2021 Honda Pilot Awd Ex-l on 2040-cars

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Renewed deal continues to give Honda power to Ariel models

You can expect to hear screaming Honda engines in Ariel's stripped down vehicles for even longer; the two companies have just reaffirmed their exclusive powerplant supply deal in the UK. Ariel's models have used Honda power for the last 16 years. Just in time for the updated agreement, the eight technicians at the sports car brand's tiny factory just completed their 1,500th model with the Japanese automaker's high-revving engine. The basic Atom in the UK comes with the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter K20Z engine, and Ariel fits the mill with an exhaust and custom ECU tuning to make 245 horsepower. An optional supercharger can push the output to 310 hp or up to 350 hp. The top versions can reach 60 miles per hour in less than 2.7 seconds and a top speed over 155 mph. Ariel's other products have different Honda powerplants. The company's new Nomad uses a 2.4-liter K24 with 235 hp, and an optional supercharger can give the off-roader 290 hp. For those that prefer two wheels, the Ace motorcycle packs a 1,237cc V4 with 173 hp. In the US, the Atom wasn't always available with Honda power. Brammo, which previously imported the sports cars here, fitted them with a 2.0-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine from General Motors. Ariel toyed with other powerplants, too, like its 500-horsepower V8 in the Atom 500. HONDA (UK) AND ARIEL RENEW EXCLUSIVE ENGINE SUPPLY DEAL AS 1,500TH HONDA-POWERED ARIEL ROARS OUT OF THE FACTORY Honda (UK) and Ariel renew exclusive engine supply deal as 1,500th Honda-powered Ariel roars out of the (very small) factory Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company renew exclusive engine supply deal for Atom and Nomad 1,500th Honda-powered Ariel in 16 years roars out of the factory Supercharged Civic Type R engine delivers a scorching 350bhp and top speed of more than 155mph in the famed Ariel Atom Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company have renewed their 16-year strong exclusive engine supply agreement which sees the famed Atom powered by the Civic Type R engine, and the new off-road Nomad by the Civic 2.4 unit. The news comes as the two brands celebrate the 1500th Honda-powered Ariel roaring out of the small factory in Somerset, where just eight highly skilled build technicians spend 100-200 hours painstakingly hand-crafting one vehicle each at a time, from start to finish. Over the last 16 years 1,500 new Ariels have been built here – just a few day's work for Honda's Civic-producing Swindon plant.

Honda: We won't be able to sell ICE cars in China by 2025

China's push to clean up the country's woeful air pollution levels could mean the end of the traditional internal combustion engine there. In an interview with WardsAuto, Keiji Ohtsu, Honda's chief technology strategy officer at the company's automobile R&D center, predicts a lineup only of models with electric assistance in the country within a decade. He also discusses the Japanese automaker's green car goals worldwide. Ohtsu foresees China adopting some of the strictest fuel economy standards in the world in the coming years. "In 2025, we don't expect to be able to sell conventional internal-combustion engines [there], meaning we will be selling mostly hybrids including plug-in types," he said to WardsAuto. China's push to clean up its air comes as major cities continue to struggle with massive levels of pollution. For example, Beijing recently banned half of the cars from the road due to dire levels of smog. To fight back, the government has pushed automakers to launch more plug-ins, and the strategy has shown some success. China's BYD has already become the world's largest producer of plug-in vehicles in 2015. Even outside of China, Honda intends to become a far greener automaker in the coming years. In the near term, the company expects 20 percent of its global volume could be hybrids by 2020. According to Ohtsu, as much as 80 percent of Japanese deliveries could have some form or electrification by that time, but the US would be closer to 20 percent. However, the company sees hybrids more as a stepping stone than as the future of motoring, and the mass adoption of hydrogen is the real goal. "We think that fuel-cell vehicles will come into the mainstream in 2030, along with battery-powered electric cars. We also feel that going forward hydrogen will be the best fuel alternative," Ohtsu said to WardsAuto. Honda's experimental FCEV (pictured above) already hints at the brand's future direction.

Honda thumbs nose at fleet sales, claims it leads in key vehicle segments

Fleet sales are a way of life in the automotive industry. There are many non-retail customers that need vehicles, but going too far can reduce brand image and vehicle resale value. While some of its competitors have fleet sale that account for up to 20 or 30 of overall sales, Honda is bragging that it has the lowest fleet sales of all mainstream automakers for the first five months of 2013.
After calculating new-car registration data from R.L. Polk, Honda says that just two percent of its sales through went to fleet customers compared to an industry average of 19 percent. Even though this means Honda leaves plenty of sales on the table each month, it also claims to have the highest resale value and lowest cost of ownership among its competitors. In terms of retail sales, Honda says that the Civic, Accord, CR-V and Odyssey all lead their respective segments, and it breaks down/brags about its retail sales success in the press release, which is posted below.