Honda/ Acura Archives

In 1990 one of the best Japanese sports car, ever was born, the 1990 Acura NSX. Honda created the ulitmate mid-engined supercar that showed the world that Honda had what it takes to play with the big boys. The NSX had the style, power and technology it needed to compete with the best that Japan and Europe could offer. The first NSX remained pretty much unchanged until it was discontinued 15 years later in 2005.

Fast forward to 2012 and Honda has committed to releasing a new NSX and has previewed it with the NSX concept. The next NSX is due in 2015 with a hybrid powertrain. Will Honda be able to recreate the success and love of the original? Only time will tell...

In the meantime check out this promo video that shows the history of the original NSX and where the new one will go.

Despite only being on the market about a year, Honda is pushing up the Civic's midlife refresh to the 2013 model year, only 18 months after the current generation was introduced. After major criticisms from the press about the new Civic, Honda is moving faster than normal to fix its popular Civic.

The 2012 Civic has suffered with the automotive press due to its lower quality interior and less than adequate suspension. The 2012 Civic even lost its "recommended" rating (non-Si models) from Consumer Reports. Initially it was announced that a heavily revised Civic would arrive sometime in 2013, but now it's being reported that an "improved" Civic will arrive this fall for the 2013 model year.

Most midlife refreshes usually happen three years after a model is released and even then the changes are small with tweaks to the front and rear fascias and maybe small updates to the interior. Thankfully the updates to the Civic are expected to be much larger. Surprisingly, even though the 2012 Civic hasn't received the most stellar reviews, Honda sold 21,883 Civics last month, putting at the top of its class.

Acura has announced that the production versions of the 2013 ILX compact sedan and RDX crossover will debut next week at the Chicago Auto Show.

The ILX concept and RDX prototype debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in January and both models that we saw are pretty close to what we expect to see unveiled in Chicago. According to Acura, the 2013 ILX sedan, which shares its platform with the Honda Civic, will be positioned as the gateway model to the Acura brand. It will be offered with three different powertrain options, including a hybrid.

The 2013 RDX has more passenger room and cargo volume than the outgoing model. The 2013 RDX also ditches the existing turbocharged four-cylinder for a 273-hp 3.5L V6. Although the new RDX will now be powered by a V6, Acura claims that it will offer the best fuel economy of any gasoline-powered luxury SUV in its class. Acura expects front-wheel-drive models to get 20/28 mpg.

The Super Bowl is only a few days away, but automakers have started giving us previews of its commercials that will air during the show. Today we've seen previews of Honda's spot with Ferris Bueller and Toyota's commercial for the 2012 Camry. For the first time ever Acura is going to air a commercial during the big game.

During the third quarter of the game, Acura's commercial is going to air that features Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno coupled with the NSX concept that was unveiled in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show earlier this month.

"Acura has a specific plan in place across all communication channels to build off of the first round of product news announced at the North American International Auto Show. The response to the ILX, RDX and NSX supercar concept has been extremely positive," said Susie Rossick, Acura Brand Manager. "Our Super Bowl strategies are simple--build upon the buzz created in Detroit and leverage the excitement for the future return of the legendary NSX to the Acura lineup."

This commercial, "Transactions," depicts two actual top car collectors, Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, in an unrelenting bid to be the first in line to take delivery on the first Acura NSX.

"The goal is to present a commercial that not only clearly positions the NSX as the ultimate 'must have' sports car, but does it in a way that is memorable, entertaining and aligned with Acura's brand position," said John Hage, EVP/executive creative director at RPA, Acura's advertising agency of record.

Matthew Broderick plays a grown-up version of Ferris Bueller in Honda's Super Bowl commercial for the 2012 Honda CR-V. The 60-second spot reinterprets a handful of landmark scenes from Paramount's 1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off, including the museum visit, rogue valet and infamous parade float lip sync.

