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Honda and Acura add garage door control to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

You’ll soon be able to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in your Honda or Acura to open and close your garage door. ItÂ’s a new feature made possible through a partnership with the Chamberlain GroupÂ’s myQ Connected Garage service. Honda says that all of its 2023 and 2024 model year vehicles will be compatible with this new tech, but it also says that “millions of older Honda and Acura models supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also have compatibility.” ThatÂ’s especially great to hear that the convenience is not just going to be limited to brand-new models. As for how it works, the system is fairly straightforward. You can set a geofence that will automatically prompt you with a system notification when you get within a certain distance of your garage. Follow the onscreen instructions to open, and your garage door will do as you command. The same can be done to close your garage door. For this tech to work, Honda says that youÂ’ll need a compatible garage door opener, but thereÂ’s a good chance you already do because myQ is compatible with most openers on the market today from LiftMaster and other Chamberlain brands. If your opener is already myQ enabled, then you wonÂ’t need to do anything. However, if you have an older style, Honda says you can use a “myQ Smart Garage Control device” to upgrade it into one. Honda is offering everybody one for free if you sign up for its 30-day demo subscription of the service, so donÂ’t worry about having to buy one. However, if you do wish to continue beyond that 30-day free trial, a three-year subscription costs $129, while a five-year subscription will run you $179. The real benefit to this system is that youÂ’ll be able to open and close your garage door from anywhere, not just within the range of where your opener or car-linked button will work. Of course, myQ has a phone app that will do the same, but this allows you to do the task directly through the carÂ’s interface without needing to yank out a phone. Honda says this tech is functional as of today, so go ahead and try it out if you have all the necessary garage door tech in place.

Honda S660 Kei car makes you want to jump in and drive

We want the Honda S660. In fact, after seeing the freshly debuted production model, it's fair to say the kei roadster has already leapt to the very tip-top of our forbidden fruit list. Considering our newfound love for the tiny two-seater, you, dear reader, are going to have to put up with a lot of S660 content in the coming weeks. First up, we have what's called nori-setsu, or "riding instructions." Honda recruited a pair of gymnasts, who use their talents to slide, creatively, into a mockup of the S660. While the acrobats make it look easy, we imagine the amount of space in the S660 makes slotting into the driver's seat off a pommel horse is somewhat dangerous, hence the padding and mocked-up roadster. Fortunately, when an actual S660 is brought out to play, the gymnast finds a more conventional means of getting behind the wheel. Check out the video.

Honda CR-V set to grow in its next-generation

It's been accepted that cars grow with each successive generation. Honda looks to be stretching that theory as it conducts testing of the next-generation CR-V. It's big. Judging by these images, Honda has essentially taken a CR-V and inserted a big, long door between the B- and C-pillars, stretching the wheelbase by what has to be several inches at the very least. This makes it a virtual certainty that when the new model debuts, it'll be with both five- and seven-passenger variants. Not only will this give Honda an advantage over basically all of its two-row-only competitors, it'll also create separation between its new entry level CUV, the HR-V. Judging by the camouflage, we're also betting Honda has made some serious changes to the front end while still using the old CR-V's bones. You can see the engineers have jury-rigged some hefty auxiliary lights on the front fenders, since the entire fascia has been covered. And in back, there are (weirdly for a CR-V) two prominent exhausts. Judging by these images, the next CR-V is still pretty early in its development cycle. We wouldn't expect it to debut before early 2017. Related Video: