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Honda's new City hints in India at US-bound Fit sedan [w/videos]

While car buyers on these shores may think of the Civic or Accord as the prototypical Honda sedan, in the Asia and Oceania regions, it all comes down to the City. Based on the Honda Fit, the City is a compact sedan that's currently sold in 55 countries around the world, and now Honda has revealed the newest version.
Standing essentially as a Fit sedan (much as the Vezel debuted as a Fit crossover), the new fourth-generation Honda City is as wide as the hatchback on which it's based, but stretches longer on a lengthened wheelbase and sits lower. Power comes from a 1.5-liter inline four in either gasoline or diesel form, mated to an unspecified transmission that we'd have to assume is either a manual or a CVT.
Styling looks familiarly Honda, and while it may be hard to tell from the few stock, detail and live reveal images the Japanese automaker has provided us with thus far, it appears slicker form than other compact hatchback-based sedans like the Ford Fiesta or Mazda2. Fortunately IndianAutosBlog has uploaded a couple of videos from the reveal, which we've included below along with the press release.

Honda exec says US market near capacity, could hurt subprime buyers

Is there a point in the US auto industry where companies should start considering the welfare of their customers ahead of selling more cars? American Honda Executive Vice President of Sales John Mendel thinks that level exists, and we may be getting very close to it.
According to Automotive News, Mendel believes that finding more customers in the market could require pursuing subprime buyers and offering longer-term loans. However, he refuses to use those tactics. While selling models this way can improve things briefly, the strategies hurt resale prices and lower vehicle profits over time. The company won't do "stupid things in the short-term that damage the person who bought yesterday," he said to Automotive News. "It's a very, very short-term tactic especially in the subprime area."
American Honda, which combines the Acura and Honda brands, has seen market share decline from 9.7 percent to 9.1 percent through July 2014, according to Automotive News, and Autoblog's By the Numbers stats showed it posted falling sales in five of the seven months with data this year. Though, Mendel claims that was partially because the company focused on retail sales over fleets. The delays of the launches for the Honda Fit and Acura TLX likely didn't help either.

Is Honda working on airbags for smartphones?

Smartphones are expensive yet delicate - a single impact on a hard surface can shatter their touchscreens, often damaging them beyond repair. Fitting a case offers only so much protection, but what about an airbag? Honda has explored the concept with the airbag-equipped Case N and even made a video about it. But alas, it isn't real.
For some reason, we really want it to be. Honda has a knack for surprising us with nearly unbelievable inventions designed to improve mankind's quality of life, contraptions like the Walking Assist Device and the UNI-CUB personal mobility devices, so the Case N isn't as far-fetched an idea for the company as you might think.
Head below to watch the video, where you can see the Case N concept in action. You'll also see its generous proportions, which is one reason why it's just a case of Honda humor - not (yet) a market reality.