Honda Posts Increased Sale

The American arm of Japanese automaker Honda recently disclosed to the public their sales record for the month of November. According to the automaker, they have sold 111,431 units of Honda and Acura vehicles. That marked an increase of 4.7 percent compared to the company's sales record for November of last year when they sold 106,446 vehicles.

With the American dollar falling against the Euro and the Canadian dollar, consumers are slowly reducing in number. But Honda's performance in marketing their vehicles shows that they are in a position to deliver vehicles that consumers are looking for. Dick Colliver, the executive vice president of American Honda, had this to say according to The Auto Channel: "Even In these uncertain times, our bread-and-butter products are showing real growth. The all-new Accord continues to set a blistering pace with sales up by more than 25 percent."

For years, the Honda Accord has been well received by consumers because of its reliability. The Japanese automaker also manufactures luxury vehicles under the Acura brand. Although Acura is yet to match Lexus in terms of popularity among luxury car buyers, the brand is slowly becoming a favorite among consumers. But last month saw another dismal period for Acura as they posted a decrease of 24.9 percent compared to November 2006. Last month, the Japanese luxury brand sold 12,910 units of cars and light trucks while last year, for the same month, the company has sold 17,200 units.

The Acura division may have experienced reduced sales for November but some of their models showed increased in sales. The luxury division reported that they have already sold 52,700 units of the award-winning Acura ball joint -equipped Acura MDX from January to November this year. That figure is 9.6 percent better than their January to November sales last year of 47,894 units.

Meanwhile, for the Honda division, several models apart from the Accord have helped the automaker set an increased sales record for November. The Honda CR-V is one of them with sales up by 1.6 percent compared to November 2006 sales. The Honda Fit is the biggest gainer with an increase of 106.0 percent. 5,361 units of the award-winning Fit were sold last month. According to the automaker, the Civic and the Civic Hybrid both posted an increase in sales. The Japanese automaker reported that they have sold 24.8 percent more Civic units last month compared to the same period last year. The Civic Hybrid on the other hand increased by 46.6 percent.

About the Author
Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.


Source: http://ilove-hondacars.blogspot.com/2007/12/honda-posts-increased-sale.html

Honda CR-V leads the crossover segment

After taking the number one spot as the best-selling SUV from the Ford Explorer back in May, the Honda CR-V now leads the segment in crossover sales. While new car sales are down 2.8 percent in 2007, the crossover segments has enjoyed an increase of 23.5 percent to 1,749,680 units sold from January to September.

Those figures account for 14.2 percent of the total industry, up from an 11.1 percent during the same nine-months last year. While there are 45 different crossovers on sale, the leaders in the segment include the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and the Ford Escape.

With the Honda CR-V leading the way, the three crossovers accounted for a little less than 25 percent of total sales in the segment.

Source: http://www.egmcartech.com/2007/10/08/honda-cr-v-leads-the-crossover-segment/

10th Anniversary Edition of the Honda City ZX

In line with the ten-year anniversary of the Honda Cars in India, Honda Siel Cars India or HSCI, the leading manufacturer of premium cars in India has launched the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Honda City ZX with the addition of several features.

Here are the details of the new features added in each variants of the 10th Anniversary Edition of the City ZX:

* EXi Onwards - an MP3 CD AM/FM Stereo with 4 speakers were added together with new key design, new design steering, accessory socket, central door lock switch, thicker chrome rings, and white rear lens

* GXi Onwards - front fog lamps, side step garnish, 2 keyless entry remote transmitters, new design combi meter, and new 1-Din MP3 CD AM/FM Stereo with 4 speakers

* VTEC Onwards - superior 2-Din MP3 CD AM/FM Stereo with 4 speakers, premium dark woody panel, truck spoiler as standard dealer fitment. Leather upholstery, ABS or anti-lock braking system, Dual SRS airbags for both driver and front passenger

* VTEC are also offered without the leather upholstery, ABS & SRS Airbags

The City ZX V-TEC with quality Honda water pump is now offered with an extra host of safety and luxury features that include a G-Con body, ABS, SRS Airbags, and plush leather interiors. Likewise, the HSCI has also made several feature additions to City ZX which already an excellent vehicle on its own with combined excellent styling, interior comfort, fuel-efficiency, great performance, and lavish leather interiors.

Aside from the additional features to be equipped on every City there are also two new colors offered.

HSCI has been manufacturing vehicles in India for over a decade already and it has successful established itself as a premium brand in the automobile sector bringing in the latest global models from the Honda stable. The currently available Honda cars in India include the City, Civic, Accord, and CR-V which are all doing extremely well in their respective segments.

All of the Honda cars are E-10 ready or with 10 percent ethanol blended with gasoline. This is anticipation of the guidelines to be set by the Government of India in the near future.

