Click the 2009 Honda Fit Sport for a high res gallery

When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor MI last week.

As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length) but it's only about 44 lbs heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the fun-loving qualities of the original. In the process, Honda has had to deal with rising raw material and shipping costs while keeping the price from getting out of hand. Read on to find out if the spiritual descendants of Soichiro Honda have succeeded.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

We have heard all about these European hypermilers who manage to churn out 45-50mpg U.S. in production cars, usually with high-technology turbocharged diesels. However, British TV station Channel 4's motoring website 4Car has carried out real-world fuel economy tests on eight low-emissions cars (5 diesels, 2 gasoline and one hybrid) and has found out that they didn't meet the official mileage and CO₂ emission figures. Although the EU driving cycle is more theoretical than real-world driving, the difference is quite stunning. For instance, the worst offender was the Ford Focus Econetic, which got 11mpg Imperial (9mpg U. S. or almost 1l/100 km) worse in the Channel 4 tests than the official numbers whould have us believe. Moreover, higher fuel usage means that these cars pollute more than expected, and means they should fall in a different Vehicle Excess Duty (Road Tax) band and the driver should pay a higher rate. Follow us after the jump for the complete list and their press release which explains their evaluating method.

[Source: 4Car]

What looks like a Prius, sips gas like a Prius, comes from Japan like a Prius... but isn't a Prius? That would be Honda's upcoming dedicated hybrid (which this particular blogger thinks should be called the Insight, but won't be). We are expecting the production version of the new model, of which we have seen these spy shots, to debut this October in the City of Lights, Paris. Thanks to the use of a refined and less-costly version of Honda Integrated Motor Assist along with a 1.3-liter gas-burner, the new hybrid model should attain fuel mileage in the 50-60 mpg range, matching what's expected from the next-gen Prius that should be unveiled January in Detroit in January.

We are pretty excited to see this new hybrid rivalry go into full swing, with Toyota's incumbent model in its third generation and Honda finally offering a four-door dedicated hybrid. The Honda should come in at a slightly more attractive price but will also be a bit smaller than the Toyota. Both will use nickel-based batteries, eschewing the newer but pricier lithium ions that will likely take over in a few years. The Honda should finally see the light of day in April of 2009 and the automaker hopes to sell half of the 200,000 it plans to produce in the U.S.


[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Escape Hybrid

Girls Girlz, are you in the market for a new sport utility? If you are looking for help from your parental units, consider checking out this article from Carz4Girlz on how to show your parents that you need that Escape hybrid to save on gas. Not only does the world's first hybrid SUV (which has gained a few siblings since its introduction) get very good fuel mileage (in the thirties) in comparison to its leading competitors, it also uses recycled materials in its interior. Take a look at our driving impressions of the latest Escape and Escape hybrid here.

But what is you want an SUV but your 'rents just can't swing the extra scratch for a hybrid? The other recommendations from the Girlz are to opt for the Kia Sportage, which in V6/automatic guise returns just 17-mpg city and 21-mpg highway, or the Honda CR-V, which does better at 20 in the city and 26 on the highway with an automatic. We say stick with the hybrid.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

Honda has always had one of the cleanest and most efficient model lineups in the U.S. market and they look set to continue that trend over the next several years. We already knew that the Japanese automaker would be adding three more hybrids to its lineup over the next two years: the five-door hatchback coming next spring will be followed by the CR-Z-based coupe and a hybrid version of the new Fit. Honda has been saying for over a year that they would keep the hybrid powertrains in these smaller cars which are used more often for urban driving. For the bigger models, they have decided diesel is the way to go. The first diesel model will show up next year in the Acura lineup, most likely starting with the TSX. According to Automotive News, diesels will then spread to the Honda side of the house starting with the Accord and CR-V. Both will likely get the same 2.2L four cylinder diesel that's going into the TSX. The next generation of the Odyssey minivan, which is due in 2010, may be the first Honda vehicle to get the 3.0L diesel V6 that the company is developing. That same engine will probably eventually end up in several other models - possibly the Pilot and Ridgeline - as well as in Acura vehicles like the MDX.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

