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You know what's cool? Dice games. You know what's even cooler than that? Breaking world records. What's even better than that? Helping people in need!
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First up is the imaginatively named Concept C. According to the automaker, 'C' stands for "Cool, "Challenge" and "China." As much as we wish we were making that up, we aren't. The car itself, though, looks pretty bold, with striking character lines down each side and a fascia that would look right at home on the next Battlestar Gallactica spinoff. We're curious to see how much of the C's conceptual styling makes it into production when a mass-market version hits the Chinese market in 2013 – if it were toned down just a bit, we think Honda could do worse than inject some of this boldness in its American lineup, though some might suggest the grille has overtones of the controversial styling decisions seen at Acura.
Moving along, we have the Concept S, which supposedly stands for "Stylish," "Smart" and "Surprise." Like the Concept C, Honda says Concept S will spawn a production model that will debut in China in 2013, with global sales following thereafter. Honda isn't saying exactly what is powering the S other than mentioning it's a hybrid.
Scroll down below for the complete press blast from Honda.
BEIJING, China, April 23, 2012 - Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. today exhibited at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show the world premiere of the Concept C and the Concept S, two concept models that show the direction of mass-production models Honda will introduce to the market next year. (The 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, press days: April 23 -24, public days: April 27 - May 2, 2012)
Concept C
Concept C is a concept model for a middle-class sedan Honda is developing specially for the Chinese market. The "C" represents "Cool," "Challenge," and "China." The Concept C features a stately, distinctive and sporty design that was inspired by the image of a dragon. The product planning for this model was led by Honda's Chinese associates and the development was done through cooperation between development teams in China and Japan. Honda is planning to introduce a mass-production model based on this Concept C next year through Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.
Concept S
Concept S is a global concept model of a new-value passenger mover that was developed primarily for the Chinese market and will go on sale first in China. The "S" stands for "Stylish," "Smart" and "Surprise." Adopting a hybrid powertrain, this concept model realizes both the "fun of driving" and excellent environmental performance at the same time. A spacious cabin was realized by Honda's packaging technologies, which is one of the distinctive strengths of Honda. A mass-production model based on this Concept S is scheduled for introduction to the Chinese market through Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. next year, followed by a global release.
Introducing Acura ILX and RDX this fall
Also at the Beijing Motor Show, the Acura brand introduced the Acura ILX, a small-sized sedan and the RDX, a small-sized SUV for the first time in China. Both models are scheduled to go on sale in China this fall. Also an all-new Acura NSX Concept supercar will be displayed in China for the first time. The new NSX will be launched in China after it is launched in the U.S. within the next three years.
Strengthening China-original development models
Last year, Guangqi Honda launched the mass production model of its original brand named Li Nian. And yesterday, Dongfeng Honda introduced CIIMO, its originally developed middle-class sedan.
Comment of Takanobu Ito, President and CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
"What continues to drive Honda forward is our passion to take on new challenges with our technologies without being limited by what came before, and to create products that make our customers say, 'I wanted this kind of car!' We will concentrate this driving force here in China and build vehicles tailored to the needs of our Chinese customers. Toward this end, Honda and our joint venture companies will work together to further localize our development, production and parts sourcing in China."
Courtesy of Autoblog.com
That roofline is one inch lower to aid aerodynamic efficiency, as well as to give the crossover a more hunkered-down appearance. Despite the lower roofline, CR-V still offers plenty of headroom, increased passenger volume, and the same ground clearance as the 2011 model. Honda says that this is the largest and most functional interior possible for a vehicle of this size. With greater body rigidity and additional noise insulation, the CR-V promises to a quieter ride than the previous car.
The previous CR-V had hands down the highest-quality interior in its class, and the new car seems to follow that.
Upgrades include an available new multi-information display, a 5-inch LCD that displays the trip computer information and vehicle settings. It also shows the image from the rear-view camera. The top-line CR-V has Bluetooth controls for mobile phone connectivity, allowing the phone to be controlled via steering wheel switches. The 60:40 split rear seats can be folded down using a one-pull lever inside the cargo area, to make for a flat loading bay. The top-line 2.4-liter EX variant gets a sunroof as well.
It wouldn’t be a Honda without advances to the drivetrain, and indeed the CR-V’s new 2.4-liter gets a power and torque boost to 183 hp and 220 Nm, while getting 10 percent better fuel mileage. The 2.4-liter engine comes with all-wheel drive. The CR-V’s AWD system drives the front wheels only by default, and can quickly engage the rear wheels via an electronically controlled multi-clutch system when slipping is predicted.