Mr. Masahiro Takedagawa, President and CEO, Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. was the speaker on the occasion and said, "We have had a highly successful 10 years in India. Buoyed by the customer response, we are now preparing for the second phase of our growth and will be expanding our production and dealer capacities. As we augment our product portfolio, we will extend our presence into second tier towns and cities.However, as we grow our business, we are committed to aligning our business objectives to the basic humanitarian values that Honda stands for. As a corporate, our future strategy is to focus on three basic principles - Safety, Environment and Energy Conservation."

Source: http://www.flixya.com/post/biosman2/26706/10th_Anniversary_Edition_of_the_Honda_City_ZX

Grab Some Extra RV Storage Using Your Dinghy

RVers, especially full-time RVers, are always looking for more storage space on their rigs. Switching from a 5th wheel trailer to a motorhome was a chore because it took us a long time to re-orient our stuff to the different RV format. One of the surprises for me was the added space afforded by our dinghy (the Honda CRV we tow behind the motorhome). I use the car to store my satellite antenna and cables while we travel. In the 5th wheel, I had to completely break down my satellite system in order to get it to fit neatly in the 5th wheel "basement". The satellite is the last thing I take down before we break camp and it stores neatly in the back of the Honda CRV. One of our RV neighbors we met in Georgia this year is a workcamper. He tows his truck behind his motorhome and using a shell on the back of his truck combined with a slide-out storage tray he is able to carry a lot of extra cargo. Another form of storage that will increase your carrying capacity are the storage containers that mount to the roof rack of your dinghy. These roof mounted racks can't handle heavy loads, but they are very useful for storing light weight items. As a safety pointer, be sure not to exceed the towing capacity of your RV.

Source: http://rvtravel.com/blog/rvnow/2007/10/grab-some-extra-rv-storage-using-your.html

History Of Honda

Honda is the largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines in the world, with more than 14 million engines built each year; Honda has established a name for itself in the automobile industry. Known for its immensely popular bikes, the Honda CBR is one of the most popular sports bikes in history. However Honda has not just restricted its market to bikes alone, today Honda has an impressive collection of cars, SUVs and trucks to its name, and the Honda Accord is perhaps one of the most popular cars in its class today. This article will discuss the various models of Honda cars and SUVs and their history.

Honda Cars

The first car that established Honda in America and the UK was the Civic, the 1974 Civic was an ideal blend of power and looks, and was an instant success with American and British car owners. The problem with the Civic was that although it was fuel efficient and had looks, it was still not big enough for the average American and British car owner. However, what clinched the deal for the Civic was that they actually modified their engine to meet US emission laws, whereas other cars now required a catalytic converter the Honda Civics engine was already compliant with American and European emission laws.

By 1976, Honda launched the Accord that was bigger than the Civic and sported a powerful engine, and compared to other mid-sized cars it was far more fuel efficient. Just like the Civic the Honda was an instant success and Honda became the first ever Japanese automobile company to establish a manufacturing plant in the US in the year was 1982. Today nearly 30 years later the Civic and the Accord are one of the most popular cars from the stables of Honda. In addition to the Civic and Accord, Honda also has its own luxury segment cars, and one of the most popular luxury cars is the Honda Acura.

Apart from manufacturing quality cars, Honda has made a name for itself in the market by coming up with innovations like improved VTECH engines, and the first car with 4 wheel drive was also from Honda (the Honda Prelude). Today Honda has a firm hold on the American and UK market, and more and more people are buying Honda cars for their fuel efficiency and environmental friendly emissions.

Honda SUVs

The first ever SUV launched by Honda was the Isuzu built Passport, the Honda passport was not immediately successful but with the introduction of other SUVs like the Acura and CR-V, Honda has now made its presence felt in the SUV market. The biggest advantage that Honda SUVs has over other SUVs is their engine, Honda engines are known for being powerful yet fuel efficient at the same time.

Today Honda has a definite presence in the automobile industry and more and more automobile owners have started buying Honda Cars and SUVs. If you are looking for a car that is powerful yet at the same time fuel efficient, then a look at a catalogue of Honda products is a must.

Source: http://bee-sport.blogspot.com/2007/09/history-of-honda.html

Honda CR-V 2007 Review

By: Craig Rad
Compact Recreational Vehicle. This is the name which has given the acronym CR-V to one of Honda's most popular releases. And it is, indeed, both compact and fun to drive. For the past decade, the Honda CR-V has proved to be a reliable family car: affordable, spacious, without appearing too large, and, best of all, safe. The new, 2007 model, however, is taking these features to new lengths.

The CR-V 2007 is slightly wider and lower than its predecessor, which gives it an extra touch of stability in turns, and also shorter, mainly because the spare wheel is no longer attached to the back, as in the previous two generations.