Yesterday a National Hydrogen Road Tour kicked off in Portland ME. A motley collection of ten hydrogen fueled vehicles from a variety of manufacturers will be making their way from Maine to California over the next two weeks. The cars including the VW Tiguan HyMotion along with cars from BMW, Honda, Toyota, GM and others will be making 31 stops in 19 states along the way. Not all of the vehicles will be driven the entire route. General Motors for example will bring out its Project Driveway Fuel cell Equinox in the cities where that program is running, New York, Washington and Los Angeles. BMW will be using the mono-fuel (hydrogen only) version of the Hydrogen7 and is planning to cover the entire route. The tour is being sponsored by the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the Departments of Energy and Transportation and the National Hydrogen Association to promote hydrogen as a way to promote hydrogen's potential as a fuel. VW's John Tillman is writing a tour blog as they cross the country in the Tiguan. The VW press release is after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click the Civic hybrid for a high-res gallery

Toyota may have been the first automaker to bring a mass produced gas-electric hybrid to market overall, but Honda was the first to hit the road in the US with the Insight in late 1999. The insight wasn't a huge commercial success for many of the same reasons that the GM EV1 likely wouldn't have been even if GM had opened it up to everyone. The two-seat Insight was small, had limited cargo capacity, was expensive to build and had limited appeal for American tastes at the dawn of the 21st century. While the Insight's package wasn't a retail success, Honda took the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system and dropped it into the Civic sedan beginning in 2002. A new generation Civic with a corresponding hybrid model debuted for the 2006 model year carrying over the IMA system. While the Civic hybrid hasn't had anywhere near the sales of the Prius, it does remain the third best selling hybrid behind the hybrid icon and the Camry hybrid. AutoblogGreen spent a week driving the Civic hybrid recently and you can read all about it after the jump.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Honda has been building small-bore single cylinder four stroke engines and installing them in simple two-wheelers for over fifty years. You'd imagine, then, that Big Red would know a thing or two about how to make them run well, and you'd be right. In fact, Honda has reportedly been able to eke enough power from just a single 110cc cylinder to get a motorcycle up over one-hundred miles per hour. That's really impressive, and it is made possible by advances in fuel injection technology among other things.

The prototype, known as the CZ Motard, is built atop the CZ-i 110 platform, a bike which is super popular in Thailand. With that model, Honda utilized its PGM-FI fuel injection technology and announced that it would be "the number one most admired company that is at the forefront of the environmental issue." That CZ-i 110 is capable of returning some 193 miles per gallon and is 25-percent more powerful than the previous 100cc engine, all the while meeting the next-generation Euro VI emissions standards. With scooter sales up some 65-percent, we'd love to see this model make it stateside.

[Source: Gizmag, Honda Thailand]

The new low cost dedicated hybrid that we've been seeing spy shots of in tested is expected to get its world debut at the Paris Motor show in October. The five door hatchback draws much of its styling from the FCX Clarity fuel cell car, but scaled down to Prius dimensions. Honda has claimed that it will halve the the cost of its IMA hybrid system allowing a price of as low as $18,500 for the new car. The car which like the Prius will only be available as a hybrid will also get a name when it rolls out onto the Paris stage. Over the next couple of years, it will be joined by a second hybrid only model, a coupe based on the CR-Z concept as well as a hybrid version of the Fit.

[Source: Inside Line]

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System will indeed be affixed to the powertrains of Formula 1 cars in 2009. The issue of whether the hybrid system should be delayed was recently brought up, with Renault calling a meeting of all the teams together to discuss the problem. It seems that BMW, Honda and Williams were all ready to go with their systems, as these three manufacturers voted in favor of the KERS technology for the '09 racing season. In fact, Honda has already successfully track tested its system and sees no reason why it can't be made safe. Even BMW believes it can have its system ready in time, despite the jolting wake-up-call that one of its mechanics recently got from a test-car equipped with the high-voltage system. Because a consensus is needed in order to change the previous decision, the KERS system appears to officially have the green light for '09.

