2014 Honda Pilot Ex-l on 2040-cars

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2016 Honda Pilot is brand's first non-hybrid with stop-start

Honda has gotten rid of the boxy styling of the outgoing Pilot for a more aerodynamic look that mimics its smaller sibling, the popular CR-V. The 2016 Honda Pilot – which goes on sale this summer – has a larger, eight-inch display screen, an improved navigation system and up to five USB ports to power the family's devices. The new Pilot was introduced at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show this week. New amenities include an optional heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats. Under the hood is a new 3.5-liter, direct injected V-6 engine with start-stop technology – Honda calls it " Idle Stop technology" – to save on fuel. Buyers can choose one of two new transmissions, a six-speed or a nine-speed, and front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations. Green Car Congress notes that this is the first time Honda has put stop-start technology into a non-hybrid vehicle. Fuel economy wasn't announced, but increased use of lighter materials has dropped 300 pounds of weight, so the new Pilot should beat the old model's 25 mpg on the highway. New safety features include LED high beams that automatically dim for oncoming traffic and Honda's first road departure mitigation system - borrowed from Acura - which monitors the vehicle's road position and can correct the steering or brake if it senses an imminent collision. Related Video: The AP contributed to this report. Featured Gallery 2016 Honda Pilot: Chicago 2015 View 19 Photos News Source: Honda, Green Car Congress Green Chicago Auto Show Honda mpg stop start

Acura NSX roadster finally on its way this year?

Autobild put together a slideshow forecasting various convertibles due to arrive from 2018 to 2023. The long-prophesied Acura NSX roadster graced the first slide, reportedly prepped for market launch later this year at a price of 200,000 euros. That's about 13,000 euros more spendy than the hardtop, a relative bargain. Don't call your Goldman private banker yet, though — that Autobild slide is likely as close as any of us will get to said roadster this year. We've been doing the hokey pokey with the droptop NSX for at least six years now. In 2012 an eager enthusiast corps thought a European patent might have revealed the convertible supercar, only to realize it was Acura protecting Tony Stark's screen gem in The Avengers (pictured). In 2016, Autocar reported that Honda viewed the NSX as a platform for experiment and tests of developing technology that "help [ Honda] understand where the brand is going." Those brand explorations meant Honda was "contemplating convertible, lightweight, non-hybrid and all-electric versions." In 2017, Internet snoopers happened on patent images for a droptop coupe first dubbed the "Baby NSX," then potentially the ZSX after more snooping dug up a trademarked name. Even though production plans for a "Small NSX" actually did exist, dated to before 2008, the Small NSX/BabyNSX/ZSX turned out to be the Honda Sports Vision GranTurismo entry when Honda couldn't make a business case for the genuine article. Here we are staring down the same wishing well. Last year Acura sold 137 NSXs in the U.S. through the end of Q1, and so far this year only 67 coupes found buyers in that time. We know the NSX is a halo car, but halos work to best effect when they're visible. So all we know now is that the talented hybrid would do well with any variant that would get it more visibility, of the top-down kind, the Type R kind, perhaps a road-legal, non-hybrid GT3 kind, or any other. Related Video:

Honda to use English as its official language

Honda still has its headquarters in Japan and offices all over the world, but expect to hear a little less Japanese from the automaker in the coming years. A small statement in the business' latest sustainability report (available here as a PDF) announces English will become the official language for interregional communication by 2020. Honda believes that the change should foster better contact between countries as Japan becomes a less central focus for the company. As part of this shift, any documents or questions during interregional meetings, plus any other information being shared between territories, must be in English. To put some extra weight behind the mandate, the ability to speak the language is going to be a requirement for future promotions to management. In the meantime, "Honda has implemented measures in Japan that include study programs aimed at boosting English language skills," the sustainability report said. According to Automotive News, former CEO Takanobu Ito called the idea of making English an official language for company communications "stupid" five years ago. Although even under his watch, things were changing. In 2013, Honda adopted English as the main form of discourse in global meetings. The decision to lessen the focus on Japanese within Honda stems in part from changing worker demographics and major sales regions. According to Automotive News, 81 percent of the company's production comes from outside of Japan, and the country only accounts for about a third of the workforce. Also, 40 percent of global sales are from North America. Honda is quickly transitioning into a more global company in general. For example, the latest Civic Type R is assembled in the UK but has an engine from the US. Also, North America is getting the European made Civic five-door hatchback for the venerable model's next generation. English as the Official Language Setting English as the official language in inter- regional communications It is vital to develop an environment that achieves close communication between associates in six regions worldwide in order for the Honda Group to display its comprehensive capabilities while local sites are independent.