Statement Regarding Forthcoming White House Fuel Economy Announcement by John Mendel, Executive Vice President of Sales for American Honda

07/27/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.

Honda is proud to have actively worked with the Administration as they developed their proposed national fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards. Honda embraces this challenge, which will be good for our customers and for the environment, and we welcome the competition we will have with other automakers that will result from these new standards.

- John Mendel, Executive Vice President of Sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/statement-regarding-forthcoming-white-house-fuel-economy-announcement-by-john-mendel-executive-vice-president-of-sales-for-american-honda

Study: Honda leads as greenest automaker, again

By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
Honda has the greenest vehicles in the United States, with Toyota and Hyundai tying for second place, according to a study released on Thursday by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit advocacy group.

The results were calculated using the predicted impact of the automakers’ fleets on global warming — based largely on miles per gallon -– as well as the smog-forming emissions of the engines.

The study looked at eight automakers that together sold 92 percent of the vehicles available in the United States during the 2008 model year. The advocacy group explained that 2008 was the most recent year for which its researchers felt comprehensive information from the Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department was available. The results were also weighted for sales.

The study said that “selling a modest number of clean and efficient models” was not enough to be considered a green automaker. Instead, an automaker has to do well with all its vehicles.


The scores were calculated by giving the global warming and smog-forming emissions data equal weight. A score of 100 indicates the average of the eight automakers studied. Scores with lower numbers indicate better, greener performance. For example, a score of 80 means that automaker was 20 percent better than the industry average.

The top three automakers were extremely close.

“We really did have a photo finish this year between Honda, Toyota and Hyundai,” said Jim Kliesch, the author of the study and a senior engineer in the group’s Clean Vehicles Program.

Honda, which has taken the top spot every year since the study began five years ago, received 86 points, while Toyota and Hyundai tied with 87 points. Volkswagen followed with 90 points, then Nissan (93 points), Ford (108 points), General Motors (109 points) and Chrysler finished last with 113 points.

Selling a lot of small, fuel-efficient vehicles could help an automaker, Mr. Kliesch acknowledged. But he said to excel automakers had to do well with vehicles of all sizes, not just on fuel economy but also on emissions.

While all automakers must meet certain minimum emissions standards some manufacturers produce more sophisticated engines that are cleaner.

“There is actually a big difference between doing a bare minimum to meet what is required by law and doing what is technically achievable,” Mr. Kliesch said in an interview.

He noted that Toyota sold a wide range of vehicles, including trucks and high-performance vehicles, yet it came within 1 point of matching Honda.

“One of the things that Toyota did that propelled its performance was it produced efficient hybrid vehicles in volume,” he said. “If you took the Prius out of their mix, Toyota would have ranked fourth over all. In many respects the environmental halo that Toyota has as a result of its Prius is warranted.”

Mr. Kliesch said that when he began reviewing information this year he thought the question would be whether Toyota, which was second last year, would finally overtake Honda.

He said he did not imagine that Hyundai, which was in third place last year, might move up to match Toyota. “They nearly spoiled the party for Honda and Toyota,” he said. “They may not be having the lowest emissions in every class in which they compete, but they are right up there in the top couple of manufacturers. So across all the classes in which they compete, they are consistently delivering low emissions and good global warming performance as well.”

The study described the domestic automakers as having “continued poor performance” and being “mired” at the bottom of the lists.

It said G.M.’s poor ranking “reflects, more than anything, a poor hybrid strategy. The company focused primarily on hollow hybrids, which offer minimal fuel savings and on a different but promising ‘two-mode’ hybrid design in its large trucks that unfortunately was mated to upsized, rather than downsized, engines.”

“Hollow hybrids” was a reference to vehicles like the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and the Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid, which lacked the sophisticated, more expensive and fuel-efficient hybrid powertrains of vehicles like the Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid.

While the domestic automakers might have been at a disadvantage in the fuel economy ratings because they had larger vehicles, they were also hurt because, over all, their engines produced more smog-forming emissions than their foreign competitors, the study found.

Source;

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/new-study-names-honda-as-the-greenest-automaker/?src=mv

Autoblog's First Drive: 2011 Honda Odyssey!

This is a really good read and takes a in depth look at the 2011 Honda Odyssey....

Honda doesn't redefine the minivan, they strive to perfect it
by Michael Harley

Honda did something silly during the launch of its all-new 2011 Odyssey minivan. The automaker built a large autocross-type "track" in the parking lot of San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium and invited journalists to take its latest eight-passenger family hauler for hot laps. It was an interesting "fish out of water" introduction to Honda's fourth-generation people mover.

Designed, developed and manufactured in the United States, Honda considers the 2011 model an "American Odyssey." The domestic development team, owners of 46 Odysseys between them, labored to deliver a minivan with distinctive style, greater interior versatility and improved fuel economy. Did Honda build itself a worthy successor and how did it fare on the autocross?

Continue reading...

Just follow the 'continue reading' above to read the full post with even more pics!

Honda Builds More Cars Here Than There - News

Puts a new spin on buying domestic....What’s more, Camry and Accord are the most American of all.

In the second quarter of this year, Honda built 236,819 cars in the U.S., a dry bit of data until you realize that in the same time frame it built 236,559 cars back in Japan. It’s a tiny edge. It may not last for the whole year. But it’s the first time that Honda produced more cars here in the U.S. than at home.

The background is also compelling: Japan’s home market continues to shrink, while U.S. sales appear to have bottomed out and are experiencing a slow uptick. According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assoc., which keeps tab of such things, its members now operate 31 U.S. manufacturing plants and have 34 major R&D facilities here.

Automakers are truly international businesses; all of them. For example, a Toyota and a Honda built here beat out the likes of Ford, GM and Chrysler in terms of domestic content. Top of the list compiled by Cars.com is the Toyota Camry built in Georgetown, Kentucky, and Lafayette, Indiana. Second is the Honda Accord, among those 236,819 cited above, built in Marysville, Ohio, and Lincoln, Alabama. First “domestic” nameplates are the Ford Escape and Focus in third and fourth place, then the Chevrolet Malibu and, further down the list, the Dodge Ram 1500 truck.
Domestic parts content information is posted along side the window sticker of all new cars; this, as part of the American Automobile Labeling Act of 1994. Identified is the percentage, by cost, of parts originating in the U.S. and Canada.

Source;
http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-news/honda-builds-more-cars-here-than-there

Honda to Debut Next-generation Odyssey Concept at Chicago Auto Show

Finally, some news on the next gen Honda Odyssey! I would venture to guess that they would have a production ready version sometime in Feb/March....
01/26/2010 - TORRANCE, Calif. - American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will debut a concept version of the next-generation Honda Odyssey minivan at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show on February 10, the company announced today.

The next-generation Odyssey will further enhance its hallmark qualities of innovation, quality, safety and fun-to-drive character, while increasing its overall efficiency. The Odyssey, currently in its third generation, was the best-selling minivan in the United States in 2008 and 2009. It is produced from domestic and globally sourced parts by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC in Lincoln, Alabama.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/5365

NY Times: Honda’s Cache, Private for Now

UNSEEN In an unmarked warehouse, American Honda has a small collection of production models and racecars that have been part of its history in the United States

The collection includes an N600, the first Honda car sold in the United States, arriving in Hawaii in 1969 and on the mainland a year later. Americans didn't warm to the tiny dimensions and wimpy 599 cc engine of the N600, but the car has still earned a place in the company's holdings.

The dream of someday being able to showcase these vehicles is at least a year or two away from becoming reality. One of the questions that American Honda officials will face at that point is which vehicles to display.
A cutaway of the Honda Insight is displayed in front of a collection of other famed Honda powerplants.

The 1999 Honda Sprocket concept is one of about a half dozen former auto show design studies on display.

