1990 Honda Accord Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda planning a second Vezel for developing markets

The new Honda Vezel was designed as a global product. Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, the compact crossover is already going on sale in Japan, will soon reach Europe and will eventually hit the North American market as well - albeit with a different name and engine lineup. But it won't be sold everywhere.
According to Autocar India, the Vezel was originally earmarked to reach the emerging market on the subcontinent, but the declining value of the rupee has apparently forced Honda to rethink its strategy. Instead, the Japanese automaker is now expected to develop a second compact crossover - one more cost-effective to produce locally - for sale in India and other, nearby developing markets.
The new model would be based on the Brio, a hatchback that's smaller than the Fit (on which the Vezel is based) and built in India, Thailand and Indonesia. Honda has already enlarged the Brio's platform to create the Amaze sedan and Mobilio minivan. Building a crossover on the same platform would reportedly require some re-engineering - particularly around the wheel wells - but would apparently still be more cost-effective than importing the Vezel.

Honda favoring turbo over hybrid for US-market Vezel

While Honda gears up to unveil the new Fit to the US market at the Detroit Auto Show next month, back in its home market, the car's crossover cousin is just going on sale. The Vezel was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last month and already has a three-month waiting list in Japan, where Honda projects that 90 percent of customers will opt for the hybrid version. Not so in the United States, however.
When the Vezel reaches American showrooms, there'll be a number of key differences. For starters, it will carry a different name, though Honda isn't saying what that will be. For another, it will be built for North American consumption at Honda's new plant in Mexico, roughly half of whose production capacity is reportedly being allocated to the new crossover. And finally, it'll have a different engine.
In Japan the Vezel is being offered with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with or without electric assist. Honda won't offer the hybrid version here - at least not initially - but it is preparing to offer a turbo option. Although it has yet to announce US specifications and options, the 1.5-liter turbo four (also unveiled at the Tokyo show) is considered a stronger likelihood than the 1.0- or 2.0-liter versions.

2017 Honda Civic Si fills the performance gap between Sport and Type R

Yes, North America will finally get the hyper hot Civic Type R. But that doesn't mean Honda has dismissed the Si from duty. On the contrary, the Civic Si is back, and the Prototype coupe that's debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show looks better than ever. Honda's senior VP and general manager Jeff Conrad says, "This will be, hands down, the fastest, best-handling Si we've ever offered to our customers." To do this, Honda has equipped the Si with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. The company didn't reveal output, but considering Conrad's statement, it's probably be safe to say it will make somewhere between 205 horsepower (the output of the previous Si) and 306 horsepower (the output of the previous Type R). That engine will send power through a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. Also part of the Si package will be active steering and dampers, plus a high-performance tire option. View 16 Photos Honda made sure to upgrade the Civic Si's looks to match the performance, but not to the extremes of the Type R. The body appears to have the same overall width of the standard coupe, and it gets the front bumper and black grille from the hatchback along with a revised rear bumper. The front bumper gets a splitter, and the tail gets a wing. One of the most distinctive styling elements is the center-exit exhaust, which features a single hexagonal tip. Of course, both ends of the car get red Si badges, and the whole thing rides on 19-inch wheels. Surprisingly absent, though, are Honda's traditional "i-VTEC" stickers along the sides, which have appeared on Civic Sis since at least the 1999 model. The interior also gets a sporty treatment, and that apparently involves a healthy application of the color red. The floor mats, contrast stitching, instrument panel, and infotainment system are all finished in the hue. The seats are Si-exclusive, and feature the Si logo stitched into the seatbacks. Drivers will shift with an aluminum ball-shaped knob, and dance on aluminum pedals. There's a "sport" button next to the shifter, which we can guess probably sharpens up the shocks and steering. Honda says this prototype interior "closely previews" the final production version. Though Honda only showed a coupe version of the Si, the company will offer a sedan version for people who need the added practicality. There's so far been no mention of a hatchback version. Honda only provided a rough release window of next year and hasn't give any pricing.