2008 Canadian Acura RL is on sale!


The 2008 Canadian Acura RL has little changed for 2008. However, there is a slight price increase from 2007 prices. There are a couple of new colours and a new interior colour this year, Taupe Leather.
For more Canadian Acura RL information, visit http://www.acura.ca/index.html?fileId=5.4.1&lang=1

Honda News

In Hawaii, Toyota continued to dominate the market but Honda gained ground in the market with the new CR-V and Odyssey. Honda's market share in Hawaii rose from 12% in the first quarter to 13%.

Spied! Duo 2008/09 Honda Pilot and 2009 Acura TL







Spied tidbits of the new Honda Pilot (first two pics) and possibly the new Acura TL (last four pics). Expect the Pilot to have a upgraded V6 rather than the V8 Honda keeps telling us. Expect the TL to have a similar body style and size to the current TL but with a possible 300+hp V6.

San Jose Mercury News' Honda Element SC Review

Find it @ http://www.mercurynews.com/drive/ci_6477089

Courant.com's Honda CR-V EX-L NAVI Review

Find it @ http://www.courant.com/business/hc-0728crv.artjul28,0,3782651.story

Top 10 Least Successful Cars in China

Surprisingly this year, the Acura TL topped the list.

Last September, the Acura TL was introduced in China with hopes of American-like popularity. However, it sold less than 200 units during the first six months of 2007. One reason that it failed because that the TL's advanced features were appliedo nly on the demand of customers who would pay the bill. Other imported luxury cars in China were readily equipped so that the fallout would be that the low sales result for the TL.

Top 10 Most Recognized Brands

Honda and Toyota are in the Top Ten brand list, compiled annually by Harris Polls.


These are some of the recent results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,372 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive® between June 5-11, 2007. Survey responses were unaided – top of mind awareness –and a list of brand names was not presented to respondents. Some interesting fluctuations have emerged over the last decade for automotive brands as the table below details.

2007 Rank

1st- Coca Cola
2nd- Sony
3rd- Toyota
4th- Dell
5th- Ford
6th- Kraft Foods
7th- Pepsi Cola
8th- Microsoft
9th- Apple
10th- Honda

The most notable changes this year are Honda, falling from No. 6 to No. 10 and Kraft Foods which rose from No. 9 to No. 6.

UK Honda Civic Hybrid Euro NCAP Crash Test Ratings


The UK Civic Hybrid scored 4 stars for child and occupant protection and 3 starts for pedestrian protection.

The Civic Hybrid's results have been anticipated throughout Europe where fleet buyers and consumers are increasing using lower CO2 emissions and higher safety scores to determine their purchasing decisions.

Testers found that, while the "passenger compartment remained stable during the impact, there was insufficient pressure in the airbag to prevent the dummy's head for making contact with the steering wheel. Structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury."

In contrast, the US Civic Hybrid had 5 stars for frontal crash tests. Although, the Euro NCAP crash tests are tested differently than the US NHTSA/IIHS way of testing.

2005/2006 Honda FCX Tax Credit


Honda's 2005 and 2006 FCX is qualified for the alternative motor vehicle credit. Specifically as a fuel cell vehicle, the Honda FCX is eligible for the qualified fuel cell motor vehicle credit, the IRS said. The 2005 and 2006 Honda FCX may receive tax credits of $12,000.

UK Honda CR-V Sales


Sales of the Honda CR-V in UK have soared in the first half of this year all due to the fact that SUV buyers are becoming more aware of environmental issues. Sales of the CR-V rose 28% compared to the same period last year. Honda is putting much of this down to its "Not all 4x4s are the same" campaign where it highlighted that the CR-V is cleaner and smaller than other SUVS while its carbon dioxide emissions are lower than many of its rivals.

On and all, it looks like the CR-V is having a golden year. From this success to the North American success, it looks like we proved wrong when we said styling affects sales.

Honda News

Honda beated its forecasts with a 16% rise in quarterly profit after increased exports and currency gains outweighed higher raw material and sales costs and it lifted its full year forecasts to reflect a softer yen. Honda is suffering at home in Japan but it domestic plants are running near to full capacity to fill orders of the Civic, CR-V and Fit overseas. Although Honda has a solid performance in North America, the outlook for the yen seems uncertain. Honda spent $275 million in the first quarter in sales incentives, mostly used to push the final generation Accord out. Honda now expects a positive impact of 27 billion yen from currency swings instead of the 81 billion yen loss it projected three months ago.

Unconfirmed 2008 Changes for Acura CSX and Honda Civic

These are unconfirmed changes for the 2008 CSX and Civic for Canada.

2008 Acura CSX- No more Touring model, Vehicle Stability Assist standard across the line, Tech Package offered, Habanero Red replaced by Tango Red Pearl, Availability of Taffeta White across the line, Tire Pressure Monitoring System standard across the line, Illuminated Driver's and Front Passenger's Vanity Mirros standard across the line and apparently some dealers say 2008 Acura CSX Premium model will be $1000 cheaper that 2007 models.