A selection of Honda's early bikes is just a tip of the iceberg. Many more are stored on the other side of the rear wall.

There is also a replica of Honda's first American headquarters, which opened in 1959 in Los Angeles.

A 1997 Honda EV Plus, one of about 340 produced in the late 1990s.

Along one wall are Honda racecars from the IndyCar series.

AMERICAN HONDA does not have a corporate museum in the United States — not officially, anyway.

But there is a carefully considered collection of Hondas tucked away in a warehouse a few blocks from the company’s headquarters here.

The trove came to light several years ago when officials from the Rose Parade — Honda is a longtime sponsor of the New Year’s Day tradition in Pasadena — were invited to view a few of the more interesting models in the warehouse. A Honda executive from Japan wound up joining the tour of the collection.

Its cover was blown.

The collection was started by a former executive of American Honda, Tom Elliott, who had put aside a sampling of models important to the company’s United States history, said John Mendel.

“The problem was, we kept turning up more and more significant models that we couldn’t let go of,” said Mr. Mendel, who succeeded Mr. Elliott as American Honda’s executive vice president for sales. “We just kept parking them in this warehouse. We kept expanding the warehouse. Pretty soon, we just ran out of room.”

The collection has grown to several dozen vehicles, including Honda racecars from the IndyCar series, a selection of motorcycles and, more recently, early examples of a Honda-made generator and an outboard motor. At least that’s what Honda will admit to, although many more vehicles could be seen in storage farther back in the building when an informal lunch for journalists was held there.

While the collection is not open to the public — there is not even a sign on the building — the space is used for company meetings and events. The dream of someday being able to showcase these vehicles is at least a year or two away from becoming reality. One of the questions that American Honda officials will face at that point is which vehicles to display.

Certainly they’ll reserve a place of honor for the Honda 50, or Super Cub, a spindly motorcycle powered by a 50 cc engine. That was the first vehicle Honda marketed in the United States, soon after it incorporated in 1959 and established American headquarters on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. (A replica of that storefront has been created in the collection’s warehouse space.)

The Super Cub is still being produced; Honda says that 60 million Cubs have been produced, making it the best-selling vehicle of all time.

The Cub was followed by bikes like the dual-purpose 250 Scrambler, famous for tackling the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. And of course there would be a spot for the original 4-cylinder CB750, which helped establish Japan’s credibility as a maker of modern superbikes.

“A lot of people don’t remember that Honda was first a motorcycle company,” Mr. Mendel said.

“Cars didn’t come along until sometime later.”

The collection includes an N600, the first Honda car sold in the United States, arriving in Hawaii in 1969 and on the mainland a year later. Americans didn’t warm to the tiny dimensions and wimpy 599 cc engine of the N600, but the car has still earned a place in the company’s holdings.

“The N600 started it all,” Mr. Mendel said. “It was full of innovative ideas that were applied to later models.”

It wasn’t until 1973 that Honda car sales took off, when the first Civic was introduced. Since then there have been many best-sellers, as Honda has grown to become one of the world’s premier automobile manufacturers.

“It will be easy to know which of the early models to include,” Mr. Mendel said. “But there will be a lot of discussion about which of the later models should be in there.

“Everybody has a favorite,” he added. “Unfortunately, there won’t be room for all of them.”

Source;

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/automobiles/03honda.html

Honda on pace to become fourth largest automaker in U.S.

12/04/2009, 7:57 PM
By Mark Kleis

In a rough year for the ailing American automaker, the latest bad news comes in the form of an imminent bump from the fourth position for automotive sales in the US market. Toyota first bumped Chrysler from being part of the “Big Three” in 2006, but now it is Honda that is on pace to bump Chrysler down a spot.

So far this year Honda has sold 1.044 million vehicles in the US, compared to roughly 800,000 units by Chrysler.

There are no indicators or product changes from either company are likely to provide anything resembling a significant change in the lead in the remainder of this year.

