Honda Expanding at Several U.S. Plants

Jul 20, 2012 l By Alisa Priddle, USA TODAY and the Detroit Free Press

"Honda's decision to further its expand its Civic plant in Greenburg, Ind., adding 500 workers and expanding capacity by 50,000 vehicles a year, is only the start.

The company laid out a big plans for North America this week. It has spent $1.6 billion at its North American factories in the past 18 months as it prepares to mark its 30th anniversary of making cars in the U.S. That officially happens on Nov. 1, the day in 1982 when the first Accord rolled of the line in Marysville, Ohio.

Greensburg will be the only place in the world where Honda will assemble the Civic hybrid as it phases out production of the model in Japan.

The Indiana plant, which will build 250,000 vehicles annually, already makes the gasoline and compressed natural gas versions of the Civic. Workers there started making the all-new Acura ILX hybrid in April. A second shift of 1,000 workers was added last fall.

Honda was the first Japanese automaker to assemble vehicles in the U.S. three decades ago. Today, it has nine lines in seven assembly plants with the capacity to make 1.63 million vehicles a year in North America, most of which are powered by engines and automatic transmissions made here. What's next:

• By 2014, when a new plant in Celaya, Mexico, starts making the Honda Fit, North American capacity will hit 1.92 million vehicles annually, Schostek said. The continent is already Honda's largest manufacturing base in the world.
• In Ohio, Honda is investing more than $500 million and adding 100 jobs to expand capacity.
• In Lincoln, Ala., Honda is investing $275 million and adding 140 jobs, boosting capacity by 40,000 vehicles to 340,000 a year. That will include the Acura MDX beginning early next year. The SUV is currently made in Alliston, Ont.

The new Mexico plant is an $800-million investment that will create 3,200 new jobs with the capacity to make 200,000 cars starting in 2014.

This network produces the full range of Honda's products, Schostek said. Canada is becoming a hub for small cars and crossovers. A new dedicated facility in Ohio will make the new NSX sports car sometime in the next three years.

By shifting production to the U.S., Japanese manufacturers will be able to reduce costs of labor and transporting parts and vehicles across the Pacific, said Alec Gutierrez, market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

In 2011, 85% of Honda and Acura models sold in the U.S. were built in North America and that figure will grow to 90% in the next few years.

Honda also wants to export more vehicles and parts from North America to other regions.

Last year, Honda exported 53,000 vehicles from North America. That figure will grow to 100,000 this year and eventually 200,000 annually, Honda officials predict."

 

http://usat.ly/QbHRLg

HondaLink provides a driving experience that is second to none

Fastest Seat in Sports - Texas Motor Speedway Winners

Wanna lead the start of an IZOD IndyCar® Race driven by an Indy 500 legend like Mario Andretti or Arie Luyendyk? Enter Honda's Fastest Seat in Sports Sweepstakes to win an incredible trip and a ride in an IndyCar 2-seater at an Izod IndyCar Series Race.

To enter Honda's Fastest Seat in Sports Sweepstakes and for official rules and prize descriptions go to www.shophonda.com. No purchase necessary

Sign up for Speed Camp 2012

Speed Camp 2012 is coming!

What is it: With instruction from the best in the biz, not only can you make driving a whole new experience, but become a better and safer driver in the process.

When: Monday, August 27th

Where: Thunderhill Raceway Park

For more information, head to http://SpeedCamp2012.com/ and sign up now! Don't wait, space is limited and filling up fast

Honda Taps Iconic Tunes For Unique Summer Clearance Campaign

Honda has crafted twenty custom CRF250R motorcycles for the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall, as the automaker announced the partnership yesterday with the film. In addition to the CRF250R models, two CRF450R models were selected for HD filming, as well.

The bikes will appear as vehicles for both the main character, James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, and one will be a Turkish police bike, ridden by Patrice, played by Ola Rapace, the henchman, in addition to other characters.

Stunt Co-ordinator for Skyfall, Gary Powell, commented, “We needed a highly versatile and quality off-road motorbike that could be easily modified, without compromising performance or safety, for the opening sequence of Skyfall. Honda’s CRFs are probably the best off-roaders out there so it’s great that we’ve been able to partner with Honda as the bikes, whilst heavily modified, were superb to work with.”

Tracy Honda July Oil Change Special!

2013 Honda Fit Delivers Unmatched Combination of Versatility, Efficiency and Fun

The award-winning Honda Fit returns for 2013 with a new exterior color and a host of awards and accolades that reinforce its leadership position in the competitive subcompact-car segment. After receiving extensive updates for 2012 - including an upgraded interior and additional new standard and available features - for 2013 the Fit returns with the introduction of the vibrant new Midnight Plum Pearl exterior paint, replacing the previous Orange Burst Metallic. On sale tomorrow and starting at only $15,325, pricing for the Honda Fit is unchanged for 2013.

A multiple award-winner due to its class-leading safety scores, fuel economy, versatility, residual value and overall excellence, the Honda Fit has built a loyal following over six years and two generations. Now it enters the 2013 model year with more honors, including winning the "$16,000 Subcompact Shootout" competition by Cars.com, USA Today and MotorWeek that evaluated gas mileage, practicality, and user features and comfort.

The 2012 Honda Fit also earned a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), received a 2012 Residual Value Award from ALG, topped J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study(SM) (IQS) for 2011 in its segment, and is a six-time Car and Driver magazine "10Best Cars" award winner.