The 2.0-liter engine delivers 151 hp and 190 Nm. Both engines have Honda’s trademark iVTEC variable valve timing system: DOHC on the 2.4 and SOHC on the 2.0. All engines mate to 5-speed automatic transmissions, with ratios customized for front or all-wheel drive. We lament the non-availability of the previous six-speed manual, with which the CR-V was easily capable of delivering double-digit km/liter figures. The new engines can run on regular gasoline. As on the all-new Civic launched this year, the CR-V features an Econ button that alters throttle response, air conditioning, and other functions to help boost fuel economy.
CR-V rides on MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, and on 17-inch alloy wheels. ABS and EBD brakes are standard, and the 2.4-liter model includes a hill-assist feature that helps prevent the vehicle from rolling forward or backward when driving on an incline.
The CR-V 2.0-liter LX retails for P1.425 million while the all-wheel drive 2.4-liter EX is priced at P1.655 million. The white pearl paint version will be P20,000 dearer still.
The crossover market is sizzling hot, with more contenders than ever in different shapes and sizes. The new CR-V is a welcome addition.
Courtesy of The Business Insider
Griner, who helped lead Baylor to the first 40-0 season in either the men's or women's college game, already has taken home the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Trophy, The Associated Press national player of the year honor and the WBCA defensive player of the year award.
She also becomes Baylor's second Honda Award winner. Zuzana Zemenova was honored in women's tennis in 2005 after winning the NCAA singles title as a freshman.
"I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball," Griner said in a statement. "I want to thank the voters and Collegiate Women Sports Awards for this prestigious honor, as well as my coaches, teammates, and especially my mom and dad, for without all of them, this would not be possible."
The Honda Sports Award is presented annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. As a Honda prize recipient, Griner becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious Honda Cup. She was chosen by a vote of coaches from 1,000 NCAA member schools.
Nnemkadi Ogwumike of Stanford, Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame and Elena Delle Donne of Delaware also were finalists for the Honda award.
The 6-foot-8 Griner, of Houston, averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and a
nation-high 5.2 blocked shots per game this season. With 2,425 points and 599 blocks to her credit, she is the first NCAA player to score more than 2,000 points and block more than 500 shots and needs just 65 blocks to become the all-time blocks leader.
Courtesy ESPN
Honda won the 2012 brand award for nonluxury makes for the second consecutive year, while Acura took home the luxury brand award for the first time. Edmunds.com found that Honda's average projected retained value after five years is 47.9%, while Acura's average projected retained value is 44.6%. In each case, the percentage is based on the average five-year retained value of the carmaker's 2012 models that launched prior to the end of 2011.
"Honda has long had a reputation for dependable used vehicles, and that is reflected in today's booming used car market," said Joe Spina, Director of Remarketing at Edmunds.com. "And with Acura beating out all other luxury brands, Honda's family of vehicles continues to expand the company's status as one of the best values available to car buyers today."
Edmunds.com named a total of 23 winners in its model-level categories, ranging from "Sedans Under $20,000" to "Large Heavy Duty Trucks." Ford led all carmakers with five model-level awards, followed by Honda with four.
All model year 2012 vehicles that were launched by the end of 2011 and that had unit sales in February 2012 that were at least 20 percent of the average unit sales for the models in its segment were eligible for this year's model-level awards. Edmunds determined each model's competitive segment based on its body type and the sales-weighted average MSRP of all available styles (excluding destination charges) of that model's body type. All makes that had over 100,000 unit sales in 2011 were eligible for this year's brand-level Best Retained Value Awards.
The Best Retained Value Awards are given annually.
Courtesy of Business Wire
While the tiny images don't reveal much, the top sketch seems like its a coupe, one that bears a resemblance to the Accord. The bottom one looks like some sort of people mover, with lines that seem drawn from both the North American and international versions of the Odyssey.
Honda says it will also be displaying three hybrids in China: CR-Z, Insight and Fit Hybrid. The Acura ILX and RDX and the Acura NSX Concept will also be on hand. All five of those, excepting the NSX, will be launched in China this year, says Honda.
Scroll down to read the full press release.