By comparison, by this point last year Chrysler was still maintaining a year-to-date lead of 21,000 units over Honda, and finished strong with a 25,000 unit lead for the year. Analysts then predicted that Chrysler’s restructuring process would likely cost them their spot before the close of 2009.

Kathy Graham, a spokeswoman for Chrysler, said, “We are taking the steps that are necessary to have a good foundation and to build consumer confidence.”

Graham also said that Chrysler anticipates their recent increases in advertising spending will help restore higher sales volumes for the remainder of the year.

When asked about the significance of the change in ranking for the US market, executive vice president John Mendel for American Honda said they had no plans to celebrate or acknowledge the change.

Mendel said, “We only look at our sales and our objective. We may look at Civic and Corolla or Accord and Camry, but not at who ranks where.”

Source;
http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-on-pace-to-become-fourth-largest-automaker-in-us.html

Toyota (TM) And Honda (HMC) Finally Lock Up US Market

American car companies hoped the day would never come. Data from October is expected to show the market shares of Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC) for US vehicle sales is expected to be over 30%.

GM's share is only expected to be 21%, so it may lose first place in its home market to Toyota for the first time, ever.

While the auto sales environment may not get much worse, American car companies may not have the capital for product development, marketing, and auto financing to allow them to get share back when conditions improve. Toyota and Honda have balance sheets and cost structures which will allow them to get though the crisis without ruining their ability to compete in future years.

October sales figures may be so bad that the race for market share may be secondary to simply surviving through the downturn. Car industry expert Edmunds expects total units sold to drop 29% to 872,000 vehicles. The would be the lowest number for a single month since January 1992.

If the rate of 900,000 new vehicles a month becomes a regular occurrence, the odds that Ford (F) and GM (GM) make it through next year as independent companies are nil.

Edmunds forecasts that the average year-over-year drop for US automakers in October will be 40% with GM dropping the most--42.9%.
Douglas A. McIntyre

Source;

http://www.247wallst.com/2008/11/toyota-tm-and-h.html

Honda supports U.S. loan package

Honda has endorsed the American government's decision to provide the Detroit 3 with a $25 billion loan, describing the aid package as “totally proper” and important for the development of more fuel-efficient models.

According to the carmaker’s CEO Takeo Fukui, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were all too slow to respond to the current fuel price crisis, and this is the reason why they are in such dire financial positions. His support for the American government's bailout plan also stems from the fact that Honda sources parts from many of the same manufacturers that these companies do, and if any of the Detroit 3 goes bankrupt there’s a strong chance that many of its suppliers could too.

While the Detroit 3 are all suffering from dropping sales, Honda’s numbers are expected to increase this year compared with the last. This is because sales in emerging markets such as China and India continue to increase despite the global economic downturn, reports The Detroit News.

Fukui also attributed Honda's success to its focus on high mileage models, and its decision not to "dabble" in the pickup truck segment. While the Detroit 3 built its customer base and bottom lines on the back of these lucrative truck sales, Honda's non-American markets were not so focused on these segments. Sales of its sedan models have proven so popular the carmaker is cutting back production on its Odyssey MPV and Pilot SUV in order to boost capacity for its Civic and Accord.

The carmaker’s next major sales boost is expected to come from a new generation of hybrid vehicles, including a production version of the Insight concept as well as hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z concept.

Source;
http://www.motorauthority.com/honda-supports-us-loan-package.html

2010 Honda Odyssey Redesign Information

Well with all this talk of the Japanese Odyssey van being redesigned, I thought I'd put together a little piece on what us North American's can expect in the redesign here.

First off, Honda has raised the bar so high with the current model that aside from a potential Diesel engine, I dont' know how they are going to 'improve' on the van.

Here is what we can expect;

-a full model change for 2010 (I wouldn't be too surprised if Honda held off for one more year)

-"low-emission diesel V6 engine specifically designed for the U.S. market for the 2010 model year."

