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A look inside Honda’s “Safety For Everyone” research and development operation

RAYMOND, Ohio—As part of its long-running “Safety for Everyone” campaign, Honda has established the audacious goal of what it calls a “zero-collision society.” But rather than making big claims about developing a fully-autonomous vehicle, which Honda hasnÂ’t done, the company is trying to chip away at the more than 37,000 vehicle-related fatalities that occurred in the U.S. in 2017 with a multi-pronged approach. Here in central Ohio, engineers are working with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to boost active safety systems like its HondaSensing suite of safety technology with old fashioned passive systems like structural steel frames or new airbag designs that protect passengers in a crash. Honda provided members of the press with a rare tour inside its Honda R&D Americas headquarters this week. Honda officials say that increasingly, safety — and specifically, third-party ratings from the likes of the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — figure into the top three factors consumers weigh when purchasing a vehicle. Honda and Acura have 10, 2019 models that have earned IIHSÂ’s Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ ratings, and all 15, 2019 model-year Honda and Acura vehicles that have undergone NHTSA crash testing have earned a 5-star overall rating. And Honda prides itself on its growing list of safety firsts, including the first upward-deploying front passenger airbag, in 1990 in the Acura Legend; first omni-directional crash-test facility, in 2000; and the first autonomous braking system, in the 2006 Acura RL. It hopes its new three-chamber airbag goes industry-wide and joins that list. “ItÂ’s part of our companyÂ’s culture,” said Art St. Cyr, business head unit and vice president of auto operations for American Honda Motor Co. “We have a philosophy at Honda that we want to be a company that society wants to exist. That means we have to protect our customers. ThatÂ’s part of the whole mantra of doing this.” Opened in 1984, the 1.6 million square-foot Honda R&D Americas facility, located in the countryside about 45 miles northwest of Columbus, employs around 1,600 people and is HondaÂ’s largest research-and-development facility outside of Japan. Its Advanced Safety Research facility opened in 2003.

Honda City Adventure off-road scooter concept shown at EICMA

Set aside the cars and trucks for a minute and you'll see that Honda still builds a huge variety of machinery: everything from power equipment to jets to robots – and a whole lot more in between. But what's caught our attention today is a motorcycle... of sorts. Headlining the Japanese company's lineup at the EICMA motorcycle show this week is the City Adventure concept. Though little in the way of details were released, the vehicle seeks to blend the go-anywhere capability of an endurance off-road motorcycle with the convenience and versatility of an urban scooter. That means chunky off-road tires, disc brakes, shielded handlebars, and a movable windscreen, among other elements. The result is a concept for now, but Honda says it foreshadows "a new development direction for adventure-focused machines." If reception is positive enough, Honda might put something like this into production. While the City Adventure concept is surely the most unusual of the motorcycles Honda brought to the Milanese expo this year, it's not the only one. Alongside it, the company is showcasing the new CRF1000L Africa Twin adventure bike, a range of new 500cc bikes, a trio of 750cc New Concept bikes with dual-clutch transmissions, a revised version of the Integra maxi scooter, and new colors for a host of other models as well. Scope out the full details in the press release below. New City Adventure concept revealed alongside CRF1000L Africa Twin and six heavily revised mid-sized machines - City Adventure concept indicates a new development direction for adventure-focussed machines - European show debut for CRF1000L Africa Twin - Range of rider-focussed upgrades for A2 licence-friendly CB500F, CB500X and CBR500R - Revised looks and added practicality for NC750X, NC750S and Integra - New functionality for unique Dual Clutch Transmission technology - New paint options for VFR1200X Crosstourer,, CB650F, CBR650F, CBR300R and SH125i Honda today reveals its full 2016 motorcycle line up at the EICMA show in Milan, comprising six mid-sized capacity machines with a range of significant updates, and the return of one of motorcycling's most illustrious names in the form of the CRF1000L Africa Twin. With an eye to the future, Honda has also revealed its new City Adventure concept machine, offering a unique new interpretation of the idea of adventure on two wheels.

Next Honda Ridgeline previewed in sketch

Honda's big debut at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show may be the all-new Pilot crossover, but the Japanese automaker has released another juicy morsel for us here in the Windy City. Previewed in a sketch, Honda is giving us our first glimpse at the next-generation Ridgeline pickup (note that the drawing pictures the truck on an actual ridgeline – good one, guys). The Ridgeline always sort of steered away from conventional pickup truck wisdom, using a unibody construction with passenger-car roots. We don't know much more about the new truck, the company only saying that the next Ridgeline "will take the original's award-winning performance, comfort and utility to new levels with completely new styling that communicates unmistakably that it's a pickup, yet with a uniquely Honda flair." It's unclear exactly when the new Ridgeline will debut, though Honda expects it to go on sale sometime next year.