PowertrainThe 1.5-liter, i-VTEC® four-cylinder engine produces 117 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm, and is tuned to deliver an engaging combination of responsiveness and fuel efficiency. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters on Fit Sport models equipped with the available automatic transmission allow for manual gear selection.

When equipped with the available automatic transmission, the Fit has an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 28/35/31 miles per gallon. The Fit Sport with the available automatic transmission has an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/30 miles per gallon. All manual transmission-equipped models have an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/29 miles per gallon.

BodyA windswept body design, body-color exterior mirrors and racy five-spoke wheel covers (Fit) or 16-inch alloy wheels (Fit Sport) give the Fit an upscale appearance. But it is the Fit's compact size and tight turning diameter (34.4 feet, curb-to-curb) that help it conveniently navigate space-confined urban areas and fit in small parking spaces.

ChassisA sporty, refined and dynamic driving experience is provided by the front MacPherson strut suspension and an H-shaped torsion beam rear suspension. Fifteen- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport, respectively) feature 175/65 R15 84S (Fit) and 185/55 R16 83H (Fit Sport) tires. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) uses 10.3-inch ventilated discs in the front and 7.9-inch drums in the rear.

InteriorThough the Fit has an overall exterior length of just 161.6 inches, a surprisingly roomy and versatile interior provides an impressive 90.8 cubic feet of passenger volume. There's comfortable seating for up to five passengers, and behind the rear seats, there's 20.6 cubic feet of storage space - much more than you'd find in a typical sedan.

For enhanced versatility, the exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat® offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations. With its one-motion dive-down functionality, it can fold flat into the floor to provide a maximum 57.3 cu-ft. of rear cargo volume. Compared to any other vehicle in the subcompact class, the five-passenger Fit provides the lowest, flattest cargo floor and the most cargo volume. The Fit's interior thus can easily be converted to tall-object mode or long-object mode based on the shape of the cargo.

Standard comfort and convenience features include air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, a USB audio interface(3), an auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, and a security system.

SafetyAll Fit models are equipped with a wide range of standard safety equipment including Vehicle Stability Assist(TM) (VSA®), the Advanced Compatibility Engineering(TM) (ACE(TM)) body structure, anti-lock brakes and more. Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), and side-curtain airbags are also standard equipment for 2013.

Fit SportThe top-of-the-line Fit Sport adds a host of useful features and amenities, including fog lights, "machined surface" 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-colored underbody kit and rear roofline spoiler, and a chromed exhaust finisher for a high-energy look. A rear stabilizer bar and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters (on automatic transmission-equipped models) widen the performance envelope, while a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers and illuminated steering wheel-mounted audio controls get the tunes pumping. Other Fit Sport interior enhancements include upgraded seat fabric, dark metallic dashboard components, chrome accents around the instrument displays, console ambient lighting and floor mats.

The Fit Sport is also available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(TM) with Voice Recognition(4), which features a 6.5-inch screen, more than seven-million points of interest and 16 GB of flash memory. Like other Honda navigation systems, this system allows simple, intuitive operation and has an extensive on-board database. When equipped with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(TM) with Voice Recognition, the Fit Sport also includes Bluetooth®(5) HandsFreeLink® to help make hands-free telephone calls more convenient. The Navigation System also features Bluetooth® Audio capability with compatible phones and devices.

Manufacturing and WarrantyThe Fit is manufactured at Honda's plant in Suzuka, Japan. It is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile Limited Vehicle Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, and a 5-year/unlimited-mile Corrosion Limited Warranty.

Sign up today for Speed Camp 2012!

What is it: With instruction from the best in the biz, not only can you make driving a whole new experience, but become a better and safer driver in the process.

When: Monday, August 27th

Where: Thunderhill Raceway Park

For more information, head to http://SpeedCamp2012.com/ and sign up now! Don't wait, space is limited and filling up fast

Honda Pilot is ready to fly

Take me to your pilot — or better yet, a Honda Pilot and I'll hit the road for a memorable vacation.

With Honda's full-sized Pilot, a buyer has one of the most well-rounded and capable sport utility vehicles on the road.

This is a unit with three rows of seats, a spacious and accommodating interior and a wonderful 3.5-litre engine that sounds delicious and performs impeccably.

The tester, a fully loaded mid-level Pilot EX-L, is the kind of SUV I could have easily taken on holiday this week — a Honda big enough for my fishing gear and a few fishing buddies. With towing capacity of 4,500 pounds, the Pilot also is capable of hauling a nice fishing rig.

The Pilot comes prewired for a trailer and has an integrated hitch. Five models of the Pilot are available from the base LX 2WD with a starting MSRP of $34,920 to the top of the line Touring with a base MSRP of $48,520. In between are the EX ($40,820), EX-L ($43,120) and EX-L RES ($44,720).

All Pilots are powered by a 3.5-litre, 24-valve SOHC i-VTEC V6 engine cranking out 250 horsepower at 5,700 rpm Transmission is a five-speed automatic.

While some other SUVs may have more power, none that I've tested have an engine that matches the Pilot's for pure pleasure. Responsive and fuel efficient with ratings of 23 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, the VTEC motor is a true highway star — someone please cue up the Deep Purple! That engine has variable cylinder management which deactivates cylinders when full power isn't needed, cutting down on fuel consumption.