2008 Honda Civic- DX- no changes, DX-A- adds A/C to DX, DX-G- adds cruise control and alloy wheels, LX- adds power sunroof, split folding rear seats, 4-wheel ABS and lip spoiler, EX- no longer offered (?), EX-L- adds leather, Si Sedan- possible availibility; may replace Acura CSX Type-S, only available in a 6-speed manual transmission.

These are all unconfirmed so stay tuned as we get confirmed and "REAL" information.

Acura CSX Rumours


There are existing rumours that the Acura CSX (only sold in Canada) will be ceased for 2008. It makes sense because sales of the CSX is declining for 2007 after a few monthly sales record in 2006. There is really no point in the CSX unless you want a small, premium luxury sedan. But the 2008 US Civic will come with leather, and already has NAVI and an Si sedan that CSX/CSX Type-S has. Rumour has it that Honda hasn't produced a CSX Type-S since early June.

Whether it will be produced or not, we'll keep you posted.

Greenest Car in America


Green Book, The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks published by the American Counci for an Energy-Efficent Economy recently came out and ranked the Honda Civic GX as the greenest car in America according to its environmental friendliness.

The book helps consumers compare vehicles on the basis of a green score which is a measure that incorporates fuel consumption and air pollution, including both unhealthy tailpipe emissions and the emissions of gases that cause global warming.

The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid, stalwarts on the annual "Greenest Vehicles" list,
claim spots two and three, while the Nissan Altima Hybrid and Toyota Yaris, market newcomers for model year 2007, round out the top five.

Others in the list include conventional and hybrid-electric vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota.

Honda News


Remember when Honda threw a fit because it's Fit wasn't eligible for a Canadian gov't rebate because it missed the mark by only 1/10? (Fit's Manual Transmission uses 6.6L while the gov't criteria noted that cars had to use less than 6.5L per 100km)

Well, Honda engineers have been going over the Fit to eek out a few more miles per gallon and they actually did it with the Fit equipped with a manual transmission. Honda confirmed that they didn't reduce the weight of the Fit by deleting safety options to acheive the fuel savings, Honda was mum on exactly how it was achieved except to say "internal tinkering" was involved. Although, it doesn't look like Honda will be able to do the same for the Fit equipped with an automatic transmission.

The Civic, has no hope of meeting the Canadian gov't criteria for rebate even if "internal tinkering" was done. However, the Civic Hybrid is eligible for the rebate.

Canada's Honda Civic tops Best Selling Passenger Car list for June 2007

Once again for the sixth consecutive month and 8th consecutive year, the Civic is Canada's Best Selling Passenger Car.

Sales charts show that, over the last two years, subcompact unit sales have not been affected by the federal government's rebate on fuel-efficient vehicles; while the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit had sales spikes, the segment overall is behaving as it usually does. "We said on day one that the 'feebate' would fail miserably; four months into the program we are being proven to be right," he says.

The top ten best-selling passenger vehicles in Canada in June were, in order, the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Cobalt, Toyota Camry, Saturn Ion, Pontiac Pursuit/G5, Ford Focus, and Toyota Matrix. Year-to-date, the top ten are the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Cobalt, Toyota Camry, Pontiac Pursuit/G5, Ford Focus, Toyota Matrix, and Nissan Versa.

Honda Siel Cars of India Recall

Honda Siel Car of India is recalling 2,310 units of Accord Sedans in India to replace a relay in the fuel pump. HSCI has informed customers that it will replace the defective parts. This is the second technical glitch for the company as it had earlier recalled 4,459 units of the CR-V in India for a free fuel tank replacement last month.

2008 Honda Civic MUGEN Si



The factory-prepared 2008 Honda Civic MUGEN Si Sedan will debut in mid-October. The MUGEN edition is equipped with a high-performance suspension, forged aluminum wheels, aerodynamic body styling and a sport-tuned exhaust system.


"Honda enthusiasts have long been asking for factory-installed MUGEN performance products similar to what the company offers in Japan," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "We're enthusiasts, too, and the ultra-premium Civic MUGEN Si Sedan offers exclusive style and elevated handling performance with legendary Honda refinement."

The track-tuned suspension, tested at the Twin Ring Motegi racing circuit in Japan, lowers the vehicle by 0.6 inches with aggressive spring and damper tuning for enhanced handling performance while still maintaining a high level of ride comfort. Compared to the conventional Civic Si Sedan, front and rear damping force (both bump and rebound) was increased between 8- and 24-percent. Lightweight 16.98-pound 18x7.5-inch forged aluminum wheels (27 percent lighter than the stock 17x7 alloy wheel) and high-grip BFGoodrich® g-Force KDW 215/40ZR18 summer tires help to create MUGEN's unique, rewarding and well-balanced handling performance character.