-as far as the potential diesel engine goes Forget notions of a rattling, smoking truck engine. This one will use Honda’s latest clean-diesel technology to provide smoothness and exhaust emissions that rival a gasoline engine, but with more torque (the thrust you experience when you hit the gas) and better fuel economy.

-the 3.5-liter diesel V-6 should be 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the equivalent gas engine.

-an updated version of the 3.5L gasoline engine will be sold along side the prospective diesel.

-updated interior, don't expect the 2nd row to fold into the floor, althought they will probably tumble closer to the front seats.

-expect the 2010 Honda Odyssey to continue with front-wheel drive and not offer all-wheel drive.

That's all I have for now.

Honda to produce more cars, fewer minivans, SUVs

I know, not exactly new news, but news none the less....

By BRENT SNAVELY • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER


Honda Motor Co. said today it is boosting U.S. production of its Honda Accord while cutting production of its Odyssey minivans and Pilot sport-utility vehicles.


Honda said it is transferring most of its V6 Accord assembly from its plant in Marysville, Ohio, to its plant in Lincoln, Ala., where it has cut minivan and SUV production by 10,000 units this year. After moving most V6 Accord production to Alabama, Honda will boost production of four-cylinder Accords in Marysville, and plans to cut Odyssey and Pilot production there by an additional 22,000 units.


“We are trying to use our plant flexibility to minimize the effects of the market going down and satisfy our customers’ desire for more cars and fewer trucks,” said Honda spokesman Ed Miller.


The production shifts won’t result in an increase in availability of the Accord in the United States -- Honda will import fewer from Japan -- but does mean that Honda will make a higher percentage of Accords in the United States.


For the first nine months of this year, 253,922 of the Accords sold in the Untied States, or 81.1%, were built in the United States, according to Autodata Corp.


“Our rough goal is to build domestically 80% of what we sell in the U.S.,” Miller said. “We've been a little below that in recent years, mainly because of the success of the Fit, but this will bring us back up to 80% or more.”


So far this year, Honda has sold 313,032 Accords through the end of September, up 2.4% from the same period last year. Overall industry sales in the United States were down 12.8% for the same period.


Earlier this year, Honda announced plans to transfer production of the Ridgeline truck to Alabama from Canada in early 2009.


Sales of the Honda Pilot have decreased 16.8% through September to 79,430, while Odyssey sales declined 14% to 112,041.


Source;
http://www.freep.com/article/20081013/BUSINESS01/81013089

Engine plant expansion helping Honda make more products in U.S.

The Honda plant in Anna is the largest Honda auto engine plant in the world, according to the company. The plant recently spent $138 million to expand its production capabilities, and it will now supply steel components for four-cylinder motors made at all of Honda’s North American plants. Those parts used to come primarily from Japan.
Business First of Columbus - by Dan Eaton

Honda spent $138 million to expand its Anna automobile engine plant, but the Shelby County operation won’t be making more engines.

The expansion, which took two years to complete, increases the plant’s steel parts production abilities and makes the 23-year-old plant the North American hub of Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.’s engine operations.

“This has been a major project,” said Honda spokesman Ron Lietzke. “It’s almost the same cost of the new engine plant in Canada.”

The work at Anna has received less public attention than Honda’s other recent North American projects, including the $550 million Greensburg auto plant that is set to open this month in Indiana and the $154 million Alliston engine plant in Ontario. But Anna project leader Jim Hranica said it is equally central to the company’s operations.

Cranking it up

Completion of the expansion is part of a worldwide production reshuffle for the auto maker.

Most manufacturing of four-cylinder motors for Honda’s auto plant in Ontario is moving to an engine plant that opened next door Sept. 15. The Anna plant will take up engine production for Honda’s Greensburg assembly operation and it will continue to make V-6 engines for the Alliston plant.

“We’ve been gearing up to do more V-6 production, but now, with the opening of Greensburg, that is swinging back to four-cylinders,” Hranica said.