"Matthew's Day Off" is part of an integrated, multiplatform advertising campaign that began earlier this month to support the launch of the all-new Honda CR-V. The campaign encourages the active, hip Gen-Y audience transitioning between their carefree twenties and their more focused thirties to conquer their aspirations by completing their own "Leap List."

"Our primary goal is to support the launch of the all-new CR-V, a pillar vehicle in the Honda lineup, while representing the inherent fun and youthfulness of the Honda brand," said Tom Peyton, Honda brand manager, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Check out the extended version of the commercial after the jump.

Honda has announced the pricing for the new four-cylinder version of the 2012 Honda Crosstour, which starts at $27,655.

The four-cylinder Crosstour is powered by a 192-hp 2.4L four-cylinder that is mated to a five-speed automatic. The four-cylinder is only available with front-wheel-drive. Compared to the front-wheel-drive 3.5L V6 equipped Crosstour, the four-cylinder model is obviously more fuel efficient with an improvement of 3 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. The four-cylinder Crosstour is rated at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway.

All 2012 Crosstour models now come standard with an automatic dimming rearview mirror, a rearview mirror back-up camera display on non-Navigation models, auto-on/off headlights, Bluetooth and a USB audio interface.

"The new four-cylinder Crosstour offers sleek design, unmatched passenger comfort and ingenious functionality now with four-cylinder pricing and fuel economy," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "With four-cylinder and V6 options and a long list of standard features, Crosstour should be on every CUV buyer's shopping list."

It took 12 years, but Honda has announced that its cumulative worldwide hybrid vehicle sales surpassed 800,000 units as of the end of December 2011.

Honda introduced its first hybrid model, the Insight in Japan in November 1999. Since then Honda has produced two versions of the Insight , hybrid versions of the Civic and Accord and the CR-Z sports hybrid. Today Honda sells seven hybrid models in approximately 50 countries around the world.

Next year Honda plans to reintroduce an Accord hybrid with a plug-in hybrid system. The 2013 Accord Plug-in Hybrid will use a 6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a 120 kW electric motor to achieve an all-electric range of approximately 10-15 miles in city driving and a top speed of 62 mph. Honda has also announced that the upcoming 2013 Acura ILX compact sedan will be offered with a hybrid system, marking the introduction of the first Acura hybrid.

Honda has begun deliveries of the 2013 Fit EV, with the first one going to the city of Torrance, California. The delivery was marked by a ceremony at the Torrance City Hall, at which a key to the Fit EV was presented to Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto by Steve Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda.

"This is an exciting day as we take another important step toward Honda's comprehensive vision for reducing CO2 emissions while at the same time advancing our relationship with the city of Torrance," said Steve Center. "Honda has a long history with electric vehicles starting with the introduction of our first battery-electric car, the EV Plus, nearly 15 years ago. With Honda's extensive experience and the real-world feedback from the city of Torrance, we will be even more prepared for the further customer adoption of electric vehicles."

The 2013 Fit EV was unveiled last November at the 2011 LA Auto Show and will go on sale to customers in California and Oregon this summer. It has a range of 76 miles and is powered by a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery and 92 kW coaxial electric motor. According to Honda, the Fit EV can be fully recharged in as little as 3 hours when connected to a 240-volt outlet. The 2013 Fit EV will start at $36,625 before any government incentives, with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month.

Honda has given us our first preview of the all-new 2013 Accord with the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept that was unveiled today in Detroit. In typical Honda fashion, the Accord Coupe Concept is a thinly disguised version of the production version that is arriving this fall.

The 2013 Accord will get three all-new powertrains, including a 181-hp 2.4L direct-injected engine and a two-motor plug-in hybrid system. The new Earth Dreams 2.4L engine will be mated to either a six-speed manual or a new CVT. Honda claims that the 2.4L equipped 2013 Accord models are targeted at delivering class-leading fuel economy.

Honda is not going to follow Hyundai and Ford's lead by no longer offering a V6 in their midsize sedans, since Honda has announced that the 2013 Accord will be offered with a 3.5L V6 mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The new V6 will generate more power fuel economy than in the current Accord.