The full-vehicle aero-package adds a front spoiler with a sports grille, side spoilers, a rear bumper diffuser and a rear wing. The sport exhaust system reduces back pressure from the catalytic converter back. The Civic MUGEN Si Sedan will be available exclusively in Fiji Blue Pearl and include front and rear MUGEN emblems. Inside, a MUGEN Limited Edition placard is located on the center console along with a spherical 50 mm MUGEN aluminum shift knob. The name MUGEN symbolizes Honda performance throughout Asia and around the globe. MUGEN, under license by M-TEC Co., Ltd., of Japan, has been closely associated with Honda for more than three decades in the design and manufacture of racing and premium aftermarket performance products. The limited-production vehicle (maximum of 1,000 units for the 2008 model year) will have a retail price of less than $30,000 when it goes on sale and include a full factory warranty.

Honda News

Honda will resume partial production at its factories on Tuesday after it was forced to temporarily halt part of its output due to a shortage of auto parts supply caused by a strong earthquake. Honda plans to partly resume production following the re-examination of its output plan and after Riken Corp. the parts supplier, partially restarted its own production. It is uncertain when Honda be able to return to normal production.

Honda CR-V Takes Best Selling Import Car Title in Korea


Import cars in South Korea are rising in popularity rapidly with 269 import cars currently on sale in the country. With the US-South Korea Free-Trade Agreement Pact taking effect next year, the numbers will only continue to rise. This agreement will clear any tariffs placed on imports from the US to South Korea and vice versa.The first-half bi-annual sales numbers of the best and worst-selling import cars in South Korea were released today.

The new Honda CR-V (Korean version pictured) was the positive note with 1870 vehicles sold in the timeframe.

Mag-X Fit/Jazz Rumours


Mag-X reports that the new Fit/Jazz will debut in Japan in October 2007. The JAPANESE Fit/Jazz will have both the 1.3L and 1.5L VTEC engines, the 1.3L will make 100hp and have similar or better fuel economy than the current 1.3L i-DSi. The designer for this next Fit/Jazz will be the same that designed the current European Civic hatchback so expectations are high. There will be no significant change in size but it will be slightly longer and wider: 3.900 x 1690 m (current Fit/Jazz is 3.845 x 1.675) and be developed within the centre-tank platform. The Japanese version will have a "sky-roof" similar to the current European Civic hatchback.
On and all this information is for Japan only but expect Europe to have a similar features e.g. skyroof and 1.3L engine compared to Japan. But for North America and possible other smaller countries, those two features may not be feasible and enough for the market.
In other news, in the same Mag-X magazine, it states that Fukui didn't like two different cars in the world to share the same Accord name and that they are considering a name change for the Euro/Japanese model (Acura TSX).

PE Car's Acura RDX Review

Find it @ http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/driving/stories/PE_Fea_Driving_D_acura0721.33e6673.html

Epoch Time's Honda Odyssey EX-L and Honda Ridgeline RTL Review

Find it @ http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-7-21/57841.html

Oops!

A marketing company is offering a second chance at a prize to people who received a direct mail promotion that declared them the winner of $1,000. The problem was the promotion for Roswell Honda contained a printing mistake that made all 50,000 scratch-off tickets the $1,000 winner. Just one ticket was supposed to win. Atlanta-based Force Events says it will offer a new sweepstakes with more prizes.

It's offering the other 30,000 recipients a special drawing August 4. It will offer $5,000 to a grand prize winner and $1,000 to each of 20 second-place winners.

San Francisco Chronicle's Acura MDX Review

Find it @ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/20/MTG3CR36PC1.DTL

Honda News

It now appears that due to the fact that the arrival of Acura is delayed for Japan, the NSX arrival will also be delayed. It appears that now there are snags for the NSX arrival. The expected arrival of the next NSX has been pushed to 2011 which means a NSX prototype of some sort won't be shown at this year's Tokyo Auto Show. Instead we may have to wait until October 2011 for the unveil of the NSX.

The FMC RL also seems to be delayed because of the delay of Acura in Japan. But to make up for no MMC, Acura may push the FMC of the RL earlier for 2009.

Burnaby Newsleader's Acura TL Type-S Review

Find it @ http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=41&cat=40&id=1029029&more=0

The 2008 Acura RDX is now on sale!


The 2008 US Acura RDX is now on sale! There is only a few colour changes for the 2008 RDX. Also, full Tire Pressure Monitoring System, full Multi-Information Display, Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror, Driver's Seat Memory and Bluetooth are now standard for all models.

