The Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover is officially the 2021 World Car of the Year. It won the crown against an eclectic mix of hatchbacks, sedans, coupes, and SUVs, including the Toyota GR Yaris, Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, Kia K5, and Mazda MX-30, to name a few.
I had to Google what the outgoing Honda Civic's dashboard looks like, and then wished I hadn't bothered. Honda's compact may be a lot of things - affordable, economical, surprisingly spritely to drive, and a gateway for new owners to the automaker's brand - but being memorable for its cabin wasn't one of them. That all changes with the new 2022 Honda Civic Sedan.
Honda has pulled the wraps off arguably its most important new car, with the 2022 Civic Sedan promising an uptick in styling and tech as it acts as a gateway for the young drivers automakers are chasing. Sticking close to the prototype Honda teased us with late last year, the production Civic Sedan paves the way for the upcoming hatchback, Si, and enthusiast-favorite Civic Type R.
This week Honda released a video that showcases its new interior design philosophy that the automaker says will shape the interior design of future Honda models. The design philosophy was inspired by classic human-centered designs of early Honda vehicles and is described as a "simplicity" and "something" philosophy helping to enhance the driving experience. The new interior design aims to eliminate complexity and advance the user experience through thoughtful and pleasing design elements.
Honda aims to have 100-percent EV sales in North America by 2040, the automaker has said today, though it'll take a few years before mass-market electric vehicles are ready for primetime. The goal is "100-percent zero emission electrified vehicles" only in less than two decades, though that won't mean battery-electric alone.
Brand identity is a tricky thing to get right. If the second-generation Ridgeline had a problem, it was that it was just too similar, from the front at least, to Honda's Pilot. That's not a bad looking SUV, no, but if you weren't confusing the Ridgeline for its (mechanically similar) sibling, you were probably questioning its softer aesthetics compared to most rival pickups.
Honda has given us our first look of the new 2022 Civic Sedan, thoroughly reworked and headed to US dealerships later this year. Clearly related to the Civic Prototype unveiled back in November 2020, the new Civic Sedan marks a departure from the current model by virtue of its new grille treatment.
Honda and Verizon are teaming up to test how the latter's 5G Ultra-Wideband and 5G Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) ensures a fast and reliable connection between vehicles, pedestrians, and road infrastructures. Honda's been developing its Safe Swarm collision-free technology since 2017. This new partnership with Verizon and the University of Michigan's Mcity will assess how Verizon's 5G networks and mobile edge computing (MEC) could benefit autonomous driving in general.
Honda is preparing to launch two all-electric SUVs, one under its Acura brand, in the US, the automaker has confirmed, as it attempts to fill in a conspicuous BEV gap in its line-up. While Honda currently offers several hybrid vehicles, and a fuel-cell model powered by hydrogen, it lacks a single all-electric model in the US. Meanwhile only one of its hybrid range is an SUV.
Honda is rolling out the first car with Level 3 driver-assistance, with the new Legend capable of piloting itself on highways without demanding human supervision, though don't expect to be overtaken by an autonomous sedan any time soon. The new Legend with Honda SENSING Elite is only being offered in Japan currently, with the automaker taking a very cautious path to deployment.
Now we’re perplexed. Early this year, Honda said the next-generation HR-V would be different from the current Vezel/HR-V sold in other regions like Japan and Europe. And now, Honda unveiled the all-new 2022 Vezel/HR-V in Japan, and it’s nothing we expected from Honda.
Honda Performance Development (HPD) has been selling Type R crate engines exclusively to racing teams and Honda Racing Line members. But in recent news, it seems HPD is opening its doors to a limited number of Type R crate engines to anyone with a fat wallet.