2014 Honda Civic Si on 2040-cars

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Japanese earthquakes send ripples through auto industry

The earthquakes since April 14 in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu are having aftershocks on the US auto industry, particularly for Toyota. The company shut down most of its factories in the country due to parts shortages, and the plants will be closed at least through April 23. "Decisions regarding recommencement of operation at plants in Japan will be made on the basis of availability of parts," the company said in a statement. According to Automotive News, Toyota's closed factories include a vast range of popular models in the US, including the Toyota Prius, Mirai, RAV4, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus ES, LS, IS, GS, RC, NX, RX, GX, and LX. The company's only sites in Japan that are still open build Hino trucks, Daihatsu models, and the Toyota Century limo. Toyota isn't yet sure whether these shutdowns could lead to vehicle shortages in the US. "As you can imagine, we are still reviewing the situation and working to learn more," company spokesperson Aaron Fowles told Autoblog. "While we know that production will be suspended in stages at most of our vehicle assembly facilities in Japan between April 18th and the 23rd, we do not know if they will continue production suspensions. Also, any effects to our inventory and/or sales have yet to be determined." He expects the automaker to know more in the coming days. Many of the affected Toyota plants aren't even in Kumamoto Prefecture, but major suppliers have factories in the region. For example, Aisin Seiki and Renesas Electronics both had to shutdown operations at plants in the area, according to Automotive News. Toyota isn't the only automaker affected. Nissan experienced a brief slowdown but was back to work on Monday, and Honda has suspended a motorcycle plant in the region until Friday. Mitsubishi had to close a production line due to the parts shortage, according to The Japan Times, but it didn't affect US models. "A supplier to our Mizushima plant has been impacted but they only supply an engine part for our mini car line. That line has been temporarily shut down due to that situation," spokesperson Alex Fedorak told Autoblog. "That same plant builds the Lancer and i-MiEv and there has been no impact to that line and production continues uninterrupted." Two major quakes hit Kumamoto Prefecture around Kumamoto city in the past week. The first on April 14 measured 6.4 magnitude, and a second on April 16 measured 7.3.

Honda will build 2014 Accord Hybrid in Ohio

Honda has announced that it will invest $23 million in its Marysville, Ohio facility to support production of the upcoming 2014 Accord Hybrid sedan. According to the manufacturer, this means approximately 50 new jobs will be created, and the whole investment will result in a 95,000-square-foot expansion of the Marysville plant.
The Accord Hybrid joins the decidedly homely Accord PHEV (pictured) this fall, using a 2.0-liter i-VTEC Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine mated to a 124-kilowatt electric motor. Honda has yet to release official power or fuel economy figures for the non-plug-in hybrid version of the Accord.
Honda currently operates four manufacturing facilities in Ohio, with the combined capacity to build up to 700,000 cars and light trucks each year. The Japanese automaker also has a facility in Greensburg, Indiana, where the Civic Hybrid and Acura ILX Hybrid are built.

Honda adds tech to 2016 CR-Z, no powertrain upgrades

Rumors suggest that the next-gen Honda CR-Z could finally become a real performance machine by dropping the hybrid setup in favor of a detuned version of the European Civic Type R's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. We aren't there yet, though, and for 2016 the wedge-shaped model instead receives a styling upgrade and some new tech. However, the hybrid powertrain is still exactly the same. As previewed by the Japanese version earlier this year, the 2016 CR-Z receives a revised face with a reshaped grille. The front diffuser now slashes through the lower air dam to create triangular niches for the foglights. At the back, a redesigned bumper further echoes the nose's styling. Honda's designers also tweak the interior by switching to an electric parking brake. This might seem minor, but because there's no longer a lever, a center console with an armrest can take up the open space. In addition, drivers can enjoy better infotainment from a standard, seven-inch Display Audio system. For the EX trim and above, the screen is used for the company's LaneWatch tech, too. Moving up to the top-spec EX-L adds navigation and heated leather seats. Even with the powertrain the same, the 2016 CR-Z might drive a little better. Honda's engineers thicken the front stabilizer bar a hair and widen the rear track by 0.4 inches. The brake discs are also now 11.1 inches at the both ends, versus 10.3-inches at the front and 10.2 inches at the back previously. For 2016, Honda revises the trims to LX, EX, and EX-L, but prices jump slightly. A base model now starts at $21,130 (with the $835 destination charge) versus $20,965 last year (with $820 destination). Perhaps these upgrades are enough to goose CR-Z sales because through September the model is down 25.1 percent with a volume of just 2,205 units. Related Video: Design Updates, Enhanced Tech and New Higher-Level Trim Make the Fun and Efficient 2016 CR-Z Hybrid Sport Coupe More Stylish and Feature Rich • New styling, inside and out, and new line-topping EX-L with standard navigation • New available features include 7-inch Display Audio, Smart Entry and Push Button Start/Stop, Electric Parking Brake and Honda LaneWatch™ • New Honda accessories options TORRANCE, Calif., Nov.