The 2013 Accord will see the return of an Accord hybrid, which will be powered by a two-motor plug-in hybrid system that moves continuously through three modes - all-electric, gasoline-electric and direct-drive - to maximize driving efficiency and fuel economy. In all-electric mode the Accord Plug-In Hybrid will use a 6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a 120 kW electric motor to achieve an all-electric range of approximately 10-15 miles in city driving and a top speed of 62 mph. Fully recharging the battery will take less than four hours using a 120-volt, outlet and less than 1.5 hours using a 240-volt charger. In the gasoline-electric hybrid mode, the Accord is powered by its fuel-efficient 2.0-liter, i-VTEC inline four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle engine, paired with an electric Continuously Variable Transmission. The Accord Plug-In Hybrid launch next winter.

"Marking the 30th anniversary of U.S. production, this new ninth-generation Accord will raise the bar again through a tour de force of new Honda powertrain and safety technologies, geared to ensure that Honda and the Accord continue to lead in fuel economy, safety and fun-to-drive performance," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda.

In addition to the Acura ILX and NSX concepts, Acura has also unveiled the 2013 Acura RDX as a prototype. What you see here is basically the 2013 RDX, which looks more like a baby MDX than before, which is not a bad thing.

The 2013 RDX will launch this spring with a standard 3.5L V6 that replaces the previous turbocharged four-cylinder. The 3.5L V6 packs 273 horsepower, 33 more than the last RDX. The V6 is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and a new, lighter all-wheel-drive system is optional. Front-wheel-drive models are expected to get 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, which Acura claims will be "the best fuel economy of any gasoline-powered luxury SUV in its class."

The new RDX rides on a longer wheelbase and wider track that translates into more passenger and cargo room. The RDX also gets a host of new technologies including Pandora internet radio interface, SMS text message feature, a smart entry keyless access system, pushbutton start, and a three view rear camera.

Here's one of the models that we've been eagerly awaiting, the Acura NSX Concept. Acura has unveiled its preview of the next NSX that will be released within the next three years. Unlike the previous NSX concept with its V10 engine, this one stays true to the original and is likely to make NSX fans much happier.

The newest NSX concept features a mid-mounted V6 engine and uses lightweight materials to keep the weight down. The NSX concept also gets a bunch of new technologies including Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD hybrid system. The all-wheel-drive hybrid system features two electric motors at the front of the concept that can can instantly generate negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering. A next-generation V6 engine with direct injection works in concert with a dual clutch transmission with built-in electric motor to create supercar acceleration while offering outstanding efficiency.

Is the world ready for an eco-friendly supercar? Takanobu Ito, president and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. stated, "In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities."

Acura has just taken the wraps off three new models at the Detroit Auto Show. The first one is the Acura ILX concept, which is the precursor to the new Acura compact sedan coming this spring.

Acura describes the ILX as the gateway to the Acura brand and it will get three different powertrains, including Acura's first-ever gas-electric hybrid.

"First time luxury buyers place the highest value on exterior styling, affordability and environmental issues and that's a virtual definition of what we have created with the new Acura ILX," said Jon Ikeda, head of the Acura Design Studio. "The strategy behind this new model is to position ILX as the first opportunity for many young buyers to enter the luxury market."

The ILX gets Acura's controversial grille, but fortunately its been toned down. For the most part the ILX stays true to Acura's current design language, but it isn't as harsh as the TL.

Buyers can choose between three engines, a 2.0L four-cylinder, 2.4L four-cylinder and 1.5L gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain.

Inside the ILX will get a smart entry keyless access system and pushbutton start, along with Pandora internet radio interface and SMS text message function for smart connectivity with the world.

The 2013 ILX will look pretty close to this concept when it goes on sale this spring.

2011 is officially over and for some of the automakers it was a difficult year with the earthquake in Japan and the flooding in Thailand that crippled production. Honda and Toyota were hit the hardest with sales falling off sharply for some of their popular models. Although Honda and Toyota had a difficult year, Ford and Chevy had a much better year.

