2014 Honda Odyssey Ex-l on 2040-cars

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New Land Rover Defender aces Euro crash tests

While the 2020 Land Rover Defender has not yet been crash-test by U.S. safety agencies such as NHTSA or IIHS, we do now have results for Europe's NCAP crash tests and accident-avoidance tests, where the Defender earned the top rating of five stars. The Defender model used for NCAP testing was the 110 variant with right-hand drive. The NCAP regimen includes several different crash tests: an offset front crash test into a moveable barrier with both the vehicle and the barrier traveling at 50 km/hr (31 mph), a front crash test into a full-width fixed barrier at 50 km/hr (31 mph), a side-impact crash test with a barrier traveling at 60 km/hr (37 mph) hitting the driver's door, and a side-impact test where the car strikes a pole at 32 km/hr (20 mph). The Defender's scores for the adult occupant and for a child occupant were both 85%. Additionally, the agency looks at the severity of injuries of the vehicle striking a pedestrian, taking data for a pedestrian's head hitting the hood, and their upper and lower leg being hit by the front of the vehicle. There is also testing of the vehicle's automatic emergency braking system's ability to avoiding hitting a pedestrian and a cyclist under various scenarios. The efficacy of active-safety systems for avoiding collisions with other vehicles is also tested. The Defender's score for protecting pedestrians and cyclists was 71%. The driver assists scored 79%. Results for several European-market cars were released together with those for the Defender, the most noteworthy of which was for the Honda E. The electric city car fared less well than the big Land Rover, garnering a score of four stars overall. In the same battery of test, the Honda E scored 76% for adult occupant protection, 82% for a child occupant, 62% for protecting pedestrians and cyclists, and 65% for its driver assists. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Honda replaces CEO Takanobu Ito with Takahiro Hachigo

At its upcoming shareholders' meeting in June, Honda is set to make a raft of changes to its senior personnel, including new board members, directors, auditors and operating officers. But the most pivotal of the new appointments will see the replacement of its president and chief executive. That job currently belongs to Takanobu Ito, who will step down in June and hand the reins over to Takahiro Hachigo, subject to ratification by the shareholders. Hachigo-san has been with Honda since 1982, rising up the ranks and holding a series of key executive and R&D posts with the Japanese automaker in locations around the world – including here in the United States, where he spearheaded development of the original Odyssey minivan and directed the company's American R&D center. He subsequently headed Honda's European operations and currently serves as its most senior officer in China. He's 55 years old. He takes over from Ito-san after a tumultuous period for Honda. Ito, 62, joined Honda in 1978 and similarly rose through the R&D ranks, holding some of the same positions along the way that Hachigo would later, albeit more focused on the company's operations at home in Japan. Ito took over as president and CEO in 2009, steering Honda through a difficult period marked by fluctuating currencies, the tsunami disaster of 2011 and flagging quality issues that have forced Honda to issue unprecedented recalls, focusing much criticism on Ito's leadership. Honda recently recalled millions of vehicles that were fitted with Takata's faulty airbag inflators, which had the unpleasant tendency to spew shrapnel at consumers. Ito will remain on board as a director and advisor, but what we'll be most interested to see is the direction in which Hachigo will take the company. Under Ito's leadership, Honda has brought back performance icons like the NSX and Civic Type R, launched innovative environmental technologies, delved into aerospace with the HondaJet and re-entered Formula One. One of Hachigo's first priorities will undoubtedly be to restore the company's reputation for quality, but we'll have to wait and see what (if any) sort of new and exciting developments he'll spearhead once he takes office. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Announces New President & CEO Tokyo, February 23, 2015 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda CR-V caught wearing facelift in Europe

A few years on from its 2011 debut, the current Honda CR-V is preparing to go under the knife for a refresh. Typical of these sort of mid-cycle deals, the changes for Honda's popular CUV are minor.
The front of the car is home to the most dramatic (a relative term here) changes, with revised headlights sporting what looks like a slimmer profile. The three-bar grille has been heavily tweaked and is now a two-bar item, with a larger lower bar and a nose badge that covers both upper and lower sections.
The fascia itself has been modified with what looks like a larger lower intake, while the foglights have gone from the circular pattern of the current car to a rectangular pattern on the facelifted model. It looks like they'll still sport conventional bulbs, although the shape of the lights themselves look like a natural fit for a set of LED running lights (as is the trend).