Back in January, Honda targeted 1.02 million in vehicle sales for the 2012 year in the US, but the Japanese automaker is now optimistic that it’ll sell almost 1.3 million units this year.
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Looking to unseat the Toyota Camry from its position as the most popular car sold in America, the Nissan Altima tops this week’s list of the most popular new cars researched at AutoGuide.com
Zipcar, the nations largest car sharing service, is teaming up with Honda to provide customers with the latest in fuel saving cars and EVs.
All Zipcar customers, known as Zipsters, will have access to Honda’s Insight hybrid, the new CR-V and the all electric Fit EV come this fall. The Accord plug-in hybrid will be added to the stable beginning in early 2013.
Zipcar’s urban presence has driven up the demand for fuel efficient small vehicles which make more sense in the city, and Honda is answering the demand, also spurred by the fact that Zipcar customers have consistently rated Honda vehicles as the most favored cars in the fleet.
“As the car sharing market leader, Zipcar is the best choice for us to showcase our newest energy-efficient transportation technologies, given the strength of their brand, their tech-savvy, conscious and connected members and the geographic reach of their operations,” said Steven Center, the vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda.
Zipcar was the first car sharing company in the US to adopt electric vehicles to its roster, and is now expanding on its fuel efficient choices to make sure that they stay current with the the latest market trends.
Honda has finally released the pricing for their new 2012 CR-V, keeping it consistent with the outgoing model despite adding a ton of new, innovative features to their SUV. Recently named a finalist for 2012 North American Truck of the Year, the 2012 CR-V LX 2WD will start at $22,295 (without $810 destination fee) while the top-of-the-line EX-L AWD with Navigation will be $29,795.
The all new CR-V is powered by a 2.4L i-VTEC four-cylinder engine with 185-hp and 163 lb-ft of torque mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The EPA-estimated fuel economy for the 2012 model is 23/31/26-mpg highway/city/combined, which is a +1/+3/+2 increase compared to the 2011 CR-V.
New features for the 2012 CR-V also include an Easy Fold-Down 60/40 Split Rear Seat, lower cargo floor and a range of standard technology features such as Bluetooth, full-color intelligent Multi-Information Display and a multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines. The 2012 CR-V also has a first from Honda, which is their SMS text messaging function, allowing the vehicle to read received texts over the audio system – so long as your phone is compatible.
The CR-V will be sold in LX, EX and EX-L models with Navigation as an option for the EX-L. All models can be purchased as 2WD or AWD.
Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2012 Honda CR-V Review
As the North American International Auto Show looms ever larger on the calendar, so does the annual North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, the winners of which will be announced on January 9th, before the show opens.
This year, finalists for the NACOTY award are the 2012 Ford Focus (shown), Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Passat, while finalists for the North American Truck of the Year award comprise the 2012 BMW X3, Honda CR-V and Range Rover Evoque.
The announcement of the finalists came following a December 15th meeting of the Automotive Press Association. The North American Car of the Year selection process is handled by a panel comprising 50 accredited automotive journalists from the US and Canada.
The 2011 car of the year winner was the Chevrolet Volt.
Although we had the chance to drive the 2012 Honda CR-V back in October, Honda has kept a tight lid on both photos and driving impressions. The car got its official reveal Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show, just as Ford took the wraps off its all-new Escape.
Like its predecessors, the CR-V will be a strong entry in the small crossover market. New features include a lowered cargo floor and one-touch folding rear seats – two innovations that sound unimpressive on paper, but have amazing real-world practicality, so much so that we think Honda will move a lot of CR-V’s based on sales demonstrations of these features alone.
Honda will need to rely on these sort of touches, because the CR-V is very much an evolutionary re-design without much in the way of big numbers or flashy features. The same 2.4L i-VTEC 4-cylinder is carried over, with 185-horsepower and a 5-speed automatic transmission. Front or all-wheel drive is available, and a choice of trim levels, from an economy-minded LX to a fully loaded EX-L with leather, navigation and a rear-seat entertainment system, will also be offered. Pricing has not been announced, but Honda claims it will be between $21,000 and $30,000.
You can check out our review of the 2012 Honda CR-V here
Gallery: 2012 Honda CR-V
Set to debut at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2012 Honda CR-V has been teased with a concept image, specs and sneak photos, but now we’re finally treated to official photos of the revamped SUV. The new CR-V clearly features bold styling while Honda stresses that the new crossover will be “more sophisticated and dynamic” than its previous generations.
Improved interior space and versatility are some of the main goals Honda has with their new CR-V, and while Honda hasn’t officially disclosed what engines will be available, look for a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder with a mild increase in power and a solid improvement in fuel economy.
The 2012 Honda CR-V should hit North American showrooms by the end of the year. AutoGuide will be on hand at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show to check out Honda’s official reveal of the 2011 CR-V.
GALLERY: 2012 Honda CR-V
[Source: Carscoop]
Honda has confirmed two world premieres for the 2011 LA Auto Show, with production versions of both the 2012 CR-V and 2013 Fit EV planned.
Previewed in the concept (above) Honda is promising more dramatic styling with its latest version of the popular CR-V crossover. Also promised are added features and improved fuel economy. Leaked specs have revealed that the standard model will continue to be powered by a 2.4-liter engine with slightly less horsepower at 175-hp, but slightly more torque at 170 lb-ft. A larger 2.5-liter 4-cylinder is also expected to be offered with 201-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.