The top two models continue to be the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado, with the Toyota Camry holding onto the top selling car title.

Check out the list after the jump.

Honda has confirmed that a new NSX concept will debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. the NSX concept that we're going to see is supposed to be a preview of the next NSX.

It's also being reported that the next NSX will be powered by Honda's new electric SH-AWD hybrid system that will use a 3.5L V6 and a pair of electric motors. The setup in the NSX will be reversed with the V6 powering the rear wheels with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the electric motors will power the front wheels. The combined output is expected to be somewhere around 400 horsepower and the NSX will reach 0-60 mph in less than five seconds.

The next NSX will reportedly also be offered in both coupe and roadster variants.

Come back for all the coverage on Jan 9th.

The standard Honda Civic may no longer have a "recommended" rating from the Consumer Reports, but the sportier Si version recently earned the publications highest rating.

Consumer Reports now Recommends the Si version of the Civic due to the fact that the 201 horsepower engine "delivers terrific acceleration at high revs." CR likes the new engine better than the last Civic Si engine, since it now has more torque. The Si also managed to get 29 mpg overall.

Although the Civic Si now has a Recommended rating from CR, it still suffers from many of the same issues as the basic Civic models, such as vague steering, cheap plastics, a jittery ride, and lots of noise.

The latest reports claim that Honda is hard at work on an update for the Civic, which is reportedly going to arrive as early as the end of 2012.

Ever since the Honda Fit was introduced to the U.S. in 2006 the Fit has set the standard for subcompact cars. This year it was named to Car and Driver's 10-best list, for the sixth consecutive year. For the 2012 model year the Fit gets even better with the Sport models getting a slight exterior refresh and all models getting more standard equipment.

On the outside the 2012 Honda Fit Sport gets a new front grille and bumper, black headlight bezels and a dark "machined surface" finish alloy wheels. The non-Sport model makes due with the addition of body color mirrors and restyled wheel covers. On the inside the Fit is now quieter thanks to additional sound insulation and thicker front corner-window glass. New beverage holders and ambient lighting are also part of the updates to the 2012 Fit. The Fit Sport also gets steering wheel mounted audio controls and standard Bluetooth on the navigation equipped model.

Honda has announced the introduction of two new four-cylinder, two-wheel-drive Crosstour models that are going on sale next month.

The four-cylinder equipped Crosstour is powered by a 2.4L four-cylinder that puts out 192 horsepower and 162 lb-ft. of torque. The four-cylinder is mated to a standard 5-speed automatic. The four-cylinder Crosstour models get 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, which is a slight jump from the 18/27 mpg rating of the two-wheel-drive V6 Crosstour.

New standard features on all Crosstour models includes an automatic dimming rearview mirror, a rearview mirror back-up camera display on non-navigation equipped models, auto-on/off headlights, Bluetooth and USB audio interface.

It's no secret that Honda screwed up with the redesigned Civic that came out earlier this year. Honda's CEO has even gone on record by taking the blame for the Civic's poor reception. It was previously reported that Honda was going to speed up the redesign of the Civic due to the negative feedback, but that new Civic wasn't expected until sometime in 2013. Now it looks like Honda has already sent its dealers a memo stating that the reworked Civic will arrive by the end of 2012.

Since the redesigned Civic is coming so soon, don't expect to see any big changes. The redesign will probably be similar to a standard mid-life refresh. Hopefully Honda will pay most of its attention on the interior.

According to the The Associated Press, American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura stated that Honda is going to "improve the Civic's drivability." With that announcement we can expect to see some suspension upgrades as well, although Iwamura stopped short of providing any further details.

Honda has finally announced the pricing for the all-new 2012 Honda CR-V, which starts at $22,295 for the CR-V LX 2WD.

