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Honda Urban SUV Concept leaks out ahead of Detroit debut

Next up on the 2013 Detroit Auto Show embargo-break-a-palooza: the Honda Urban SUV Concept. Thanks to Indian Autos Blog, we now have the first press shots of the small crossover concept - a vehicle that will someday make it to production, riding on the Honda Fit platform.
It may have some big features - namely, the large headlamps, big wheels, and bold body lines - but the Urban SUV Concept will compete with smaller vehicles like the Nissan Juke or Fiat 500L. Indian Autos Blog reports that both 1.6- an 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines are being speculated for use in the production model, as well as a diesel powerplant for foreign markets.
That's all we know for now, but stay tuned to see the full smattering of official images and details as part of this week's Detroit coverage.

'Trouble-free day! No joke': Honda-powered Toro Rosso F1 car debuts

LONDON — Honda's Formula One partnership with the Toro Rosso team got off to a positive start on Wednesday with a seemingly smooth track debut of their new car on a limited mileage filming day in Italy. "Trouble-free day!! No joke," commented French driver Pierre Gasly on Twitter. New Zealander Brendon Hartley, who was at the wheel of the TR13 car at the wet Misano circuit, reported on Instagram that "the new girl ran super smooth." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda is starting over with the Red Bull-owned team this season after three seasons of failure with former champions McLaren left the Japanese engine manufacturer's reputation in tatters. A behind-the-scenes documentary, "Grand Prix Driver," released on Amazon recently shone a spotlight on the tension between McLaren and Honda that eventually led to the relationship tearing apart. It also revealed how the troubles had started before the launch of the car and were fully exposed once testing in Barcelona started when the car broke down repeatedly due to engine failures. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. McLaren, who finished ninth out of the 10 teams last season, is now using Renault engines and hoping to be far more competitive. How Toro Rosso, and McLaren, fare this season will be among the intriguing sub-plots to the 21-race season that starts in Australia on March 25, with Mercedes and Ferrari again expected to be the frontrunners. Italy-based Toro Rosso, one of the smaller outfits on the starting grid, has taken the cynicism and gloom-mongering about its prospects in good heart. It put out a tongue-in-cheek Q&A at the time of the first engine fire-up that included the questions: "Did it take like six attempts to fire up?", "Did the engine blow up?" and "Did your factory catch fire after the engine started?" The respective answers were "Nope, the engine fired up on the first attempt," "Quite the opposite, it started just as planned" and "Our factory is perfectly fine, thanks for the concern." The final 'question' was simply, "Good luck, you'll need it." Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video: Motorsports Honda McLaren Racing Vehicles F1 toro rosso

Honda surprises with Gear concept in Montreal

It's not often that a major automobile manufacturer debuts a brand-new concept at the Montreal International Auto Show - mostly because it takes place concurrently with the massive show in Detroit - but here we are with the so-called Honda Gear Concept Study Model, which was just uncovered by our friendly neighbors to the north.
According to the automaker, the Gear "demonstrates Honda's innovative approach to providing the automotive answer for young, urban, Gen-Y lifestyles. Inspired by fixed-gear bicycles... Gear is simple and utilitarian, but also customizable, connected and full of personality." It is apparently "practical but fun, customizable, connected and affordable. Everything that young, discerning urban buyers would want in a car," according to Dave Marek, Design Director at Honda R&D Americas.
We don't know anything else - what might lie underhood, how it is "connected" or at what price point it might potentially be sold at. Check out our high-res image gallery above and the press release below and you'll know just about as much as we do.