honda

Honda's new CR-V model keeps many of the values intact that have made it such a popular small SUV, but also does not take advantage of new opportunities to make it an even better car. The engine and transmission are a complete hold-over from the previous generation. Honda is developing more efficient engines with its Earth Dreams initiative, but that won't affect the CR-V until the next update.

The cabin sees a mish-mash of updates. Positive moves by Honda are a new Bluetooth phone system that can receive text messages, Pandora integration with the stereo, and a new … Read more

Could soldiers of the future fight battles in robot bodies controlled from afar? DARPA apparently thinks so, and the agency wants to create an army of surrogate fighting droids.

The U.S. military's research wing apparently is planning surrogates like in the film "Avatar" but with robots instead of giant Na'vi. It has a $7 million program code-named "Avatar" in its 2013 budget, according to Wired.

The robots would reduce risk to human fighters, just as thousands of aerial drones are already keeping pilots out of harm's way. … Read more

Hundreds of chemicals, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR), are used in automotive interiors. These chemicals are used to make plastics flexible, make fabrics fire-resistant, and contribute to that "new car smell." But they're also associated with birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer.

To find out what chemicals and their amounts are used in cars, researchers at Ecology Center, which publishes the consumer awareness site Healthystuff.org, tested 11 components in more than 200 vehicles from the 2011 and 2012 model years using an x-ray fluorescence analyzer. The test scans a … Read more

Honda's first all-electric vehicle is hitting the streets a little early.

The Honda Fit EV debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2011, and it's expected to be available for lease this summer. However, Honda announced that Google and Stanford University got a special early delivery of the tiny EV this week. … Read more

A judge in California awarded $9,867 to a woman who sued Honda in small claims court, with the complaint that her Civic Hybrid did not achieve the fuel economy advertised by Honda.

A class action lawsuit against Honda is currently being argued over the Civic Hybrid's fuel economy advertising. But Heather Peters decided to bring her own suit over the issue in small claims court.

Honda based its advertising on the EPA test figure, which estimated 50 mpg for the Civic Hybrid in the city. Peters argued that her 2006 Civic Hybrid achieved much less than the advertised … Read more

You won't have to wait until Sunday to enjoy the latest crop of Super Bowl commercials. And from the looks of it there will be a bumper crop of automaker ads.

Wedged between the notoriously racy GoDaddy ad and various commercials for beverages and yogurt, will be more vehicle ads than ever.

Last week, Audi took a stab at trendy creatures of the night. This week Jerry Seinfeld revives his old shtick--complete with Soup Nazi and other characters--for an ad for the new Acura NSX. Jay Leno and other familiar faces appear in the extended version of the ad.… Read more

A teaser video showing actor Matthew Broderick seemingly reprising his role as the iconic "Ferris Bueller" became an Internet sensation last week. But it appears now that all the excitement surrounding it might be short-lived.

Honda today confirmed that the teaser video, which was viewed over 4 million times after going viral, was part of a two-and-a-half-minute commercial it plans to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday to promote its 2012 CR-V automobile.

"To celebrate the launch of the all-new 2012 CR-V, Honda brought 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' back in a big game commercial," … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Remember when Aha Radio's claim to fame was robotic text-to-speech reading of Facebook status updates? You've come a long way, baby.

At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, Aha by Harman announced a handful of new content and hardware partners, the ranks of which include Subaru, Honda, and Kenwood.

The two automotive partners, Subaru and Honda, will be building Aha Radio connectivity into their vehicle's infotainment systems for the 2013 model year--which means we should start seeing the fruits of this union as early as this fall. After pairing a smartphone running the Aha Radio app, drivers … Read more

DETROIT--Honda unveiled a revamped version of its storied NSX supercar at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show today, taking the wraps off a greener, sleeker, and likely fiercer sports car that already has Hollywood bragging rights.

The NSX Hybrid Concept is powered by Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) technology, a direct-injection, mid-mounted V-6 engine, and dual-clutch transmission.

The all-wheel drive system can deliver instant negative or positive torque to the front wheels when rounding corners, according to the company.

Honda did not release many details of the concept, and it's unclear which motor powers which wheel set. It only promised that the NSX will create handling performance unmatched in AWD cars. … Read more