[Source: autosport.com]

Click above for more pics of Ms. Curtis getting Clarity

Following Ron Yerxa and Annette Ballester's delivery of the first Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Christopher Guest, have become the second couple in Southern California to receive their new wheels from Honda. So, what does Curtis think of her newfound Clarity? "I really wasn't expecting it to be so luxurious," said Curtis. "It's luxurious, luxurious, luxurious! I love the interior layout, design and access to controls. It is user-friendly and very modern."

While the case for hydrogen as fuel is a topic full of debate, it would be hard to argue that Honda's most recent fuel cell sedan isn't world's better than its first. Styling wise, for sure, the new Clarity is a huge step forward, as is the electricity-generating fuel cell stack. If you want one, don't get your hopes up. The vehicles are only being leased in Southern Cal and Japan, and there won't be many of them available. The official press release is after the break.


[Source: Honda]

Looking like a cross between the FCX Clarity fuel cell car and the Toyota Prius, Honda's upcoming dedicated hybrid model should come in at a cost a bit lower than current hybrid models. Part of that lower price is due to the fact that Honda has literally cut the cost of its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology in half when compared to the system currently being used in the Civic Hybrid. Apparently, Honda's engineers have managed to simplify the IMA's complicated mechanicals, making it smaller and easier to package in the process.

All of these detail changes add up to a new hybrid contender with an expected base price of just $18,580. Honda so far has had notably less success with its hybrids than rival Toyota, but much of that can be attributed to the fact that the original Insight could seat only two people and the Civic and Accord hybrid models differed too little from their non-hybrid siblings. All of these issues are being resolved with its newest hybrid, which has us awfully excited about the as-yet unnamed (we vote for Insight) Prius-fighter.


[Source: Nikkei]

The very first set of keys for Honda's brand new FCX Clarity have been delivered to film producer Ron Yerxa and Annette Ballester. The duo took delivery of their new hydrogen fuel cell-powered FCX Clarity on Friday, July 25, 2008 at Honda of Santa Monica. Now that the first production second-gen FCX has been delivered, we'd imagine that Jon Spallino, Jim Salomon, Laura Harris, and Jamie Lee Curtis will be getting phone calls of their own in no time at all. Mr. Spallino has actually been driving an FCX for the last three years, though it was one of Honda's first generation efforts. The new car is worlds better, featuring a new vertical flow fuel cell stack delivering a 270 mile range.
Despite the fact that Honda has delivered its first set of FCX Clarity keys, don't go rushing to your nearest Honda dealership to get your own. There are only three U.S. dealerships certified to lease hydrogen Hondas at the moment, and all of them are in the far-left state. So, if you want one... perhaps a move to Southern Cal. is in order.


[Source: Honda]

Over at Honda's web-site the company has launched a page dedicated to its upcoming dedicated hybrid model. The gas electric hatchback will be going on sale early next year and we recently saw our first spy pics of the new car. In the text on the micro-site it appears that Honda will be emphasizing affordability for the new car which puts it in stark contrast to some other recent hybrids such as the Two-mode SUVs from GM, Chrysler and their German collaborators. Honda's IMA hybrid system has always been a lower cost system than the ones from Toyota and others, being more of a mild hybrid (although not as mild as GM belt-alternator-starter setup) than a strong hybrid. The new hybrid will include an even lighter less expensive development of IMA. With Toyota set to grab all the headlines with the new Prius in Detroit in January, look for Honda to use the LA Auto Show in November as launch pad for the new hybrid.


[Source: Honda]

Click above for more high-res shots of the Honda OSM.

Honda has unveiled a new roadster concept at the British International Motor Show. Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), it shares space with the Honda FCX Clarity and the CR-Z sports hybrid on the Honda stand. Although the press release (found after the jump) does not mention which powertrain defines the prototype as "low emission," it does mention that it's a lightweight vehicle. Honda's intention is to design a car where style meets green credentials. "We're trying to show that low emission cars can be attractive," says Andreas Sittel, Project Leader for OSM. "There is no reason why a car that's more environmentally friendly can't look great too – and be sporty and fun to drive."

[Source: Honda]