For more US Acura RDX information, visit http://www.acura.com/index.aspx?initPath=RDX

S2000 Homecoming

Honda is exclusively inviting S2000 owners and 1 guest to a "space limited" event at US Honda's headquarters in Torrance, CA on September 8th from 10AM to 3PM. This free event includes a 2008 S2000 CR on display, BBQ lunch, giveaways, an exclusive S2000 owner gathering and more.

Honda to Halt Part of Japanese Production

Honda will halt part of its Japanese automobile production due to that the engine parts supplier Riken Corp. is unable to resume operations after the major earthquake in Japan on Monday. Honda is the latest of a few Japanese automakers that has decided to temporarily suspend some domestic output due to the Riken Corp. closure. Honda will shut down production at a plant Friday which will result in a loss output of 2,000 vehicles. Honda buys engine-use piston rings and other parts from Riken. Honda will monitor the situation and decide whether it can resume production next week. The plant that will be closed produces the Fit, Civic and other models. Although, Honda will continue to produce motorcycles in Japan.

Auto123's Acura RL Elite Review

Find it @ http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/roadtest,view,ACURA.spy?artid=85132

Honda News

Honda unveiled its plans for the Fit and upcoming hybrid (which will be priced lower than the Civic Hybrid) for 2009 (looks like there's going to be a CR-X AND the dedicated hybrid instead of combining them both as reported earlier).

The Honda Fit will undergo a full change this fall and in fact, the redesigned model will be on sale in all markets. It looks as of now, the interior will be much larger than the already class-leading interior. Expect a hybrid model for the new Fit, also expect familar 1.3 and/or 1.5 engines under the hood.

Also, there is a roadblock for the Japanese as the arrival of Acura will be delayed for about 2 years from the original plan of 2008. This delay is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the current market environment. Honda will reassess its basic plan for Acura in the Japan market.

In other news, China will play a huge role in Honda's upcoming global strategy. Guangzhou Honda Automobile, a Honda joint venture in China will set up a research and development facility to develop a "product which will be marketed under an original brand of Guangzhou Honda, targeting the start of sales in 2010," the company said. Honda said the vehicle "will be differentiated from the Honda brand. Honda said it will also build a new R&D center in Sakura, Japan, that will begin operations in 2009. Honda also said that Yachiyo Industry, a Honda subsidiary in Japan, will build a new production facility "in the effort to further strengthen its mini-vehicle business."Detailed plans are still to be finalized, Honda said.

Honda Jazz/Fit Milestone


Honda has announced the worldwide cumulative sales of the Fit/Jazz has reached sales of 2 million units at the end of June 2007. The Fit/Jazz was first released in mid-2001 in Japan and in the midst of a few months, became Japan's best-selling car. Today, even though it is long in the tooth, it still remains as one of Japan's best selling cars. The Fit/Jazz is now available in 115 countries, manufactured at 6 facilities in 5 different countries and delivered to some 400,000 customers annually.

Honda Fit/Jazz sales in countries:

In Japan, since June 2001- Approx. 962,000 units
In Europe, since December 2001- Approx. 417,000 units
In Asia/Oceania, since January 2002- Approx. 230,000 units
In South America, since April 2003- Approx. 151,000 units
In China, since September 2004- Approx. 173,000 units
In North America, since April 2006- Approx. 77,000 units

Motor Trend's Small Luxury SUV Comparision

A comparo against the 2007 Lincoln MKX vs. 2008 LandRover LR2 vs. 2007 BMW X3 vs. 2007 Acura RDX.

Find it @ http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/112_0708_midsize_luxury_crossover_comparison

Customer's Dealer Satisfaction Survey

US Acura ranks highest at 109 pts in a new study that evaluates how customers are treated when they go into a dealership.

Fran O'Hagan, a former auto industry executive with Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar, said this study is different than others that evaluate customer or sales satisfaction levels at stores. That is because those studies capture consumers who buy at the dealership and exclude those who don't make a deal.

The Pied Piper study was conducted between April and June using anonymous shoppers who looked at more than 50 aspects of the buying experience. That included whether salespeople gave a compelling reason to buy at a dealership, were informative about the vehicles they were selling or whether they asked the potential buyer for information.

Surprisingly Honda was tied for 25th at 100 pts which is the average, by the way.

Autoweek's Short 2008(?) Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD Review

Find it @ http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/FREE/70716006/1532/FREE

Honda Incentives

The AIADA newsletter has reported that Honda is high on incentives this year, a unusual Honda decision from its usual, normal conservative approach. While Honda doesn't offer cash rebate to customers, dealer incentives and lease subsidies are like never before. The incentives keep climbing as Honda tries to sell off remaining aging models.

"Everybody thinks Honda has it so easy," says Jeff Conrad, vice president of advertising for US Honda. "But it's competitive for us, too. We do what we have to do to meet sales targets." Conrad insists Honda won't dole out consumer cash - a move that pleases Honda dealers because it protects residual values.