The Anna plant, which opened in 1985 to build motorcycle engines, employs 2,750 workers and produces 1.2 million engines a year. The expansion added 100 jobs.

The biggest change is in the manufacture of steel component parts for the four-cylinder motors, which the engine plant will be doing for all of Honda’s North American auto plants. Those parts were mostly imported from Japan.

The Anna plant is increasing and in some cases starting production on cylinder sleeves, crankshafts, camshafts and connecting rods.

“What’s going to end up happening is where we were purchasing parts before, we’ll be able to produce them cheaper here and that’s even without shipping costs,” Hranica said.

For the rest of the article, follow the link;
http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/10/06/story13.html?b=1223265600%5E1710780

Honda becomes official vehicle of the NHL

Honda becomes official vehicle of the NHL

Three-year sponsorship supports hockey in the U.S. and Canada

TORRANCE, Calif. -- American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Canada, Inc., and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into a 3-year agreement naming Honda as the official vehicle of the NHL, the companies announced today. Elements of the agreement include Honda sponsorship of NHL television and Internet coverage along with active participation at NHL events in both the United States and Canada, such as NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008, NHL Winter Classic and NHL All-Star Weekend.

"With more than 53 million fans in the United States and Canada, the NHL is a big part of the sports landscape in North America," said Steve Center, vice president of advertising and public relations for American Honda. "Honda has a long history of supporting sports at all levels worldwide, and working with the NHL will give Honda a great opportunity to become an even bigger part of the hockey experience."

"This partnership integrates the leading brand in the automotive industry with the strength, momentum and excitement of the NHL brand," said Keith Wachtel, the NHL's senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing. “We are excited to have Honda as part of every major NHL platform while strengthening partnerships with NHL member clubs."

The 3-year agreement with the NHL includes provisions for advertising on NHL.com and during game broadcasts, camera-visible signage during games and events, on-site displays of Honda vehicles at select events, and much more. Honda began its involvement with hockey when it became the presenting sponsor of the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks, in 2006.

Okay, now let's bring back those Jets to Winnipeg!

Source;
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=385151

2009 Honda Civic Si Coupe Pic's

2009 Honda Odyssey Offers Efficient Performance and Comfortable, Spacious Seating in All Three Rows

09/09/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -
Following a significant refresh for the entire lineup of Odyssey minivans in the 2008 model year, the 2009 Odyssey receives additional upgrades on the EX-L trim level with features previously exclusive to the Odyssey Touring. The Odyssey EX-L adds a power tailgate to its existing features, while its available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System gains Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® as standard equipment.

"The Odyssey has earned a reputation for its spaciousness, versatility and a fun-to-drive feel," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "For 2009, we've expanded the application of Bluetooth and added a convenient power tailgate to the Odyssey EX-L."

Contributing to fuel efficiency, the 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine exclusive to the Odyssey EX-L and Touring models benefits from Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology that provides the capability to seamlessly deactivate either two or three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising and deceleration. An "ECO" light near the speedometer provides driver feedback when the vehicle is operating at an optimal level of fuel efficiency.

Known for its industry trend-setting One-Motion 60/40 Split 3rd-Row Magic Seat®, the Odyssey's innovative eight-passenger seating areas (seven-passenger on LX) quickly and easily adapt between passenger and cargo duties.

The 3rd-Row Magic Seat can accommodate up to three passengers and still provide 38.4 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the seats, or fold completely flat into the floor for cargo duty to create 91.1 cubic feet of cargo volume while still maintaining room for five passengers (four passengers on LX). With the second row seats removed, total cargo volume expands to 147.4 cubic feet. Total interior volume measures 209.8 cubic feet for passenger and cargo volume combined. The 2nd-Row PlusOneSeat™ integrates a storage bin inside the seat structure and is standard equipment on the Odyssey EX, EX-L and Touring.