For the Honda brand, introduction of more than 10 new and full-model-change models is scheduled during the 3-year period from 2013 to 2015. By enhancing its product lineup, we will steadily increase our sales striving to double its 2011 unit sales in 2015.
Honda will more focus on the needs of customers in China and introduce a number of products that will bring joys to customers.
All Honda vehicles sold in China will shift to new engines that apply Earth Dreams Technology, Honda's innovative next-generation technologies. The engines of all Honda brand vehicles will be renewed by the end of 2015. In this way, Honda will strive to realize the highest fuel economy in each vehicle category in the Chinese automobile market.
As for hybrid models, within this year, Honda will introduce three models to the Chinese market. All three models, the CR-Z, the Insight and the Fit Hybrid, are equipped with Honda's original IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) lightweight and compact hybrid system.
Honda is currently preparing for local production of hybrid models in China. Through local procurement of key components such as batteries and motors, Honda will strive to reduce costs in order to popularize hybrid vehicles in China.
As the next step following the popularization of the IMA hybrid system, Honda will introduce to the Chinese market a new hybrid system most appropriate for mid- to large-sized vehicles as well as a plug-in hybrid system.
As for electric vehicles, Honda began demonstration testing in Guangzhou last year. Based on the results of this testing, Honda is preparing to begin local production at Guangqi Honda sometime toward the end of this year.
Strengthening Acura brand products
The new NSX will be introduced to the Chinese market which represents the Acura brand. The new NSX will apply the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD(R) (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) hybrid system which combines superior driving and environmental performance.
The Acura brand will strengthen its product lineup in China this year with introduction of the ILX, a small-sized sedan, and the RDX, a small-sized SUV, as well as the scheduled introduction next year of the RLX luxury sedan.
Moreover, starting in stages next year, the Acura brand is planning to introduce models equipped with new, relatively small-sized engines, for which demand is high in China.
The powertrains of all Acura models also will be renewed by the end of 2015 to bring the latest advanced technologies to customers in China.
Strengthening R&D
Honda is considering the establishment of a Honda design studio in China. The R&D teams of the joint venture companies, the development team of Honda China and Honda research centers in Japan will work together to significantly enhance Honda's R&D capacity in China. Through this initiative, Honda will further strengthen its system and capability to enable its Chinese associates to locally develop products that exceed the expectations of customers in China.
Along with the further localization of our development, Honda also will pursue further localization in the sourcing of parts and components. To increase cost competitiveness, Honda will further increase the number of new local suppliers.
Expansion of production capacity
In July of this year, the second plant of Dongfeng Honda will begin production. At this new plant, Honda will employ the world's latest production technologies to achieve excellent environmental performance and to make it an advanced plant with a human-friendly workplace for associates.
Guangqi Honda is also making progress with a plan to build its third line and is aiming to begin production on this new line in 2014.
Courtesy of The Auto Blog
"At Honda, we feel that this visibility feature will be important to many families and we're widely applying it even before we may be required to do so," said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president of product planning for American Honda. "In addition to the wide application of the rear-view camera technology, Honda is also introducing several new features for enhanced driver safety, visibility and security in model-year 2013."
Rearview cameras are just one aspect of Honda's comprehensive 360-degree approach to technologies designed to enhance a driver's visibility, demonstrated by a host of features available on 2013 Honda models. Safety technologies such as Honda's new Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems will be available on the 2013 Honda Accord and Crosstour. Both systems use a camera mounted behind the windshield to warn drivers of a potential collision in front of them or to alert drivers if the car is unexpectedly moving out of its lane.
Other Honda features aimed at improving driver visibility are the Expanded View Driver's Mirror - already standard equipment on the 2012 Honda CR-V - and the Honda-exclusive LaneWatchTM blind-spot display. LaneWatch uses a camera mounted on the passenger mirror to provide an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway. This unique technology will debut on the 2013 Accord followed by the 2013 Crosstour.
Courtesy of Honda Media.
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Honda unveiled the 2013 Crosstour Concept today at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), pro
viding the first official glimpse of a more capable-looking exterior styling direction for the luxurious mid-size CUV. Set to go on sale this fall, the Crosstour's defined lines will resonate more clearly with the active consumers that form the largest portion of the premium crossover segment. The 2013 Crosstour V-6 will feature improved fuel economy thanks to its new 6-speed automatic transmission, while both four-cylinder and V-6 versions will benefit from a host of safety and visibility upgrades.