"Honda is smart on how they spend their money on incentives," says Forrest McConnell, president of McConnell Honda-Acura in Montgomery, Alabama. "Honda makes good business decisions. They're protecting the retail value for the customers."

2008 US Honda Accord


Here is the trim levels and some of the prime equipment for the 2008 US Honda Accord.

Sedan

4-Cylinder LX- Standard features include, all the power amentities, 6-speaker AM/FM/CD with steering wheel mounted audio controls, front-side-side curtain airbags, cruise control and more.

4-Cylinder LX-P- Adds premium comfort and styling features to the LX model with such features including alloy wheels, 8-way power driver's seat, security system and more.

4-Cylinder EX- Adds sporty and premium features to the LX trim levels with such features including power moonroof, in-dash 6-disc CD changer, premium interior trim with premium cloth seasts, upgraded alloy wheels, heated mirrors and more

4-Cylinder EX-L- The top of the line 4-cylinder Accord Sedan trim level with such features including leather interior, premium audio system with XM satellite radio, heated seats, dual zone climate control, available Bluetooth Navigation system and more.

6-Cylinder EX- Standard features include: power moonroof, all the power amentities, 6 speaker AM/FM/6CD with steering wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control, front-side-side curtain airbags, upgraded alloy wheels, premium cloth seats with 8-way power driver's seat, security system, premium interior trim, heated seats, dual rear exhaust finishers and more.

6-Cylinder EX-L- The top of the line Accord Sedan trim level with such features including leather interior, premium audio system with XM satellite radio, 4-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, dual zone climate control, Homelink, available Bluetooth Navigation system and more.

Coupe

4-Cylinder LX-S- Standard features include, all the power amentities, alloy wheels, 6-speaker AM/FM/6CD with steering wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control, security system, front-side-side curtain airbags and more.

4-Cylinder EX- Adds sporty and premium features to the LX-S trim level with such features including, power moonroof, premium audio system, premium interior trim with premium cloth seats, heated mirrors and more.

4-Cylinder EX-L- The top of the line 4-cylinder Accord Coupe trim level with such features including, leather interior, XM satellite radio, 8-way power heated driver's seat, dual zone climate control, available Bluetooth Navigation system and more.

6-Cylinder EX-L- The top of the line Accord Coupe trim level with such features including leather interior, power moonroof, dual zone climate control, premium audio system with XM satellite radio, 8-way power driver's seat, all the power amentities, cruise control, front-side and side curtain airbags, upgraded alloy wheels, premium interior trim, security system, heated seats and mirrors, Homelink, dual rear exhaust finishers, available Bluetooth Navigation system and more.

The Auto Channel's Honda Accord EX-V6 6-spd Review

Find it @ http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/07/11/054765.html

The 2008 US Acura TL is now on sale!


The 2008 US Acura TL is now on sale! Expect only just some colour changes and just a few feature changes. That will be the only few changes for the 2008 TL as the new, redesigned TL should bow out in Spring 2008.
For more US Acura TL information, visit http://www.acura.com/index.aspx?initPath=TL

History Reflash: Honda Street



Introduced in 1981 as just another version of the Japanese Honda Acty Van, the Street later became a unique model of its own. Honda redesigned the Acty Street in 1988. When new kei car regulations became necessary in Japan for 1990, another new Street version was introduced. Together with the Street, the Acty Van and Acty Truck all was redesigned in 1990. The Street was phased out in the new millenium.

Honda News

Honda's planned 2009 small car hybrid and planned future CR-X successor will be put together. A hybrid system will be put into the future CR-X and instead will debut much later in 2011. Rumours say the styling will emulate the original CR-X. We may see a concept version of this "married" CR-X hybrid at the Tokyo Auto Show in Japan this October.

In other news, Honda's future V6 diesel will apparently be put in the redesigned 2010 Odyssey first, then the Pilot and Ridgeline. The next-generation Accord will have feature a 2.2 litre i-CTDi Tier 2 Bin 5 4-cylinder diesel with an ammonia-filled catalytic converter to reduce NOx emissions but no word on the V6 diesel for Accord. The V6 engine is believed to be 3.5 litres and is expected to be 30% more fuel efficent compared to equivalent gas models.

