2017 Honda Accord Lx 4dr Sedan Cvt on 2040-cars

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Honda develops breathalyzer smart key with Hitachi

Honda and Hitachi have joined forces in developing a combined breathalyzer and automobile smart key. According to Honda, the device has been designed to be tamper-proof and able to differentiate between human breath and alternative gases. It is also said to accurately measure alcohol level in three seconds, and the reading will then be displayed in the car's information panel. Ignition interlocks that integrate an alcohol detector are becoming more commonplace. For example, in Japan professional drivers are required to pass a breathalyzer test before beginning their shifts, and development for a detector-controlled ignition interlock has been launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US. While the images released by Honda show the device to be relatively bulky and about the size of a mobile phone, it is still a prototype under development. Honda also notes that the breath test doesn't need to be performed inside the car, but it can be done at home – reducing the temptation to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol. Related Video: Image Credit: Honda Auto News Honda Safety Technology drunk driving breathalyzer hitachi smart key

Honda stretches new Shuttle to Fit the Japanese market

While the Honda Odyssey that we get here in North America may be getting bigger with each passing generation, the minivans Honda offers in its home market are still pretty small. Like the new Shuttle. Set to be unveiled in full next month, the new Shuttle is a compact minivan that looks like a longer version of the Fit hatchback we get over here. In fact previous versions were marketed as the Fit Shuttle, but the little hatchback's handle seems to have been dropped from this latest model. It's still a five-seater, but with extra cargo capacity including under-floor storage, all in a compact, Tokyo-friendly form. It's not as small as a Kei car – the miniature vehicle segment which Honda covers with its N series – but would likely be far too small to suit the typical American family. Technical details are still forthcoming, but the new Shuttle will be available with a 1.5-liter direct-injection inline-four or a hybrid powertrain, just like the Fit. But unlike the little hatchback we know, it will also be available with all-wheel drive.

2013 Honda Accord Coupe V6 6MT

One of the first cars I reviewed for Autoblog was - say it with me now - a 2010 Honda Accord Coupe EX-L V6 w/Navi 6MT, perhaps the rarest of all modern Accord models. I mean, think about it: Of all the different Accord variants on the road, how many are coupes? And how many of those have the larger V6 engine? And how many of those are fully loaded with leather, navigation and all the trimmings? And finally, how many of those have option sheets where the only box that isn't checked is the automatic transmission?
That has to be something like one percent of one percent, right?
So when Honda started rolling its all-new 2013 Accord into the test fleet, I was happy to hear that yet another Coupe EX-L V6 w/Navi 6MT model was available out of the Detroit pool. And while this really isn't the car that serves as the control for judging the entire Accord line, it's still one heck of a sweetheart.