Just in case you missed it, Honda unveiled the 2012 CR-V at the LA Auto Show last month. The overall styling isn't a huge departure from the current CR-V, but it is completely new and luckily Honda didn't mess it up like they did with the new Civic. The 2012 CR-V is powered by the same 2.4L four-cylinder engine that now packs 185 horsepower and 163 lb-ft. of torque. The four-cylinder is mated to a standard five-speed automatic and an all-new Real Time All-Wheel-Drive system is available. The new CR-V is more fuel efficient than before with a 23/31 mpg rating for the 2WD version and 22/30 mpg for the AWD CR-V.

At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Honda unveiled the EV-STER concept, an electric rear-wheel-drive two-seater convertible sports car. According to the latest reports the concept is headed to production.

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito recently spoke with Auto Motor und Sport, in which he revealed that the roadster could be launched with either electric or gasoline powertrains. The concept is powered by a 78 horsepower electric motor with lithium-ion batteries and has a range of 100 miles on a single charge.

According to the German magazine, the production version of the EV-STER could arrive as early as next year.

The next-generation of Acura's flagship sedan is going to debut in the spring at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The 2013 successor to the RL will go on sale by the end of next year, but according to Inside Line, Acura has not decided if its flagship sedan will continue to use the RL name or if a new name will be used. The new flagship sedan will be larger than the current RL. Acura officials claim that it is going to have the interior space of a BMW 7 Series, but will drive more like the smaller 5 Series. The 2013 Acura sedan will get more distinctive styling and is going to be offered with the choice of a V6 engine or a V6 hybrid system with all-wheel-drive. The hybrid system, which is also going to be offered on the next NSX features a 3.5L V6, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 20kW electric motor on each of the rear wheels. According to Honda the hybrid system has the power of a V8, but the fuel-efficiency of a four-cylinder.

With the upcoming introduction of the new ILX compact sedan, the fate of the TSX and TL sedans is still a question. Acura has announced plans to only have three sedans in its lineup that are further differentiated than the current lineup. The TSX and TL sedans will most likely be replaced by one midsize sedan.

Next month Acura is set to debut three new vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show. Acura has announced that an all-new compact sports sedan, a redesigned RDX crossover and a concept version of the next-generation Acura NSX will debut at the show.

The Acura ILX concept is a preview of an all-new luxury compact sedan scheduled for launch in spring 2012. The new ILX compact sedan is based on the Honda Civic and will be offered with three powertrains including Acura's first-ever gas-electric hybrid. The ILX will also be the first Acura to be produced at Honda's plant in Greensburg, Indiana. The RDX that we will see next month is a prototype of the second-generation 2013 RDX.. The 2013 RDX will continue to be based on the Honda CR-V, but will ditch the current turbocharged 2.3L four-cylinder for a more powerful V6 engine. The V6 will also be more fuel-efficient than the current four-cylinder. The NSX concept is a preview of the styling direction of the new NSX.

"Acura has a steady cadence of exciting new models coming to market and it will all begin in Detroit," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura sales and service. "From the all-new Acura ILX at the gateway of the lineup to the pinnacle of performance with the Acura NSX Concept, Acura vehicles are being created for luxury customers who aspire to the highest levels of quality and value, with beautiful styling and the right balance of technology, performance and environmental responsibility."

Honda has announced that the 2013 Accord Coupe Concept will debut next month in Detroit. The Accord Coupe concept will be a preview of the all-new ninth-generation 2013 Accord that is set to go on sale in the fall of 2012.

Honda hasn't released any details about the new Accord, other than stating, "The Accord Coupe Concept will convey the dynamic and aggressive profile" of the next Accord. The Accord Concept will be officially unveiled on January 10th.

The all-new US-spec 2012 Honda Civic launched this past spring and immediately the Civic was criticized for its boring redesign and lower quality than previous Civics. Consumer Reports even took the Civic off its "recommended" list because CR claimed that the 2012 Civic has a lower quality interior, rides worse and has more road noise than the previous model.

