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Honda is first Japanese carmaker to be a net-exporter from US

Over the last decade or so, many foreign automakers have challenged the idea of what defines an "American car," but Honda took things a step further last year by exporting more cars out of the US than it imported in. Reuters is reporting that in 2013, a total of 108,705 Honda and Acura models were exported from the US with only 88,357 being shipped in. This gives Honda a net exporter status here, and makes it the first of such among the major Japanese automakers.
Honda's US imports have been dropping over the last five years while its exports have been steadily increasing. In 2008, the report indicates that Honda shipped 187,000 vehicles to the US and exported only 20,000, and even by 2012 Honda still favored imports with 136,000 imports and 74,000 exports. The article says that US-made Honda and Acura vehicles were exported to 50 countries with most ending up in Mexico, but the big news is that the Honda's US production set a record in 2013 with 1.3 million units built.

2014 Honda Odyssey gets some tidy tweaks [w/video]

Here in New York, Honda is offering up a refreshed version of its well-liked Odyssey minivan, bringing with it a slew of updates including the segment's first in-car vacuum. It looks to be a neat little feature, one that families will no doubt get a lot of use out of. Kids are spill-machines, after all.
On the outside, the Odyssey gets a revised front end with dark headlamp surrounds, shiny cross-bars in the grille, and an aluminum hood and bumper. We think the blacked-out grille trim looks fine on this charcoal model, but question how smart it will look on models with lighter paint tones. Out back, there are new LED taillamps, and it looks like a new wheel design will be on offer, too.
Other changes for the 2014 Odyssey include some structural reinforcements for improved safety and some new available nannies like lane-departure warning and forward collision warning. Inside, buyers will find new finishes inside the cabin, a redesigned center stack and pushbutton start. Scroll down for the full details in an official video and in Honda's press release, and have a look at new images live from the show floor in the gallery above.

Honda not ready to give up on CR-Z, Civic Hybrid in US just yet

Honda has already killed off the CR-Z in Europe, so news that the car is no longer going to be sold in Australia isn't exactly a surprise. In fact, Car Advice says that both the CR-Z and the Civic Hybrid are coming to the end of the line Down Under following disappointing sales. Honda sold only 370 CR-Zs in Australia in 2012 and then 58 in 2013 and 86 in 2014. These cancellations got us thinking: what does the future look like for these vehicles in the US? Well, stateside, CR-Z sales dropped almost 20 percent in 2014, compared to 2013, to 3,562 units. The Civic Hybrid sold just 5,070 units, a drop of almost 35 percent. Both of these vehicles use the aging Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) mild hybrid system, which the company's other hybrids (like the Accord) do not. Does that mean Honda hybrid fans will soon no longer be able to buy a CR-Z or Civic Hybrid? Not so fast, says Angie Nucci, Honda PR's senior environment and safety specialist. "The 2015 CR-Z went on-sale in early October and the 2015 Civic Hybrid went on-sale the following month in November," Nucci said. "Since these vehicles went on-sale fairly recently, it is simply too early to discuss future models at this time." Still, in Australia, the CR-Z and Civic Hybrid are both officially leaving the line-up. The company say that three new "Hybrid Sport" models will be coming at some point, starting with the Accord Hybrid later this year. The next one will be the NSX and then the Jazz Hybrid. The Jazz is another name for the Fit, which we do not get in a hybrid version in the US. Featured Gallery 2014 Honda CR-Z Hybrid View 14 Photos News Source: Honda, Car Advice via Green Car Reports Green Honda discontinued