CanadianDriver's Honda Element SC Review

Find it @ http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/cc/07element.htm

CNET's Honda Civic Si Review

Find it @ http://reviews.cnet.com/2007_Honda_Civic_Si_2dr_Coupe/4514-10867_7-32328635.html?part=cnet&subj=2007+Honda+Civic+Si+2dr+Coupe

2008 Canadian Honda Models Now On Sale!


The 2008 Canadian Element is now on sale! There are not much changes this year for the Canadian Element. Visit the Canadian Element website @ http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Models/Element/2008/default.asp?L=E


The 2008 Canadian Pilot is now on sale! A Special Edition model replaces the previous EX model and a rearview mirror with compass, leather interior, navigation system and heated seats are options on the Canadian Pilot SE version. Visit the Canadian Pilot website @ http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Models/Pilot/2008/default.asp?L=E


The 2008 Canadian Ridgeline is now on sale! There is now just two models for the Canadian version, a LX and a EX-L models. An optional moonroof, navigation system, rearview mirror with compass and an auxiliary input jack are the options available for the EX-L models. Visit the Canadian Ridgeline website @ http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Models/Ridgeline/2008/default.asp?L=E

2009/2010 Model Changes

Acura 2009/2010

2009/2010 Canadian-only CSX: See 2009/2010 Civic

2009/2010 RSX/Integra: Rumored JDM resurrection with SH-AWD, 260+hp

2009 TL: Full Model Change, expected in Fall 2008 with SH-AWD and 310+hp.
2010 TL: Nothing significant, after hot on the heels of the 2009 TL.

2009 TSX: Nothing after the Full Model Change for 2008.
2010 TSX: Nothing but expect usual colour changes.

2009/2010 RL: Very skeptical about future years of the RL; Acura may have a Mid-Model Change for 2009 but is too late but may speed up the Full Model Change expected in 2010. Expect SH-AWD and a possibility of a V8 engine.

2009 MDX: Nothing but expect usual colour changes and a diesel variant.
2010 MDX: Expect a Mid-Model Change with new front and rear ends with a slightly modified interior, expect shuffling of the trim levels and colours and expect a possible V8 engine from the 2010 RL if produced.

2009 RDX: Nothing but expect usual colour changes.
2010 RDX: Expect a Mid-Model Change with new front and rear ends with a slightly modified interior, expect shuffling of the trim levels and colours. Rumours suggest a possible Type-S version?

2010 NSX: Rumoured 4.5L, V10, 550 hp front wheel drive engine with SH-AWD, however may have a delayed introduction.

NEW FOR 2009 will be a supposedly planned sub-NSX sports car.

Honda 2009/2010

2009 Accord: Nothing except for usual colour changes and a diesel variant.
2010 Accord: Nothing significant except for possible shifting of trim levels and possibility of added features and colour changes.

2009 Civic: Due for a Mid-Model Change, expect a new front and rear ends and a slight interior change, possible feature/trim level/colour changes.
2010 Civic: Nothing except for usual colour changes.

2009 CR-V: 2.2 Diesel variant, possible shuffling of trim levels and colour changes.
2010 CR-V: Due for a Mid-Model Change, expect a new front and rear ends and a slight interior change, possible feature/trim level/colour changes.

2009/2010 Element: As this time, it is unknown whether or not Honda will continue producing the Element as the Full Model Change was expect for 2008 and that Honda did not give out any future Element information. Either expect a redesign, expect a new model different from the Element or expect a complete drop of the Element.

2009 Fit: Possible Full Model Change could be carried out in 2008 or 2009 but due to the time variety in parts of the world, the timing of the FMC is unsure.
2010 Fit: Honda could delay the FMC until 2010 for North America only or else if Honda carried out a FMC in 2008 or 2009 expect 2010 to be just a unchanged year except for usual colour changes.

2009 Odyssey: Nothing as a Mid-Model Change was carried out in 2008, possibility of a diesel version and some usual colour changes.
2010 Odyssey: Full Model Change; redesign.

2009 Pilot: Nothing as a Full Model Change was carried out in 2008, expect some usual colour changes.
2010 Pilot: A diesel variant and expect some shuffling of feature availability/trim levels and colour changes.

2009 Ridgeline: A Mid-Model Change is expected along with a diesel variant.
2010 Ridgeline: Nothing as a Mid-Model Change will be carried out in 2009. Expect usual colour changes.

2009/2010 S2000: Possible Full Model Change in 2009 or else expect a new coupe/convertible variant that will both resuscitate the S2000 and the Prelude.

NEW FOR 2009 will be the planned small hybrid family car smaller than the Civic but different design than the Fit.

RUMOURS: There are existing rumours that Honda will introduce the FR-V/Edix model to North America. That has not been confirmed and it seems unlikely. Also there are existing rumours that Honda will introduce the Stream model to North America as the Latitude. That rumour has existed for years and has not been confirmed yet.

Honda News

Since the Fit was introduced, Honda dealers in US can't seem to be able to keep them in stock. Honda Fit introduction plans was only 54,000 units per year but apparently Honda now admits that it cannot keep up with demand. Since its introduction in late 2006, Honda has already sold 27,934 Fits and for the first six months of this year, Honda sold 23,769 Fits

Go ahead, visit one of your local Honda dealers, see if they have enough Fits in stock!