The Civic's poor reception combined with reduced inventory have resulted in a 15 percent sales drop in the first 10 months of this year, while the market is up 10 percent. Honda's CEO Takanobu Ito has now taken full responsibility for the Civic's decline in the U.S. market.

According to the Automotive News, Ito stated, "The ultimate responsibility rests with me. We take inputs from the various markets with sincerity and try to work out the best actions for what we have observed. Those decisions rest with me."

Since the new Civic was under development when the U.S. economy imploded in 2008. Honda predicted that buyers would want lowered priced cars with less features. Honda's prediction was wrong, which has been a blessing for the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Chevy Cruze, which have all received full redesigns with more available equipment.

In order to fix the Civic's troubles Honda is going to move up its redesign, according to American Honda executive vice president John Mendel. It's mid-cycle change could come as early as the 2013 calendar year, which would be a year ahead of Honda's typical schedule.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but Christmas and the new year are right around the corner. Today is the first day of December and with that we have the sales totals from November, which turned out to be a great month for most of the automakers.

Out of the big automakers, Honda was the only one that didn't have a good month, which was largely due to low inventory levels of the CR-V and Accord models. The Accord held the number 3 spot in October, but completely fell off the top-10 list in November. At least an all-new 2013 Accord is slated for the spring.

The top two spots were occupied by the regulars, the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado. The Toyota Camry came in third meaning it maintained its hold on the top selling car in the list. The Ford Escape was the top selling SUV in the list.

Check out the list after the jump.

Honda has chosen the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show to release the details about its next-generation technology called "Earth Dreams Technology." The new technology is set to greatly enhance both driving performance in addition to fuel efficiency. Honda hopes this new technology will help it achieve top-of-industry fuel efficiency for every category within three years.

A wide range of engines including the 660cc, 1.3L, 1.5L, 1.8L, 2.0L, 2.4L, and 3.5L will feature the new technology, which includes an enhanced VTEC system, direct-injection technology and the Atkinson cycle. A new downsized diesel engine is also part of the plan as well as new CVT transmissions that will be used by mini, compact and mid-size vehicles. A two-motor hybrid system a high-output 120kW motor that features three driving modes and a high efficiency electric powertrain for all-electric models are also being developed.

The more exciting part of the announcement is the introduction of a new high output electric SH-AWD hybrid system that will be used by large-sized vehicles. It combines a 3.5L V6 engine with two electric motors that reportedly has the power of a V8 engine, but is as fuel efficient as a four-cylinder engine. The two electric motors power the rear wheels, while the V6 mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission with a built-in 30kW electric motor power the front wheels.

When will all this technology actually debut? Well the good thing is that some of it will start arriving next year.

Following the initial unveiling at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011, Honda's UK division has announced plans to produce the CR-Z Mugen RR, which is now being referred to as the CR-Z iCF.

The CR-Z iCF is powered by a modified version of the CR-Z's 1.5L hybrid setup. The CRZ-iCF gets a supercharger, new induction system and Mugen ECU. Thanks to these upgrades the CR-Z iCF has almost 50 percent more power than the standard CR-Z at 173 horsepower. Honda claims that it will reach 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds, which is three seconds faster than the standard CR-Z.

Martin Moll, Head of Honda (UK) marketing said, "MUGEN Euro magic has created a super responsive yet eco-conscious model building on our sporting credentials and giving us the ability to compete in the "hot hatch" marketplace as we move into 2012."

The CR-Z iCF will be available in the UK in the spring with pricing starting at £24,000. Sadly Honda has no plans to offer this hotter CR-Z in any other markets.

This week Honda is unveiling the Small Sports EV Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show (above), which is expected to be released by 2013, but Honda is set to bring a more exciting concept to Detroit in January.

The Super Sports Concept will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The concept will provide a preview of the successor to the NSX. Expect the concept to be powered by either a high-performance hybrid system or an electric powertrain.

The Small Sports EV and Super Sports concepts provides some hope that Honda is going to put some "sport" back in its lineup. Honda's CEO Takanobu Ito recently stated that Honda has begun work on the successor to the original NSX.

