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In an interview yesterday with Automotive News , Honda Motor Company president Takanobu Ito said that moving production of the popular Honda Fit subcompact from Japan to the United States is a "highly likely possibility" in order to reduce the company's financial losses attributed to the yen's eight percent increase in value against the dollar since August. "Considering the foreign exchange, such a structural reform might be called for," Ito said. "That is sort of the direction we are considering." According to Automotive News , approximately 80 percent of all of the cars Honda sells in the United States are built here. The Honda Fit, with U.S. sales nearing 56,000 year-to-date 2009, is imported from Japan. While the Fit has weathered the financial storm this year better than other Honda models, the yen's rise threatens the Fit's profitibility. No announcement was made yet as to when or where in the United States the Honda Fit will be built. ~ Deborah Neal, editorial director, autoMedia.com
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The long-running Honda Element has been well-suited to active lifestyles from day one, with its cavernous interior, suicide-style doors, split rear hatch, and easy-to-clean interior, among the many distinctive attributes. For 2010. Honda is expanding its appeal with a $995 Dog Friendly package that bundles together custom gear to make travel with a canine companion safer, more convenient, and even more comfortable for Fido. Central to the package is a nylon-webbed car kennel that can keep the dog comfortably restrained in the cargo area, providing protection to the pooch and ostensibly other passengers in an accident. An included ramp can ease loading and unloading, as well as lead to teaching the dog a basic agility trick. Available only on the EX trim level, the Dog Friendly package includes: A soft-sided cargo area car kennel made from seat belt-grade netting. A cushioned pet bed in the cargo area with an elevated platform. A 12V DC rear ventilation fan. Second-row seat covers with a dog pattern design (matches the bed fabric). An extendable ramp (stores under the pet bed platform). All-season rubber floor mats with a toy bone pattern. A spill-resistant water bowl. Dog Friendly exterior...
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So, CNN Money is reporting that Ford is recalling more than 4 million vehicles due to a potential fire hazard that can be created by a faulty cruise control deactivation switch. A friend of mine sent me an email that said " See? This is why people don't buy American. " The recall covers 1995-2003 Windstars, 2000-2003 Excursion diesels, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 F-Super Duty diesels, 1992-2003 Econolines, 1995-2002 Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Rangers and 1994 F35 motorhomes. This is the eighth recall that involves a specific faulty switch manufactured by Texas Instruments, and brings the total to more than 16 million Ford vehicles recalled because that switch. The article at CNN Money advises that "Ford drivers should look for warnings of possible imminent fires, including malfunctioning cruise control systems and brake lights and antilock braking system and brake light warnings on the dashboard. The safety agency also said difficulty in getting the vehicle out of the park mode should be treated as a warning." Ford says it has not used that switch in any model years after 2003. It's disappointing that this is what people think...
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Honda has treated the ever-popular CR-V to a midlife freshening that brings an updated front fascia, interior refinements, more power, and improved fuel economy. The styling changes signal the 2010 CR-V with a new bumper, grille, and hood, along with a rear bumper update. The previous seven-spoke wheels are replaced with 10-spoke rims. Under that new hood comes a 14-horsepower increase to 180 hp from the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This is a surprisingly move, as Honda is known for not changing their engines. However, the CR-V has been in service for a generation and half in 166-hp form. This change is welcomed, especially as it carries a 1 mpg increase for city and highway EPA ratings in both 2WD and AWD versions. Inside, Honda has made numerous tweaks that reflect customer feedback with items such as wider arm rests, interior door handle redesign with a rubberized grip handle, and dark brown carpet to replace the stain-showing light brown. The audio system now uses blue backlighting, and top trim models gain a compass. The CR-V EX-L (navigation and non-navigation models) gain a USB audio interface for direct access to music files on compatible devices using the vehicle's existing...
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It's the week ending September 4, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. Cash for Clunkers and Papa John's Camaro remain in the headlines for another week, and David E. Davis says he wishes Jean Jennings was dead, but besides all that, we've also got plenty of other unusual news sure to delight the automotive fan. Cash for Clunkers rebates undoubtedly fueled robust August car sales , with manufacturers showing increased sales over the same time period a year ago, and even better increases over their sales just one or two months ago. Motor Trend's Todd Lassa shares an astute analysis of these figures , with detailed insights into the best-selling models and manufacturers. Classic Car Examiner Jim Cherry knows cars have had a long and colorful history on TV from the 1966 Batmobile, to Entourage's Maserati Quatroporte, to Starsky & Hutch's Grand Torino. Knight Rider's Kitt car was so popular that Hasselhoff's series was revived years later in the vain hope of selling more lunchboxes. The right car makes the right statement on TV. They hop things up, express...