Honda Accord Hybrid Review

A CanadianDriver Honda Accord Hybrid review, find it @ http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hl/07accordh.htm

Honda Japan Recall

Honda Japan has recalled about 28,000 Japanese Odyssey minivans only in Japan because of a faulty system that controls vehicle stability. The model subject to recall was produced between October 2003 and August 2004. The faulty system may lead to malfunctioning of the breaks. There have been 16 reports of problems with the Japanese Odyssey but no reports.

Honda S2000 Review

A nice driving.ca review, find it @ http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=0e2fd5a5-3573-47fc-9502-25fdbf717bde

June 2007 Canadian Sales

Honda Canada reported a June record with sales of 15,017 units, up 18%. Aucra Canada had a slight increase in sales of 1,890 units with a 4% increase. Honda Canada Inc. reported a total June sales including Acura and Honda of 16,907 units up 16% compared to June 2006.

June Honda Canada sales were fuelled by record June sales of the Civic and Fit. Civic sales were of 7,857 units up 31%, Fit sales were of 1,863 units, up 33%.

June Acura Canada sales were slightly led by record MDX sales of 497 units, up 82%.

"Canadians are clearly choosing the most balanced selection of fuel efficiency, safety and fun-to-drive performance in both the Honda Civic and Fit," said Jim Miller, executive vice president, Honda Canada Inc. "We are seeing strong response to the Canadian Honda Benefit program that provides advantages for every consumer who can have confidence in Honda's products because they have chosen the best balance in the marketplace.

Spied! More 2008 Honda Odyssey




More, clearer, fuller images of the refreshed 2008 Honda Odyssey.
My opinion, it still looks slightly awkward but it still looks great!
With this 08 version, expect a possible new engine that either will be from the new Advanced-VTEC V6 engine or a MDX 3.7-source engine. A slightly revised interior with a new redesigned steering wheel is expected. There are also more features with some new colours expect for the 2008 version.

Acura CSX Type-S Review

A comprehensive Auto123 review of the Acura CSX Type-S. Find it @ http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/roadtest,view,ACURA.spy?artid=83722

Honda -> Not As Rosy

Even though Honda has had great recent US sales, great vehicle accolades and more, the world-wide picture is not as great. Japanese sales were down 3%, not much but Honda was hit by tough competition by domestic automakers in Japan. After sales dropped, it appeared that Japan's plant's annual profit dropped 5% also after production costs rose. Honda also says that another problem is the poor exchange rate of yen. Also, production in Great Britain is in a big problem hole. Difficult problems for Honda in UK is the domestic currency which in turn, making high production costs and the impossibility of expanding the plant. Currently the Swindon plant cannot be expanded because of no room but the Turkey plant is expanding with lower production costs.

Honda expects the final 2007 profit to drop 3%.

Weather Alerts on Honda NAVI

Honda is now offering weather alerts from heavy rain to even earthquakes! The upcoming, all-new Japanese Honda Fit will have the ability to warn and alert drivers using this system in its navigation system.

The service is free but drivers pay mobile phone bills for relaying data.

E-mail warnings will be sent to a pre-assigned address when car with the system is in an area of a strong earthquake. If heavy rain is forecast on a route that is planned, icons of exclamation marks pop up on the monitor. Honda has also upgraded its map system so it updates in just a few minutes to download. Also, it collects information from individual Honda cars on the road. For example, in the new earthquake notification service, the system will be able to show which roads have been shut down.

The bad thing about all of this, it's only available in Japan.

Spied! 2008 Honda Odyssey







As you can see, these on the main new parts on the exterior of the 2008 Odyssey. The front grille seems to follow the Accord grille trend with a new sculpted front end. There is also a new front lower grille and some of the front is still masked. The rear lights have been shortened and the backup light and the turn signal light has been changed and to round it out, there is a horizontal bar linking the lights with the license plate. Also included in the rear end is a new modified rear liftgate. It appears that nothing else is new, the wheels on the Odyssey remains the same as the 2007 Touring model. Now, for the EX model, it appears that it has new wheels and after these pictures, the PAX tires may continue to remain with the Touring model.

June 2007 Sales

American Honda Co. posted another record month for 2007, June sales of Acura and Honda were up 7.3% to 140,935 vehicles.

American Honda Division had record June sales of 124,169, up 7.4% compared to last year. 3 vehicles had record sales in June, the CR-V sold 19,715 up a gigantic 53.2% making June, CR-V's 6th consecutive month of record sales! The Civic also posted record sales of 36,512, up 33.6% over last June. Civic Hybrid sales increased by 20.1 percent to 3,246 vehicles, also setting a new record. The Fit, also jumped 44.3% to 5,613 vehicles, broke the all-time sales record from the month before of 5,361 vehicles. The Honda Accord struggled this month as it cleared less than 30 000 vehicles as the Accord Hybrid sales dwindled slightly for June. The S2000, Element and Pilot had quite a number of less vehicles sold compared to June 2006. The Ridgeline and Odyssey very slightly sold less compared to June 2006.