The 2013 Honda Fit EV is having its world debut in LA and will be available by the summer. The Honda Fit EV is powered by a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 92 kilowatt coaxial electric motor. It features a 3- mode electric drive system, adapted from the CR-Z Sport Hybrid and has a range of 123 city-mile per charge or a 76 mile range with combined city and highway driving. It will only take 3 hours to recharge the battery using a 240-volt outlet.

"The Fit EV is the next critical step in Honda's portfolio approach to alternative fueled vehicles," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "There is no other automaker on the planet whose spirit is more deeply invested in the effort to realize a cleaner, more energy-efficient and ultimately more sustainable transportation future than Honda."

The 2013 Fit EV's pricing starts at $36,625 before any government incentives, with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month. Honda expects to only produce approximately 1,100 Fit EV's over the next three years.

The fourth-generation all-new 2012 Honda CR-V was just unveiled minutes ago in LA. After several spy photos and photo leaks, the CR-V that we saw at the show today wasn't a big surprise. But nonetheless the CR-V is getting a complete redesign, that is more evolutionary than a drastic change like the 2013 Ford Escape.

The 2012 CR-V retains its five-passenger seating configuration and four-cylinder engine. The CR-V is powered by the same 2.4L engine as the outgoing model, but it now puts out 185 horsepower and 163 lb-ft. of torque. The four-cylinder is mated to a standard five-speed automatic. Honda claims that the 2012 CR-V will get 23 city, 31 highway and a combined rating fuel economy rating of 26 mpg, an increase of +2/+3/+2 mpg compared to the 2011 CR-V.

All CR-V models will come standard with an "easy fold down" rear seat, Bluetooth and a rear view camera. The CR-V also gets new tech features like an SMS text messaging function, which can read received texts from compatible cell phones aloud over the audio system and Pandora internet radio.

Honda has yet to announce the pricing for the 2012 CR-V, but it will go on sale by the middle of next month.

Honda has given us a preview of what it's going to be bringing to the Tokyo Motor Show in December, the Small Sports EV concept.

According to Honda the Small Sports EV concept is a next-generation EV sports model that "maximizes the fun of driving while achieving excellent environmental performance." Honda hasn't released any other details about the concept other than the teaser photos you see here.

Could this be a preview of a new "sporty" Honda? We can only hope...

The flooding in Thailand has hurt Honda's production, which the automaker predicted would delay the all-new 2012 CR-V. Now even though production will need to be adjusted, Honda claims that the 2012 CR-V will launch next month.

The 2012 CR-V will have its world debut next week at the LA Auto Show.

Honda has released all the details on the 2012 Ridgeline pickup that gets a few upgrades for the 2012 model year in addition to the new Ridgeline Sport model.

The 2012 Ridgeline gets a refreshed front grille and some aerodynamic improvements that increase the fuel economy rating of the Ridgeline by 1 mpg on the highway (15/21).

The new Ridgeline Sport model adds features to the base Ridgeline RT like black 18-inch alloy wheels, a black honeycomb grille with black surround, fog lights and blacked out headlights and taillights.

All Ridgeline models are powered by a 3.5L V6 that pumps out 250 horsepower and 247 lb-ft. of torque. The V6 is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission and Honda's Variable Torque Management 4-wheel-drive system.

The 2012 Ridgeline starts at $29,250, while the top of the line Ridgeline RTL with navigation starts at $37,180.

Honda has unveiled a new more powerful Honda Accord concept at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The Accord Coupe V6 HFP Concept is the result of Honda's Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD) and is meant to demonstrate the performance potential of the Accord V6 coupe.

The Accord Coupe V6 HFP Concept packs a host of available HFP components, including a supercharger and performance air intake and exhaust systems. The modifications under the hood brings the output of the 3.5L V6 up to 335 hp and 285 lb-ft. of torque (up 64 hp and 34 ft. lbs in the standard Accord V6).