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By all the reports we've seen from the Department of Transportation and other automotive blogs, the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program was " wildly successful " at driving consumers towards dealerships. With nearly 700,000 vehicle transactions utilizing "Cash for Clunkers" trade-ins, not to mention standard purchases that didn't include the government-subsidized rebates, it's clear that manufacturers benefited from a giant sales infusion during the month of August. When comparing sales figures for August 2009 against August 2008, Ford was the most successful American manufacturer with an increase of 16.99 percent (182,149 units sold) for all of Ford Motor Company and a 21.25-percent jump for just the Ford brand itself. Toyota Motor Company and American Honda were up 6.41 (225,088) and 9.93 (161,439) percent respectively. Unfortunately, even with the incentives, some manufacturers still sold fewer cars than they did a year ago, notably Nissan North America was down 2.93 percent (105,312 units sold), Chrysler was down 15.43 percent (93,222), and General Motors was down 20.19 percent (246,479) from a year ago. (Many thanks to John Neff at AutoBlog...
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After much teasing, Honda has released official images previewing its upcoming 2010 Crosstour – a hatchback Accord variant with crossover pretensions. It promises to combine the pleasing Accord driving experience with an elevated ride height and hatchback versatility. Its most direct competition will be the Toyota Venza . The coupe-inspired design theme will also be employed on the upcoming Acura ZDX , a crossover model shown at 2009 New York International Auto Show . Based on the MDX platform, the ZDX will be positioned between the MDX and RL when it goes on sale this fall. Despite the Crosstour going on sale in early October, no real information has been released beyond design speak and genre-bending hyperbole. We do know that Crosstour will be positioned atop the Accord range when it goes on sale, suggesting pricing may start in the high $20s and extend into the $30s. For those anxious to connect with the Crosstour, Honda has set up a Crosstour Facebook page . If following a car on a social network seems a bit much, rest assured we’ll report more details here when they become available.
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The National Insurance Crime Bureau's ( NICB ) has released its annual “hot wheels” report on the most stolen vehicles, revealing a list of older, high-volume models. Certain models of older cars and trucks are popular with thieves because of the value of their parts. In addition, older models are less likely to have factory security systems, such as an engine immobilizer, that could deter theft. (Read “ Car Theft Prevention Tips - Keep your Vehicle from being Stolen .”) The preliminary 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) shows that vehicle theft is on pace to record a decrease of 13.1 percent from 2007 numbers. That would make 2008 the fifth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts. Moreover, if the preliminary figures hold total thefts for 2008 would be below 1 million vehicles--the lowest annual total in over 20 years. The most-stolen cars of 2008 1994 Honda Accord 1995 Honda Civic 1989 Toyota Camry 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup 2000 Dodge Caravan 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee 1994 Acura Integra 1999 Ford Taurus 2002 Ford Explorer To prevent theft, NICB recommends: Locking your car. Sounds simple, but it is a deterrent. Thieves prize convenience, stealth...
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As of 8 p.m, EST tonight, the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program ended. Considered a success by the auto industry, politicians, and more than 600,000 car buyers, the so-called cash for clunkers program burned through $3 billion in federal funding quicker than anyone predicted. Remember when the original $1 billion had a rundown deadline of November 1st? Hard to believe. The final figures may still be a days away, but the Department of Transportation has shared tabulations made as of this morning, showing 635,186 dealer transactions submitted for credit, worth $2.65 billion. Over half (54%) of the top 10 new vehicles purchased under the program were manufactured in the United States. On average, the new vehicles showed a 9.2 mpg, or 58 percent, fuel economy improvement. Needless to say, the program worked far better than anyone anticipated at moving consumers out of old, “dirty” trucks and SUVs and into new more fuel-efficient cars. The massive mileage improvement makes more sense when looking at the three most popular purchases, all very miserly models. Top 10 New Vehicles Purchased * Toyota Corolla Honda Civic Ford Focus Toyota Camry Hyundai Elantra Toyota Prius Nissan Versa...