"Fueled by a combination of versatility, luxury, and efficiency, owners have demonstrated remarkable devotion to the Honda Crosstour," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "The 2013 Crosstour Concept shows how Honda will strengthen the styling and add even more content to one of the most efficient offerings in the class."
Concept Design
The Crosstour Concept features a more capable, SUV-like styling direction for Honda's mid-size crossover. A more aggressive and athletic front end, new contrasting moldings on the lower door garnish, and cleaner front and rear fascias anchored by the rugged look of finished sill plates provide more visual strength to the Crosstour Concept. Adding to the SUV-like stance, a new rear-fender finish helps give the Concept a more solidly planted appearance.
Up front, the new integrated foglamp treatment is complemented by a slotted finish beneath the headlights, which helps integrate the new, bolder grille. The revised tailgate sports a more horizontal design to add visual width to the sculpted lines at the rear of the Crosstour.
The Crosstour Concept is coated in a fresh hue, similar to one of two new shades that will appear on the 2013 Crosstour. Anchoring the Crosstour Concept are unique 5-spoke 19-inch wheels, while the 2013 Honda Crosstour will feature new 18-inch alloy wheels.
Though not on display in the Crosstour Concept, the luxurious interior of the Honda Crosstour will see even further refinement for 2013, including heavily revised trim materials, the addition of an 8-inch, in-dash inf
ormation display, keyless ignition, and steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters on V-6 models.
Advanced and Efficient Powertrains
The Crosstour will offer two powertrains for the 2013 model year: a re-engineered and more powerful 3.5-liter, 24-valve, SOHC, i-VTEC V-6 engine, or a 2.4-liter i-VTEC inline four-cylinder engine. The 2013 Crosstour V-6 models will feature a 6-speed automatic transmission and utilize Honda Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology to achieve class-leading V-6 fuel economy1 along with an overall improvement in fuel economy compared to the outgoing model. Also available on Crosstour EX-L V-6 models is Honda's Real Time 4WDTM system, which sends power to all four wheels when front-wheel slippage is detected.
The four-cylinder Crosstour models are powered by a 2.4-liter, 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC® engine producing 192 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 RPM. To maximize efficiency, a 5-speed automatic transmission with Grade Logic Control is standard equipment.
Safety and Te
chnology Innovations
The 2013 Crosstour will introduce numerous new safety features, and is targeted to earn top scores in the federal government's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The next Crosstour will be available with Honda's Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) technology. Both systems use a camera mounted behind the windshield to alert drivers if the car is moving unexpectedly out of its lane or to warn drivers of a potential collision in front of them.
The 2013 Crosstour will provide a host of visibility enhancements, and will be one of the first models to receive the Honda-exclusive LaneWatch™ blind-spot display, which uses a camera system mounted on the passenger mirror for an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway. Standard equipment to further enhance visibility on the 2013 Crosstour will also include re-shaped rear headrests, a rearview camera and an ExpandedView Driver's Mirror.
Standard Crosstour convenience features include an automatic dimming rearview mirror, auto-on/off headlights, Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® and USB audio interface. Other available features on the 2013 Crosstour will include a hard-drive based navigation system, Pandora internet radio interface, XM satellite radio and an SMS text-to-speech function.
Courtesy of Honda Media
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Volkswagen, alone among foreign car companies, was trying limited U.S. production, assembling Rabbit compacts at a Pennsylvania factory, and struggling to get it right.
While auto buyers now take for granted that many European- or Asian-brand vehicles are made in the heart of the U.S., 30 years ago, it was a stunning notion.
Japan's Honda was "the canary in the coal mine," says John Voorhorst, a consultant and retired executive of auto-parts supplier Denso. "There were a lot of skeptics" betting Honda's plant at Marysville, Ohio, wouldn't last.
In fact, that "transplant" factory, which built its first Accord in November 1982, burst a dam. Within a few years, Japan's major automakers all were here cranking out new vehicles.
At the New York International Auto Show, opening to the public Friday, Honda will display new versions of the Accord, and Nissan will unveil a redesigned Altima -- both made in the U.S. and among its best-selling cars. Toyota will show a successor for Avalon, its U.S.-made big sedan based on the U.S.-made Camry.
"Once (Honda) had the trial by fire and came through, clearly, it emboldened others. It was the opening of the floodgates," Voorhorst says. Foreign companies "saw that you could come here and not have to have a Volkswagen-esque experience."
