2008 Honda Accord on 2040-cars

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The Honda Crosstour is no more

While hardly the most surprising news in the automotive world, it's with sad hearts that we report the passing of any automotive nameplate... even when it's as generally unloved as the Honda Crosstour. In a statement from American Honda, Executive Vice President John Mendel confirms the quirky, sort-of wagon's demise for the 2016 model year. The Crosstour was introduced in 2010 as a compromise between a crossover and a traditional station wagon. However, unlike the popular Subaru Outback with a similar melding of styles, Honda's was never able to really catch on. Honda America's CEO was disappointed with sales as far back as 2011, and an attempt to make the model look a little more rugged didn't work. In 2014, 11,802 Crosstours were sold, a 29.9-percent drop from the year before. In its announcement for the vehicle's discontinuation, Honda says the new HR-V should "play a more significant role as a gateway model." The company thinks the crossover segment today has changed from when the Crosstour debuted. The capacity at the East Liberty Plant in Ohio previously required for Crosstour production will be used for the more popular CR-V, Acura RDX and, as of early 2017, the MDX. Meanwhile, production of the Honda Accord Hybrid will be moved from the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio to Japan. Statement by John Mendel, Executive Vice President, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Re: North American Production Portfolio Apr 8, 2015 Honda's growth strategy in North America is keyed to aligning our product portfolio and related production around the needs of our customers and growth segments in the marketplace. This includes the fortification of our light truck line-up with the recent introduction of a refreshed version of America's best- selling SUV, the CR-V, as well as the all-new 2016 HR-V, a new 2016 Pilot, and the next generation Ridgeline truck, coming to market next year. The strategy also includes strengthening our leading lineup of passenger cars with the introduction this fall of an all-new Civic lineup that will include more variants than ever before, including a new five-door model. In order to fulfill this customer-focused strategy, we are making several changes to the lineup of vehicles we build in our auto plants in Ohio.

Honda expands Takata recall for older CR-Vs

Honda has added another 127,000 bad Takata airbag inflators to its growing recall. This latest round affects 2003 and 2004 CR-V crossovers and brings Honda's total inflator tally to 3.4 million units. This marks the first time that the 2004 CR-V has been included in the airbag recall. Repairs will be conducted free of charge, and Honda notes that "it has sufficient replacement parts supplies to begin recall repairs of the added vehicles immediately, nationwide." The company's recall repair is nearly half complete, with 47.1 percent of the bad inflators replaced across the US. "American Honda continues to urge owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls to get their vehicles repaired at authorized dealers as soon as possible," the company said in the attached statement. "Vehicle owners can check their vehicles' recall status at www.recalls.honda.com for Honda owners or www.recalls.acura.com for Acura owners or by calling their authorized dealer." Read on for the official release. Statement by American Honda Regarding Expansion of Nationwide Recall of Certain Takata Passenger Front Airbag Inflators Dec 23, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Nationwide recall of passenger front airbag inflators expands to include approximately 127,000 inflators in 2003-2004 CR-V vehicles not previously subject to recall or safety improvement campaign No change to national recall of driver front airbag inflators Honda's national Takata airbag inflator recall repair completion rate is 47.1% Honda announced today that it will expand a national recall (15V-370) to replace, free of charge, Takata passenger front airbag inflators installed in certain 2003-2004 CR-V models sold in the United States following a recent defect determination by Takata, the airbag inflator supplier. This expansion will add approximately 127,000 passenger front airbag inflators not previously subject to either a recall or safety improvement campaign. Approximately 78,000 of the affected 2003-2004 CR-V vehicles included in existing passenger front airbag inflator recalls and Honda's voluntary safety improvement campaigns (14V-353 and 14V-700) will also transition into the new recall. The same free repair - replacement of the passenger front airbag inflator - will be completed under the new national action. This updated recall (15V-370) now includes approximately 3.4 million passenger front airbag inflators now requiring replacement in this action.

Honda overhauls North American operations with eye towards more autonomy

The increasing sales success of Honda North America (HNA) has led to Honda brass in Japan reorganizing regional operations here. The management shuffling here and in Japan is intended to both streamline and confer more responsibility on HNA "as the region assumes a larger role in shaping Honda's global business," and as Honda builds more facilities that serve several roles in the product development pipeline.
Honda's executive vice president and president of HNA Tetsuo Iwamura was named COO of automotive operations, taking over a position that had been handled by company president Takanobu Ito. Iwamura's new role puts him in charge of anything Honda makes that has four wheels, which Automotive News says equates to 78 percent of the company's global revenue.
The current company CFO, Fumihiko Ike, will fill the now-vacant role of company chairman and Kohei Takeuchi will take his place. Takeuchi is presently the operating officer, general manager of the accounting division. The executive swaps take effect April 1, 2013.