Honda to Build More CR-Vs in the U.S., Plans to Increase the use of Parts from Low-Cost Countries

The strong yen is affecting all Japanese automakers that are exporting their locally produced cars to America. Honda is one of them, as of the 72,000 CR-Vs built last year in Japan, 35,000 made their way to North America. Japan’s third largest automaker wants to invest in its North American plants to increase the number of CR-V it builds here and reduce exports from Japan, thus minimizing losses due to exchange rates.

“Our profit structure has improved mainly thanks to robust overseas operations, and the toughest area remains exports from Japan”, Chief Financial Officer Yoichi Hojo told reporters at Honda's headquarters on Wednesday. “With a little investment, we would be able to increase production of the CR-V in the United States, so that's the most probable course of action (to reduce yen exposure)”, he said.

The company official said that Honda is currently examining various options to increase the crossover’s production. One of the factories that builds the CR-V, the East Liberty plant, in Ohio, is already operating at full capacity, but the neighboring Marysville plant is at 80%, while a factory in Indiana is working at half of its total capacity.

Should the need arise, Honda could also increase the output of its Mexican and Canadian plants.

In the future, the automaker also plans to use more components sourced from low-cost countries, such as China and India.

According to Yoichi Hojo, low-cost components will account for at least 10% of the upcoming 2012 Civic, a major improvement considering that the current generation uses very few if any low cost parts. The same ratio is at 17% in the case of the Fit subcompact, but Honda is aiming for about 30%.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Reuters

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Honda Recalling 2010MY Accord and CR-V Models in the States for Engine Stalling Problems

Honda has issued a new recall for certain 4-cylinder Accords and CR-Vs from the 2010 model year to check a potential failure with the engine wiring harness connector, as it may cause intermittent spark firing or the engine to stall.

"The wire harness coupler could have been damaged during vehicle assembly, which can lead to engine stalling over time," the Japanese automaker said in a statement, adding that it identified this problem through warranty repairs, and that no related accidents or injuries have been reported to date.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects 2,277 vehicles in the States.

Under the recall, the firm's dealers will inspect and replace the ignition wiring harness connector free of charge. Notification to customers is expected to begin in early February, 2011.

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Honda Germany Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Special Edition Models

Honda has launched a new series of special edition models in Germany to celebrated the company's 50th anniversary in Europe. The first Honda store in Germany opened in 1961 in the city of Hamburg. The lineup of special edition models includes the CR-Z hybrid sport hatch, the Civic, the CR-V, the Accord and the Jazz, all of which feature additional standard equipment such as larger alloy wheels and upgraded audio systems (depending on the model) without a price increase. More details on the 50th Anniversary specials can be found on Honda's German website.

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Honda Dealer Memo Says 4-Cylinder CrossTour and 2012 CR-V on their Way Along with New Civic

The Honda fan-boys over at the Temple of VTEC claim to have intercepted an internal memo with details on the firm's upcoming models, which was sent out today to dealers. The email reportedly states that Honda will be releasing a lower-priced based version of the Accord CrossTour equipped with a 4-cylinder engine, with sales to start in "mid-summer". We'll remind you that that CrossTour is currently offered exclusively with a 275HP 3.5-liter V6 and available four-wheel drive.

The website notes the memo also mentions the 2012 Civic, which will arrive in "late April" (this has already been officially confirmed by Honda that will show a pre-production study at the Detroit Show next week), as well as the 2012 CR-V and the Pilot SUV, without, however, getting into any more details.

Source: Temple of VTEC

Honda Expands Airbag Recall that is Linked to One Death to an Additional 437,763 Vehicles Worldwide, Most in the USA

A defective airbag that has been linked to one death and 11 injuries in the United States over the past few years is still haunting Honda as the company today announced that it is adding 437,763 cars to its existing global safety recall over the airbag inflation problem.

The expanded recall is concentrated mainly in the United States, where nearly 378,758 vehicles are affected, but the latest announcement also covers Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Australia.

The models added to the list concern certain 2001 and 2002 Honda Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, 2002 Pilot, 2002 Acura CL and selected 2002 Acura TL vehicles.

According to the automaker, the driver's airbag inflators in these vehicles may deploy with too much pressure causing the inflator casing to rupture and send metal fragments through the airbag cushion material possibly resulting in injury or even fatality to vehicle occupants.

Honda first issued a recall on the matter on less than 4,000 model year 2001 Accord and Civic back in November 2008. After the original recall, the Japanese automaker said that two additional incidents were reported, including one fatality from a vehicle not included in that recall.

That led Honda to expand the recall in July 2009 to include approximately 440,000 model year 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic and certain 2002 Acura TL vehicles.

2010 Honda CR-V Facelift: New Sporty Modulo Outfit and Mugen Accessories for JDM Model

With the market launch of the mildly refreshed 2010 CR-V in Japan (see the European version here and the U.S. model here), Honda's own Modulo brand as well as the firm's in-house tuner Mugen introduced a new line up of interior, exterior, handling and numerous cosmetic parts for the compact SUV.

These range from a full aero kit with new front and rear bumpers, different grille treatment, side skirts and a roof spoiler plus a more subtle kit with aluminum skidplates from Modulo to 19-inch alloy wheels, a sport exhaust and a tire pressure monitoring system from Mugen.

2010 Honda CR-V: U.S. Model Receives Mild Styling Tweaks and More Powerful Engine

Time's up for Honda to introduce the U.S. spec version of its gently refreshed 2010 CR-V that gains mild refinements and upgrades to the exterior and interior as well as a more powerful engine under the hood. On the outside, the CR-V features a mildly reworked fascia with a new grille and bumper design, a re-sculpted hood, and a restyled rear bumper shape plus new alloy wheel designs.

Upgrades to the interior focus on new features and added functionality with the Bluetooth HandsFreeLink now included on models equipped with the available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System while auto on/off headlights are now standard on the EX-L grade and finally, the front seats have wider center armrests on all models.

Changes under the bonnet of the 2010 model year CR-V, however, are more important as upgrades to the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that is linked to a an electronically controlled 5-speed automatic transmission, result in an improved output of 180HP, up from 166 horsepower of the outgoing 2009MY CR-V.

Despite the power boost, Honda claims that city/highway EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings have been improved to 21/28 mpg on 2WD models and 21/27 mpg on models equipped with 4WD, an increase of 1 mpg in both city and highway driving on all models.

The 2010 CR-V is on sale now at Honda's U.S. dealerships with prices ranging from $22,545 for the entry-level LX 2WD to $30,455 for the top-grade EX-L 4WD with Navi (see photo above for detailed pricing).