In the three decades since, Japanese carmakers have opened more assembly and parts factories here, joined by Europeans and South Koreans.
The industrial immigrants haven't been welcomed by all.
A decade ago, about 51% of vehicle and parts manufacturing jobs were clustered in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, traditional turf of the Detroit Three. Workers were mostly represented by the United Auto Workers.
Now, there are fewer than half as many total automaking jobs as a decade ago, and Michigan, Ohio and Indiana have just 44% of those left, according to data from the Center for Automotive Research. Many of the jobs now are in foreign-owned, non-union transplant facilities, mainly in the South.
About the time Honda opened its pioneering plant, General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group accounted for three-quarters of new vehicles sold in the U.S. That's about 47% now.
Foreign automakers with U.S. factories, in comparison, have about 48% of all new-vehicle sales here, according to industry tracker Autodata.
While the foreign-brand sales include both imported and U.S.-built vehicles, the robust market-share has encouraged the companies to build cars here.
Today, 10 foreign-based car companies operate 16 big assembly plants in the U.S. and others in Canada and Mexico, building for North America and for export. They also now make engines, transmissions and other key components in the U.S.
Despite that now-proven success, it would have been easy to bet against Honda 30 years ago:
- VW's converted Chrysler factory at Westmoreland County, Pa., was stumbling toward failure. It closed in 1988.)
- U.S. buyers' love affair with import brands hadn't bloomed.
- Whether U.S. workers could build foreign-designed cars to the same quality standards and could work for foreign bosses still were question marks. "There was suspicion about the quality of the American workforce" and its ability to perform under Japanese management techniques, recalls David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Michigan.
Once the American-made Accords arrived at dealerships, for example, some shoppers looked at vehicle identification numbers, insisting on a VIN beginning with the "J" that meant the car was made in Japan.
"In those early days, some people wanted Japan-built Accords, but that lasted about two seconds," says Kurt Antonius, recently retired after 28 years running Honda's U.S. public relations office. He was at GM when Honda opened its plant.
He believes that bias against Ohio Accords was undercut when auto magazines "bought both and did comparisons. They were identical."
Cole says Honda's move into U.S. production also broke Japanese automakers' insular tendencies -- which he says was more significant overall than building cars here.
"Historically, the Japanese tend to be very inward-thinking. Coming here was a huge, huge step. It was a cultural chasm of immense dimension," Cole says. Honda "broke that barrier."
Next up, Nissan
Less than a year after Honda began making Accords at Marysville in June 1983, Nissan Motor opened a factory in Smyrna, Tenn. That plant now can build more than half-a-million vehicles a year and makes Altima sedans, Frontier pickups and Pathfinder SUVs.
In 1986, Toyota Motor began production at Georgetown, Ky., where it builds Camry and Avalon sedans. It can make 500,000 vehicles a year.
Toyota, Nissan and Honda have built more U.S. plants since then. Japan's Subaru and Mitsubishi have joined them. German luxury brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz also now have U.S. factories. South Korea's Hyundai and Kia have U.S. plants.
And now, again, so does VW.
Despite corporate anguish and embarrassment about the Westmoreland failure, last year, it opened a plant at Chattanooga, Tenn., that makes its redesigned Passat.
"The decision in the Volkswagen Group to build a factory in the U.S. was difficult, due to what happened at Westmoreland," said Christian Klingler, member of the VW Group board in charge of worldwide sales.
He and VW Group global CEO Martin Winterkorn discussed Westmoreland and Chattanooga during a visit to Detroit earlier this year. Klingler said it took years to get over the fear that U.S. workers "wouldn't be able to hold quality." Winterkorn said VW's mistake was trying to build an Americanized car at Westmoreland when "the American customer wanted a German" car.
What's the motivation?
Why, then, did Honda have the guts to build a U.S. factory?
There was then, as now, a big currency exchange risk in dollar-denominated markets. That threatened all foreign automakers. "It became clear that the only way you could isolate from the problem was to build where you sell," Cole notes.
But Honda moved first, he says, because it was scrappier, evolving from a motorcycle and small-engine maker into a full-fledged car company over the objections of its home government. It also had a toe in the water, building motorcycles in Marysville since 1979.
Says Cole, who's spent a career digging into what motivates Japanese and other car makers: "Honda sees itself as the dirty-fingernail motorcycle-mechanic kind of operation, more entrepreneurial than the others."
Courtesy of Channel 3 WKYC.com