The Odyssey achieves the highest five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for both frontal and side impacts1 . The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Odyssey as a Top Safety Pick with "good" ratings for frontal offset, side impact and rear crash protection crash tests, while including electronic stability control as standard equipment. All Odyssey models are equipped with Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as electronic stability control; standard anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist; advanced dual-stage, dual-threshold driver's and front passenger's SRS front airbags; front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Protection Detection System (OPDS); three-row side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor; active front seat head restraints; daytime running lights and a pedestrian injury mitigation design in the front of the vehicle. An Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure provides enhanced occupant protection in a frontal collision.

Designed with families in mind, a total of three Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) child seat attachment systems exist: two are located in the outboard second-row seating positions and one is located in the middle third-row seating position.

Standard comfort and convenience features include dual-zone air conditioning (tri-zone automatic climate control on Odyssey EX, EX-L and Touring), tilt and telescope steering wheel, power windows and door locks, keyless entry and cruise control.

Available premium features include leather-trimmed seating surfaces; the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™2 with voice recognition, an 8-inch screen, and Zagat Survey®3 restaurant guide information; and a Honda DVD Entertainment System with a 9-inch screen.

A rearview camera aids rear visibility on the Odyssey EX-L equipped with the available navigation system. Odyssey EX-L models without the available navigation system provide a rearview camera display via a 2.5-inch monitor embedded in the rearview mirror.

The 3.5-liter, all-aluminum, SOHC VTEC® engine on the Odyssey LX and EX produces 244 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 240 lb-ft. of torque at 5000 rpm. The Odyssey LX and EX models achieve an EPA-rated city/highway fuel economy of 16/23 mpg4 . A 5-speed automatic transmission is standard equipment.

The Odyssey EX-L and Touring models feature a 3.5-liter, all-aluminum, SOHC i-VTEC® V-6 engine with VCM for enhanced fuel efficiency. This engine produces 244 horsepower5 at 5700 rpm and 245 lb-ft. of torque at 4900 rpm. The Odyssey EX-L and Touring models achieve an EPA-rated city/highway fuel economy of 17/25 mpg4. (US MPG)

The 2009 Odyssey features Honda's latest version of VCM that provides the capability to selectively deactivate either two or three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising and deceleration.

Vehicles equipped with VCM use both an audio system-based Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system and a chassis-based Active Control Engine Mount (ACM) system to cancel noise and vibration that can occur during cylinder deactivation

An independent front and rear suspension and a rigid unit body structure help provide comfortable and refined handling performance. Additional chassis components include power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes and variable power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. Odyssey LX, EX and EX-L models have 16-inch wheels (alloy on EX and EX-L) with all-season 235/65R16 tires. Odyssey Touring models are equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels and all-season 235/60R17 tires (standard); Michelin® PAX® System run-flat technology wheels and tires are available (460 mm wheels and 235-710R 460A tires). (PAX Tires US only-thank god).

1Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side-impact airbags (SABs).
2 The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System is available on EX-L and Touring models in the United States except Alaska. See your Honda dealer for details.
3Zagat Survey® is a registered trademark of Zagat Survey, LLC.
4 Based on 2009 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
5 Testing of production engines for horsepower and torque output of the i-VTEC V-6 on the Odyssey EX-L and Touring models has revealed that the average horsepower and torque produced by these engines is higher than originally estimated prior to the start of mass production. Though there have been no design changes to the engines to create more power, the horsepower and torque ratings for the specified 2009 models have been increased to reflect the actual output of the engines. Note: 2008 to 2009 hp @ RPM = 241@5700 to 244@5700. 2008 to 2009 lb-ft. @ RPM = 242@4900 to 245@4900

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4772

Honda could care less to go electric… for now

Besides Tesla Motors some automakers you think of when you think of an electric-car is GM’s Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan - but no one thinks Honda (well some of you probably do). That’s because Honda is staying away from electric-cars and according to its r&d chief Masaaki Kato, Honda has no plans to produce electric-vehicles.

“Nowadays, the most advanced batteries are lithium ion batteries. But even though the size is getting smaller, the density of the energy is still too poor for cars,” Kato said.