Honda created the concept to gauge consumer interest, but there are no plans to produce it. An all-new 2013 Accord is expected next spring.

Honda has had a tough year with the devastating earthquake in Japan and now the flooding in Thailand has hurt production again. Honda has announced that due to the flooding in Thailand many of its suppliers in Asia currently are unable to maintain parts production, which is disrupting the flow of parts to production operations in North America.

So what does this mean? Honda is going to temporarily adjust automobile production at all six Honda auto plants in the U.S. and Canada. Production is expected to drop off by 50 percent, but the worst part of the announcement is that the all-new 2012 CR-V will most likely be delayed again. It was already delayed due to the earthquake earlier this year and was expected to go on sale next month, but the newest delay could push that on sale date back by several weeks.

The auto industry showed signs of improvement last month with many of the automaker's posting sales gains over the same period in 2010. Chrysler came out on top last month with sales up 27 percent, while Nissan's sales were up 18 percent. Ford's sales increased a modest 6 percent, which was brought down thanks to Lincoln and GM posted a very small increase of just under 2 percent.

The top-10 list from October saw the Honda Accord stealing the top spot from the Toyota Camry, which is all-new for 2012. The Camry's decline is largely due to the switchover from the outgoing 2011 to the all-new 2012 Camry that is just starting to show up in dealers. So the Camry could return back to the top spot in November. Other noteworthy winners last month were the Ford Escape, which saw its sales rise just over 30 percent and the Ram pickups, which saw a nice 25 percent increase.

Check out the list after the jump...

The 2012 Honda CR-V is set to debut in a few weeks at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but we have our first leaked shots of the JDM-spec CR-V. As expected, the production version of the 2012 CR-V differs only slightly from the concept version that we saw earlier this year.

Honda hasn't announced what will power the 2012 CR-V, but its expected to continue to be a four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic.

Stay tuned..

The 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show is less than a month away. Honda has announced plans to unveil the all-new 2012 CR-V as well as the production version of the 2013 Honda Fit EV at the show.

Honda gave us a preview of the 2012 CR-V with the CR-V concept earlier this year. According to Honda, the all-new CR-V will "showcase new exterior and interior styling, improved fuel economy and added technology features."

The Honda Fit EV was originally previewed by the Fit EV concept in LA last year. Honda announced last year that the production version would be able to reach a top speed of 90 mph and have a range around 100 miles per charge using the US EPA city cycle (70 miles when applying EPA's adjustment factor).

Honda has unveiled the updates to the 2012 Honda Insight, which includes a refreshed exterior and interior and slightly better fuel efficiency.

The exterior of the Insight gets updates that includes: restyled front and rear bumpers, a new grille, new headlights and taillights and restyled wheels. The new bumpers and changes under the vehicle, contribute to a 2-percent increase in aerodynamic performance.

The Insight's interior gets updated with a reconfigured rear seat area for better leg and head room, a redesigned gauge cluster background, new beverage holders that fit larger drinks and a more supportive front armrest.

The 2012 Insight is now a little more fuel efficient with a 41/44/42 mpg fuel economy rating, up from 40/43/41. It's powered by a 1.3-liter 4-cyl engine that's mated to a 10-kilowatt electric motor and a CVT.

Lately there have been reports that Honda is going to soon kill off the Ridgeline pickup, but according to Sage Marie, manager of truck product planning at American Honda, those reports are false.

Marie claims that the Ridgeline still plays an important role in the Honda lineup and there are no plans to discontinue it in the foreseeable future. Sales of the Ridgeline have dropped significantly this year. With only 6,500 units being sold in the first nine months of this year compared to 12,700 sold in the same period in 2010. The March earthquake in Japan did stop production of the Ridgeline for three months, but its hard to solely place the blame on the earthquake for the lower sales. The Ridgeline was released in 2005 and hasn't had any large updates.

For the 2012 model year the Ridgeline received some styling updates, improved fuel efficiency and a new Sport model.