American Acura Division sales increased 6.9% to 16,766 vehicles. The TSX, set a June sales record of 3,414, up 4%. The TL increased 8.1% to a total of 6,221 vehicles. Sales of the MDX also increased a substantial 26.2% to 4,639 vehicles and RDX sales totaled 1,864 vehicles. The RL drastically declined in sales compared to June 2006 with a measly 624 vehicles sold.

Honda Exclusive

Recognizing the value of a small niche ad space and shortened attention span of viewers, Honda has joined forces with Sony to push its Fit minicar in an online exclusive. The programming "minisodes," will feature shortened versions of classic Sony TV shows like Fantasy Island, Charlie's Angels, Who's the Boss and others. They'll be broadcast at MySpace.com, preceded by a Honda billboard, and will contain short Honda spots throughout."Minisodes are right up the Fit's alley, so to speak," Tom Peyton, senior manager for advertising at the American Honda Motor Company in Torrance, Calif.

IIHS Whiplash Test

Many new pickup, minivan and SUV models feature the best available passenger protection from whiplash, a substantial improvement over earlier years' models, according to a new report being released today.

A high 18 out of 22, 2007 models did well in the IIHS test, but receiving the best ratings included the Acura MDX and RDX, Honda CR-V and Element.

"Newer, updated products are tending to get better seat designs," said David Zuby, senior vice president of the institute's research center. Many lower-price vehicles still merited good ratings.

The institute's test of new models contrasts with a broader look at 84 models, including many 2006 and earlier models still being sold, whose performance was much worse. Of those, 54 ranked marginal or poor. Another 12 rated acceptable. And 21 pickup, SUV or minivan models rated good for whiplash protection.

However, the Honda Odyssey which was also tested, was rated marginal for the whiplash test and the seat shifted leaving the passenger without support during the test.

Which? UK

Which? Car in the UK, a consumer magazine has recently come out with a survey for reliability. Honda and Toyota battled for first place with strong contenders but Honda lead the pack. Visit the UK Telegraph for more @ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/03/ncars103.xml

Honda Legend Review

A UK new Honda Legend review by The Sunday Mail, visit http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_headline=legend-reborn--&method=full&objectid=19386714&siteid=64736-name_page.html

Spied! 2008 Honda Accord Colours







For Accord Coupe: Nighthawk Black Pearl, Belize Blue Pearl, Polished Metal Metallic, San Marino Red, Alabaster Silver Metallic and Taffeta White.

For Accord Sedan: Bold Beige Metallic, Royal Blue Pearl, Nighthawk Black Pearl, Polished Metal Metallic, Basque Red Pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Taffeta White, Mystic Green Metallic and White Diamond.
PLUS! Much more unmasked spied photos of the new Accord in Royal Blue Pearl, in Nighthawk Black Pearl and in Polished Metal Metallic.

Honda TMPS

For 2008, Honda will be offering its Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TMPS) on the 2008 Civic and 2008 Fit as standard equipment on all models.

2008 Honda S2000

The S2000 survives for another year! For 2008, it will be offered in the standard S200 version, the CR (Club Racer) base version and the CR (Club Racer) version with added Air Conditioning and a Radio.

Standard 2008 S2000 Colors: Berlina Black/Black, Laguna Blue Pearl/Black, Berlina Black/Red, New Formula Red/Black, Chicane Silver Metallic/Black, Chicane Silver Metallic/Red, Grand Prix White/Red and Rio Yellow Pearl/Black

2008 S2000 CR Colors: Berlina Black/Yellow/Black, Apex Blue Pearl/Yellow/Black, Grand Prix White/Yellow/Black and Rio Yellow Pearl/Yellow/Black

2008 US Honda Odyssey

For 2008, Honda will be offering the following trim levels on the Odyssey: LX, EX, EX-L, EX-L RES, Touring with PAX tires and Touring without PAX tires.

Here are the following 2008 Honda Odyssey US Colors: Mocha Metallic, Baltic Blue Pearl, Nimbus Gray Metallic, Nighthawk Black Pearl, Dark Cherry Pearl, Silver Pearl Metallic, Taffeta White, Ocean Mist Metallic and Slate Green Metallic.

!!NEW!! July Car Trim of the Month


As reported, the Accord Hybrid will not survive after September 1st, 2007. It will be phased out because that consumers did not want a high-performance V6 hybrid model, instead left to buy other hybrids. Due to the fact that it will be phased out in two months, this is July's Car Trim of the Month.

Note: Photo of the Month will no longer be posted as that it will be replaced by the Car Trim of the Month.

2008 Acura RL is now here!


The 2008 Acura RL has little changed for 2008. However, there is a substantial price increase, a few hundred bucks up from 2007 prices. Also this year, there is just a slight feature change and one or two new colours.

For more US Acura RL information, visit http://www.acura.com/index.aspx?initPath=RL

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