The standard safety equipment included in the car is amazing: Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure on the front end, a total of six airbags (dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, front side airbags with passenger-side occupant position detection system, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor), active front-seat head restraints, stability control system, ABS, break assist, Tire Pressure Monitoring System. This model has received a 5-star frontal and side impact rating from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This functionality-oriented crossover SUV has four doors and five seats, including a fold-and-tumble rear seat which can easily be adjusted to hold two child seats, for that ever-expending family. All the seats are equipped with three-point seatbelts.

The 166-hp, 2.4-liter, 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC 4 cilinder engine (10 hp more than the 2006 model), five speed automatic transmission, the MacPherson strut front suspension handles, the traction-enhancing Real Time 4-wheel drive, the Drive-by-wire throttle system, are all features which add up to ensure an increased sense of stability, while offering, at the same time, an amazing driving experience.

As Honda has already accustomed us to, the CR-V 2007 allows for reduced emissions, fuel economy and noise reduction, thanks to its trademark variable valve timing and lift electronic control, i-VTEC, and to its aerodynamic design.

Customers can choose from three models: the LX, the EX and the EX-L. For those in search of a more stylish look, the EX-L is the best choice, thanks to its leather trimmed seats and its optional navigation system equipped with a rear view video camera. The model comes in 10 colors, from the Taffeta White to the Nighthawk Black Pearl, to suite any driver's preferences and personality.

Although its competition, such as the Toyota RAV4, the Mazda CX-7 or the Hyundai Tucson, may offer either more space, a better driving experience or lower prices, Honda CR-V, especially the 2007 model, remains a top choice of the customers in search of all these features and extra safety guarantees.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com


Source: http://www.flixya.com/post/anuwatt/23319/Honda_CR-V_2007_Review

Honda SA Launched its First Ever Diesel-Powered Honda CR-V

It was only recently that Honda SA has introduced its first diesel-powered model, the CR-V 2.2i-CTDi, which is powered by a 2.2 liter 16-valve engine that revs up 340 Nm of torque at 2,000r/min. This new addition to the CR-V range is claimed to consume only 6.5 liters of diesel on the combined cycle.

Likewise, the CR-Vs i-CTDi engine was also claimed to feature optimized combustion chambers linked to a continuously variable swirl control valve, a common rail, direct-injection diesel delivery system, variable nozzle turbocharger and water-cooled exhaust gas regulation (EGR) valve. This turbodiesel unit is said to provide a remarkable smoothness and refinement?attributed to the vibration-reducing technologies comprising of off-set cylinders, second-order balancer shaft, pendulum-type engine mountings and acoustic engine cover that are incorporated in the engine.

The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, and according to Honda the automaker that brought the world top-of-the-line Honda floor liner, the 2.2i-CTDi is capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in under 10.3 seconds and reach top speed of 187 km/h. In urban driving conditions, the diesel-powered CR-V has a fuel consumption figure of 8.11/100 km at a constant 100km/h and 5.71/100 km for out of town driving.

The new powerplant is also equipped with Real Time 4WD system, which engages when needed by transferring torque to the rear wheels as soon as the control unit senses the need for additional traction.

According to Honda SA Marketing Divisional Manager John Laurence, ?This derivative makes the perfect vehicle for people who are looking for the benefits of a diesel SUV, but are not willing to put up with the unrefined nature these types of vehicle have shown in the past."

The interior specifications of the new Honda CR-V includes front and rear parking sensors similar to those equipped on the RVSi model; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) which is an add-on to the VSA that Corrects trailer swing by adjusting power and braking force to the wheels separately; ABS with EBD; dual-stage front-,side- and full length curtain airbags and active front head restraints make up the iCTDis safety package.

But the most unique feature of the diesel version Honda CR-V is the Double Deck?luggage configuration, which utilizes a shelf to divide the cargo bay into an upper and lower luggage area. It helps to hide items from snooping eyes especially when the retractable tonneau cover is not in use and at the same time it allows for neat piling and sub-division of luggage. With the Double Deck?it makes retrieval of items at the very bottom of the luggage easier.

To make access to items on the lower level much easier the shelf was hinged across the width. In the double deck mode, the shelf rests on a protruding edge formed by the luggage area side panels. It can also be reverted to a conventional arrangement by simply lifting the shelf out of the CR-V altogether.

Graham Eagle, Honda SAs General Manager of sales and Marketing said, We anticipate the turbodiesel-powered CR-V to attract conquest customers currently driving D-segment saloons, as well as those from the C/D SUV segment. In particular, it will meet the needs of those customers seeking premium-class cross-over vehicles."

The Honda CR-V 2.2 iCTDi is priced at R326 900. The price will also include a five-year/90,000 km service plan, a three year/100,000 km warranty, and one-year roadside assistance program.

Source: http://googlesyndicationurldtwscrs.blogspot.com/2007/08/honda-sa-launched-its-first-ever-diesel.html