2019 Honda Cr-v Ex on 2040-cars

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2016 Honda Civic First Drive [w/video]

Before diving deep into the presentation for the 2016 Civic Sedan, Honda reps reminded us that the last generation of the car sold very well, thank you. Launched for the 2012 model year, and conspicuously updated for '13, the ninth-generation of Honda's Everyman Sedan was dinged in the media for its lack of innovative powertrains, a drop in refinement relative to the newest competitors, and generally staying the course instead of blazing a trail. That Civic still sold hundreds of thousands of copies. But at the presser for this new car, the sense of relief in moving forward, and excitement about the future, was palpable. Striking up the band and fawning over a new car is the job of Honda's staff, of course, but after driving the '16 Civic for myself, it was clear why the gushing seemed so genuine. This is a new machine, soup to nuts, built to draw crosshairs on the best compact cars in the world. To do that, Honda prioritized overall refinement, the steering experience, a quiet cabin, and high-speed stability as areas in which the tenth-gen car must excel. Those are new areas; the company accepts that things like excellent fuel economy and safety are elemental parts of any Civic by now. Having driven the current version of most every competitor, I set out to see if Honda could make good on that lofty and diverse set of goals. View 40 Photos Honda prioritized excellence in overall refinement, the steering experience, a quiet cabin, and high-speed stability. The new Civic powertrain lineup gives the model an immediate leg up. For 2016, Honda is bringing two new four-cylinder engines to the game: a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter, and a turbocharged 1.5-liter. I got a small sample of the 2.0L engine – it's generally up to the task of carrying Civic sales in bulk – but I spent most of my day with the more exciting 1.5T. (That's mostly what Honda brought along; the engineers are clearly proud of this motor.) The top three trim levels will include the 174-horsepower, 162-pound-feet turbo engine, connected to a continuously variable transmission. The added power makes sense for the more expensive versions of this car, as the easy acceleration it offers is a real luxury. Most drivers will appreciate that there's less "turbo-y" feeling to this engine than just about any I've ever experienced. Full torque output starts at 1,800 rpm – and sticks there right up to the 5,500-rpm horsepower peak – but there's no drama around the power coming on.

Honda, Nissan and Mazda recalling 3 million vehicles for airbag inflators

Three million more vehicles can be added to the worldwide tally to be repaired for the faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata. Honda, Nissan, and Mazda have all issued recalls to replace the bad part, including about 1.2 million of them in North America. NHTSA has been investigating all three companies, plus Chrysler and Toyota, for potentially affected vehicles.
Honda is recalling roughly 1.02 million Civic, CR-V, Odyssey and Element models In North America, built between April 2000 and October 2002. Mazda needs to repair 14,794 units of the RX-8 and Mazda6, and Nissan has 228,000 vehicles in North America to be fixed.
Chrysler is also starting what it calls a "regional field action" to replace the inflators in the 2006 Dodge Charger, according to a company spokesperson. The company says that it has not yet found the problem in any of its vehicles, but it's being done "out of an abundance of caution." The final number of Chargers affected will be announced later this week.

Honda Urban SUV concept previews Fit-based crossover

We've been hearing a lot of rumblings this year about a new crossover based on the Honda Fit, and now we finally get to see what this B-segment CUV might look like. Called the Urban SUV Concept, Honda's new small crossover has made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, but we'll have to wait until 2014 to see the production version on sale in the US. Honda says the production version of this concept, whatever it will be called, will slot below the CR-V in terms of size and price.
In terms of this concept's styling, there is plenty of the new Honda Accord in its face, and it looks like a more rugged version of the Nissan Juke, as well as a more practical alternative to the Hyundai Veloster. With its short overhangs, the concept measures 169.3 inches in length, making it about eight inches longer than a Fit hatchback and nine inches shorter than the CR-V. Honda confirmed that its new crossover will debut a telematics system for Honda, and it will use one of Honda's new Earth Dreams engines; we previously reported that this engine would be a 1.5-liter I4 paired with a continuously variable transmission.
The next-generation Fit is expected to debut before this new crossover model, and both models will be built at Honda's Celaya, Mexico assembly plant, which is scheduled to open early next year. A new sedan is also expected to round out the lineup of Fit-based products. For more information about this new Urban SUV Concept, scroll down for Honda's official press release.