2012 Honda Cr-v Ex-l Sport Utility 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and more collaborating to increase fuel efficiency

Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Daihatsu have announced an alliance that will see a push to improve fuel economy from both gas-powered and diesel-powered engines by as much as 30 percent before the end of the decade.
The newly assembled Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines put the roughly $20-million project together, with the Japanese government committing to half the cost while the eight manufacturers will chip in the rest.
According to Automotive News, the automakers will team up and share basic research on internal-combustion engines in a bid to cut costs. Eventually, the results of the research will find its way into a production vehicle, although it's unclear just when we'll see the fruits of this partnership on the road.

Honda CR-Z refresh coming this fall

Despite moving just 1,562 of them through July 2015 with sales down 33.7 percent, the Honda CR-Z is somehow still kicking in the US lineup. Honda isn't ready to give up and is even announcing a refresh for the hybrid hatchback in hopes of giving the little car a jolt. Before you get too excited, the powertrain remains unaltered for the update with the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder and IMA hybrid system making 130 horsepower. The refresh arrives in Japan in October, and according to Automotive News, the improvements arrive in the US in November. The styling sees the biggest change of the revisions. Up front, the lower air dam now slices through the grille and leads right to the foglights. A similar addition is found on the rear, as well. The brake discs grow to 15-inches, an inch larger than before. Japan gets LED headlights too, but they reportedly aren't coming here to keep prices down. To match the revised exterior, there are tech tweaks inside. An upgraded infotainment system that adds both noise cancelation and an engine sound amplifier to make those 130 ponies at least sound sporty. Another tiny change is the switch to an an electric parking brake and the addition of a center armrest. Rumors suggest Honda is considering whether to dump the hybrid in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the next-gen CR-Z. However, chief engineer Terukazu Torikai disagrees. When asked about the possibility of a non-electrified model, he told Automotive News, "There are no plans for that whatsoever."

Acura NSX production car headed for Detroit debut?

Auto Express is reporting that Honda is set to unveil the production version of its upcoming Acura NSX at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. The news comes courtesy of an unnamed "top exec" for Honda Brazil speaking at the Sao Paulo Motor Show. The concept version of the Japanese supercar is currently on display there. Interestingly enough, the same unnamed source claims the production iteration will remain aesthetically identical to the show car. You won't hear any qualms from us on that front.
Of course, the timing of the production debut is a little confusing. For starters, when Acura unveiled the concept last year, the company told the world it would be at least three years before production began. That would give the street-worthy model a 2014 or 2015 designation, the latter being cited more often in media accounts. Thus, we'll keep an eye out for the hybrid supercar in Motown, but we're going to stop short of holding our breath... it might be a while.