Kato said that since right now electric-cars offer limited mileage, by 2015 they will account for less than 1 percent of the market in developed countries - a percentage that Honda is not satisfied with.

Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi all plan on introducing an electric-vehicle within the next 50 years with a range of 60 miles on full-charge.

Source;
www.automotivenews.com (sub. req'd)

Honda's Moment Arrives (no, the moment isn't a new car being added to the lineup!)

Here's a nice article on Honda's steady strategy from the Washington Post.


By Warren BrownSunday, August 24, 2008

Honda could have been a contender. But it settled for being a winner instead.

The Japanese automobile manufacturer historically has ranked near the middle of the world's top 10 car companies in annual sales, content to earn a living selling mostly small cars with small engines that run nicely on relatively small amounts of gasoline.

That strategy once spawned detractors -- automotive journalists and some industry analysts who urged Honda to join the big league, to start rolling out big cars with big engines, to serve up something like a hot coupe with a banging V-8.

There were rumors that Honda would take the bait. "Those rumors have been around for 20 years," said Dan Bonawitz, Honda's U.S. vice president for corporate planning, speaking to journalists here.

Honda nibbled, offering up the car-based Ridgeline pickup, a bevy of mid-size sport-utility vehicles, and several impressive Acura and Honda sedans with V-6 engines. But Honda mostly remained true to its small-engine legacy, resisting the pressure to produce something with a V-8 and refusing to join Toyota and Nissan in taking on Detroit in the battle for big-truck supremacy.

"We chose to position ourselves for sustainable success," Bonawitz said.

Bonawitz has been saying that kind of thing for several years. But many of us in the media dismissed it as the convenient excuse of a company that didn't know how to make a competitive V-8.

"You could be a contender," we told Honda. "You could play with the majors. Look, even Hyundai is coming out with a V-8 in its Genesis luxury car. Are you guys going to let the Koreans beat you?"

Bonawitz and his people didn't listen. They just kept cranking out cars and pseudo-trucks -- the Ridgeline isn't a real truck -- with four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines. As a result, Honda is now in a league of its own, experiencing steady increases in vehicle sales in a market where most of its rivals are faltering.

Look at the devastation of the U.S. automotive landscape. Toyota is down. Nissan is down. General Motors and Ford are way down. Chrysler is on life support, awaiting rescue from potential partners who can supply it with the cars, especially small cars, it desperately needs to survive.

Honda, meanwhile, is expanding production of its hot-selling Civic compact cars in the United States. It is trying to cope with soaring consumer demand -- up nearly 72 percent in 2008 over 2007 -- for its Fit subcompact, which has been smartly redesigned for 2009.

Honda is planning annual U.S. sales of 85,000 Fits, which is so globally popular that the company is assembling it at plants in Japan, Brazil, Thailand and Indonesia.

"Our business strategy is more like that of the tortoise than it is the hare," Bonawitz said. "We might not be the first to come out with the biggest engine. But we concentrate on what our consumers want -- quality, efficiency, innovation. That doesn't always make a big splash. But it helps us to survive in challenging times like these."

That does not mean Honda will never produce a V-8 for the U.S. market. The company certainly knows how to produce powerful engines and fast cars, as evidenced by the success of Honda-engineered products in a variety of racing venues.

But, unlike its Detroit corporate brethren, Honda never really put much stock in the notion of winning at the track on Sunday and selling in the showroom on Monday. At Honda, a car for the track is one thing. A car for the practical demands of daily life is quite another. Put another way, the company has long understood that getting something right on the track does not ensure getting it right in the marketplace.

A HondaV-8?

Bonawitz laughed.

"These are very challenging times for our industry," he said. "We are witnessing what is likely to be a watershed moment for the American automobile industry" -- a moment when smart power, getting the most out of an engine using the least amount of fuel, trumps horsepower, Bonawitz said.

"At Honda," he added, "we've always been geared toward this moment."