

June 2, 2014

2015 Honda Civic Type-R [spy photos]

Worldcarfans has published several spy photos of completely undisguised 2015 Honda Civic Type R. The upcoming hot hatchback comes with an aggressive body kit and a powerful engine.

The new Civic Type-R has been tested alongside with Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, Renault Megane RS and the new Golf R. The Concept version of the model was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

The exterior boasts modified front and rear bumpers, a pair of aerodynamic side skirts, extended front fenders and a big rear wing. There is also a new rear diffuser, a four-tailpipe sport exhaust system and dark-yellow alloy wheels fitted with performance tires.

The engine under the hood is expected to be a 2.0 liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol with over 280HP (206 kW). Seat Leon Cupra 280 has already raised the bar with the epic lap around the Green Hell, so all new hot hatchbacks will have at least and over 280HP in order to be competitive. Of course, big brake systems and performance wheel set are compulsory. So, everything will be reduced to the better platform.

We expect the Megane RS 275 Trophy to be the new King of the Ring, until the Civic Type-R is officially on the scene.

Source: WCF

May 16, 2014

Honda Concept B And Spirior Readied For Production

Honda Concept B and Honda Spirior Concept were exhibited and shown for the first time at Auto China in April. Honda is now announcing it plans to introduce a mass-production model based on the Concept B in two years. On the other hand the market introduction of the production Spirior is scheduled before the end of this year, which means that we are soon to expect more detailed information about the car.

The Concept B is a five-door vehicle, which was developed specifically for the customers of the Chinese market. It has advanced looks and cool-looking exterior design. In addition, it offers excellent practicality. These qualities are realized via its compact hatchback style.

Moreover, Honda has disclosed that the development of a mass-production based on this concept model is currently in progress. It will be introduced to the market in two years.

The other world premiere at Auto China made the Spirior Concept. Spirior model was firstly introduced in 2009, and since then it has been providing the joy of driving with its advanced technologies.

Again, the car targets primarily by younger customers who live in urban areas and who pursue individuality. The new Spirior achieved significant advancements in exterior design, dynamic performance and technologies as well as safety features. With this individualistic and fun-to-drive model, the Japanese company is striving to set a new benchmark in the sporty sedan category.

Source: Honda

May 10, 2014

Tag: Honda