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) has tested bumpers on several midsized family sedans for repair costs, finding not one of the six models earned a top rating of Good. This is the second group of vehicles the Institute has evaluated under a new bumper ratings protocol based on repair costs averaged and weighted to reflect real-world damage and insurance claims frequency. (See “ Small Cars Can Be Costly to Repair .”) A series of four tests were conducted: front and rear full-width impacts at 6 mph and front and rear corner impacts at 3 mph. These tests are designed to drive bumper improvements, though they also highlight the potentially significant costs of a minor bump. Bumpers on 2009 models of the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 6, and Nissan Maxima performed better than their 2007 predecessors in low-speed crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Bumpers on the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and 2010 Ford Fusion did worse than earlier models. None of the six popular midsize sedans earns the top rating of Good in a recent series of tests designed to assess and compare how well bumpers resist damage in everyday fender-benders. Bumpers on 2009...
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The CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS), popularly known as “ cash for clunkers ,” is widely regarded as a success, and now we have further proof. In “ Cars for Clunkers Works, Time for a Sequel? ” we chronicled the July sales that were buoyed from the program. We now have more detailed information on what vehicles were purchased, with refined figures by brand. Thus far, 83% of trade-ins under the program are trucks, and 59% of new vehicle purchases are cars. Nearly half of new vehicles purchased under the program were from the Big 3. Detroit’s share in this program (45%) is equivalent to their overall share in the auto market (about 45%) – a couple points less than indicated in published reports yesterday. Looking at the product mix, the trade ins are all traditional, high-volume models from domestic brands. The popular purchases are from several brands, skewing toward the imports. On average, the new models boast 63% better fuel economy than the models turned in. A whopping 184,304 vehicles have been exchanged through this program, with car buyers benefiting from $775.2 million in credits. The program is still in effect, with some money remaining. The Senate is expected to pass a ...
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If you've always wanted to be a Honda racer, Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), has just announced a new initiative targeted at expanding its presence in the grassroots motorsports market....
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS ) has released crash test results on five small two-door models, marking the first time the safety organization has tested coupes. The Chevrolet Cobalt , Ford Focus , Honda Civic , Scion tC , and Volvo C30 were each run through the organization’s front, side, and rear tests. Two models emerged with Top Safety Pick accolades—Focus and C30—and the others had solid performances. Of the tested vehicles, all except the tC earned the highest rating of Good in the 40-mph frontal offset test. More variation was seen in the side-impact crash test, which simulates the impact from an SUV at 31 mph. Here, the Focus and C30 were the only coupes to earn a Good. The others were rated as Acceptable. "All five cars in this group, from relatively inexpensive to moderately priced, have head-protecting side airbags as standard equipment,” says David Zuby, Institute senior vice president for vehicle research. “In 2003 automakers pledged to voluntarily put side airbags in their vehicles as standard equipment by the 2010 model year. They're making good on this pledge." Simulating a low-speed impact, the rear crash test evaluates the risk for...
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It's the week ending July 17, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. Following on the heels of General Motors return from bankruptcy last week, the biggest news this week swirls around the return of beloved "Maximum Bob" Lutz from retirement to head General Motors as vice chairman responsible for all creative elements of products and customer relationships. And within days of his return he's already making headlines wherever we look, thanks to one particularly lofty statement made early in the week... On Monday, MotorTrend.com reported some of Lutz' future product plans, including confirmation that the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is still alive and that there's even a remote possibility of a CTS-V Wagon; hints that the nearly production-ready Camaro Z/28 supercharged Mustang GT500-fighter may never see the light of day; and a report that the fabulous Pontiac G8 will live on as the Chevy Caprice. The possibility of a Pontiac G8 to Chevy Caprice rebadge was optimistically covered by a number of auto blogs, including Jalopnik , Consumer Reports, AutoBlog , USA Today , Automotive...
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In what has to be among the shortest press releases ever issued, Honda announced today that the Accord Crosstour would go on sale this fall. Honda promises real information will be provided closer to when the vehicle arrives at dealers. However, Honda may having given us a glimpse at this genre-bending car type with the Acura ZDX concept shown at the 2009 New York International Auto Show . Recent spy photos posted at AutoBlog and elsewhere reveal a similar coupe-profile with Accord bodywork on a Crosstour test mule. These cars have a sloped rear like the Volkswagen Passat CC , though it features hatchback. The body style seems distinctly European, where automotive versatility is highly prized. However, the Crosstourer will be based on the American-market Accord platform, which is larger than the Euro Accord seen Stateside as the Acura TSX . The Accord Crosstour will be a distinctive vehicle that offers a more sedan-like alternative to the heavy Toyota Venza . We’ll share more information on the Accord Crosstour as it becomes available. The MDX-based ZDX also goes on sale in the fall. See our complete 2009 New York auto show coverage . Research Honda models in the 2009 new car buyer...
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