Honda Plans Mexican Plant to Build CVTs, Likely for Fit
Honda plans to build a new $470 million transmission plant in Celaya, Mexico that will produce continuously variable transmissions.
“We are establishing a production base with outstanding global competitiveness in CVT production in the same location as our new automobile plant in Celaya,” said Tetsuo Iwamura, COO of Honda North American Regional Operations. The plant is scheduled to open in the second half of 2015, with an initial capacity of 350,000 units that will rise to nearly 700,000 within several years.
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This new transmission factory is built on the same site as the brand’s new automobile plant which is set to produce the Fit, and Fit-based crossover starting in 2014. “The new transmission plant, Honda’s third in North America, will produce continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) for automobiles built in Mexico,” Honda said in a press release.
Honda did not reveal which vehicles specifically will be receiving the Mexican built CVTs, but it currently builds the CR-V, and will be building the Fit in Mexico, making those two vehicles the most likely candidates. Prototype versions of the Fit (seen above) have already been testing with CVT transmissions, further suggesting that the next-gen Fit will go with a CVT.
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Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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