As for the Fit EV, if Honda stays true to the concept, it will get an electric motor powering the front wheels and a lithium-ion battery pack with a 70 mile range. Power is expected to be similar to that of a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with a 6-hour recharge.
GALLERY: 2012 Honda CR-V Concept
GALLERY: Honda Fit EV Concept
See AutoGuide’s complete LA Auto Show preview here, with coverage starting November 16th.
Set to debut at this year’s Orange County Auto Show, specs for the 2012 CR-V leaked earlier and now patent drawings have joined the party, revealing the new CR-V in all its black-and-white glory. There aren’t many surprises on the 2012 CR-V, from what was originally shown off in the concept teaser, though Honda did outfit the production CR-V with more tame (and more boring) wheels.
As mentioned before, the 2012 base CR-V will be powered by a 2.4L engine with 175-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. A 201-hp, 2.5L option will be available backed with 177 lb-ft of torque. Now the wait begins to see what Honda will be packing inside the interior of the CR-V.
GALLERY: 2012 Honda CR-V Patent Drawings
[Source: Autoblog]
Teased with the above concept, leaked photos have already provided an even better idea of what the upcoming 2012 Honda CR-V will look like. Now come the specifications, which appear to have slipped out in a graphic published by Automotive News, highlighting the newest version of the top-selling compact crossover.
For 2012 the CR-V will retain its base 2.4-liter engine, dropping power slightly from the current 180-hp to 175-hp. Torque will, however, get a slight bump from 161 lb-ft to 170. Don’t think a downgrade in the horsepower number will reduce performance either as Honda is certain to have cut weight from its latest model.
But that’s not all. For 2012 Honda is also scheduled to introduce a peppy new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine making 201-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque.
Like with the new 2012 Civic, Honda is also going to continue to use a 5-speed automatic, rather than a 6-speed unit. Still, look for a jump in fuel economy.
[Source: AutoNews via TOV]
Honda has already teased us with a concept version of its new 2012 CR-V crossover, but now several images have hit the net of what appears to be the production model. Shots of the partially uncovered exterior don’t real much, although several interior images do give a much clearer idea of what to expect when the net generation CR-V goes on sale.
Noticeably absent in these photos is Honda’s new i-MID telematics system, which debuted on the new 2012 Civic. This is, however, a Chinese-market model and we expect the i-MID setup (or something similar) to be offered here.
While the CR-V is expected to grow in size, like the Civic, huge changes for the powertrain aren’t likely, although do expect a bump of a few miles per gallon in fuel economy. Honda has yet to announce any details of the 2012 CR-V’s release date, but look for an LA Auto Show debut.
[Source: ChinaCarTimes]
Honda has released a single photo of its upcoming 2012 CR-V compact crossover, and judging from the pic it’s a lot less compact than before.
While the photo is of a concept, in true Honda fashion that means it’s just a slightly embellished version of the production model that will debut later this year. The major style elements will remain, although expect toned-down amounts of chrome and smaller wheels. Of note is the three-bar grille, a design cue borrowed from the Accord CrossTour, but which looks significantly more fitting on this softroader.
Little is expected in the way of powertrain changes, with the 2.4-liter being carried over from the current generation with around 180-hp. A new 6-speed automatic could be part of the package, helping the CR-V achieve a slight improvement in fuel economy.
Also expect to find a version of Honda’s new i-MID system, featuring an in-dash LCD screen and steering wheel controls, which first debuted on the new 2012 Civic.
[Source: Car&Driver]
Having just launched the new 2012 Civic, Honda will introduce its soft-roader variant near the end of this year. The 2012 (or possibly 2013) CR-V is expected to undergo a long series of upgrades with minor style changes and little expected in terms of upgrades to the engine.
The 2012 CR-V should be lighter than the current model and look for fuel economy gains that could push the car to 30-mpg. We’d also expected to see the new i-MID telematics system make its way into the cabin.
The news was given during a briefing on the new Civic by Ameircan Honda Motor Co. sales boss John Mendel, who commented that after exploring some niche markets with cars like the CR-Z and Crosstour, it has now begun to focus on updating volume models with a major refresh on 88 percent of its models expected over the next few years.
While in many respects Honda seems to be struggling as of late with stiff competition from Hyundai and even from domestic automakers, Mendel says when it comes to retail sales the brand leads in five of the seven segment it competes in. Included in that is the compact crossover segment where the CR-V is on track to be the best selling crossover for the 5th straight model year.
In addition to a new CR-V, Honda will also debut a significant refresh for the Pilot SUV before year end.
In a memo that went out to dealers today, Honda stated that it will be adding a four-cylinder version of its slow selling Crosstour this year, possibly by the end of summer as a 2012 model.
Although there were few specifics released in the memo, another source reported that the four-banger powered Crosstour will probably come in front-drive form only (at least initially) and likely be restricted to more basic trim levels (possibly a DX, LX and EX) as well as corresponding lower MSRP to help bolster sales.
Given that the CR-V, which is slated to be extensively redesigned for the 2012 model year is due to receive an updated driveline, it will be interesting to see if this and the Crosstour will share four-cylinder engines – the CR-V’s new motor is rumored to be relatively large for such a configuration, possibly as big as 2.6 or even 2.7-liters.
[Source: Vtec.net]