Honda On Regent Blog

Four-time Stanley Cup champion, Anaheim Ducks captain and environmentalist becomes first professional athlete to lease Honda’s zero-emissions vehicle

ANAHEIM, Calif., U.S.A., January 6, 2010 – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., delivered a zero emissions hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle to its latest customer, 2010 Canadian Olympic hockey team captain, Scott Niedermayer. Also a team captain for the Anaheim Ducks National Hockey League team, Niedermayer is a leader both on and off the ice, promoting an environmentally responsible lifestyle and the protection of natural resources.

“My love for nature and the outdoors developed while growing up in Canada and I hope the generations after me get to experience nature as I have,” said Scott Niedermayer. “Everyday actions, like driving the zero-emissions Honda FCX Clarity, will help to make this dream a reality.”

Honda’s FCX Clarity produces electricity onboard from hydrogen via Honda’s innovative V Flow fuel cell stack with water vapor as its only emission. Significant advances include exhilarating performance, futuristic sedan packaging and a driving range of up to 240 miles*. FCX Clarity’s fuel efficiency is three times that of a comparable, modern gasoline-powered automobile.

“The FCX Clarity demonstrates Honda’s commitment to developing zero-emissions vehicles, and we believe that having drivers like Scott Niedermayer behind the wheel of a Honda FCX Clarity is a great way to reach out to a new audience of drivers,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. “We hope that Scott’s example of driving the FCX Clarity will inspire fans and other athletes to consider more environmentally responsible products.”

Niedermayer and his wife, Lisa, reside in Orange County, California, with their four sons. The family enjoys the outdoors together by camping and mountain biking. Their love of nature has inspired the family to seek a greener lifestyle that includes changes such as adding insulation around the family home and installing a radiant barrier on the roof to conserve energy. Niedermayer already carpools to games with his fellow teammates and promotes a recycling program around his team’s dressing room.

Honda’s advanced fuel cell electric vehicles have been tested and proven through a series of successful partnerships over the last seven years with various fleet users and retail customers. A small but growing network of hydrogen fuel stations in Southern California allow for vehicle refueling in about five minutes and offer a clean, domestic energy supply for transportation. Honda has gained extensive experience from the deployment of several generations of its fuel cell electric vehicle technology with the ultimate goal of achieving the mass-market commercialization of zero-emissions fuel cell vehicles.

*Fuel economy estimates and driving range based on EPA test data. Actual driving distance will vary depending on driving characteristics and vehicle maintenance.

August 25th, 2009 – Honda On Regent is pleased to announce that the Honda Indy car will be on location right here at the dealership from September 21st to 24th. Come down and bring the family for this rare opportunity for pictures and to get a closer look!

The more I drive them, the more I like them.

Having been behind the wheel of several of the models in the Honda Civic line I’ve just begun to really appreciate this car.

Yes, I know. What took me so long?

It’s not like I’ve hated the Civic — far from it. It’s just that I’ve come to appreciate everything the Civic has to offer for a price that still remains competitive. Even as an entry level car there is so much to like about it.

The size is right; the entry level price is right; and, the performance is balanced nicely with fuel economy.

Equipped with a 1.8-litre four cylinder engine and five-speed automatic, the Civic is not at a loss for power. In fact, it was quite surprising to find out how much pep this little mill had. But don’t let the numbers fool you — 140 horsepower and 128 lb.-ft. of torque — there’s plenty to smile about when you get behind the wheel and give ’er the gas.

Sure it’s got enough giddy-up when you need it, but it also sips away at the tank. With a posted 7.4 litres per 100 km in the city and 5.4 on the hwy, it’s sure to grab the attention of anyone with a bank account. Driving mostly on city roads I managed to squeeze out 7.8 litres per 100k, which again, is nothing to sneeze at.

Shifting is quick through the five speed stick, but the clutch is light and takes a little getting use to. Granted you won’t feel like you’ve just spent your whole day giving your left leg a workout, but there isn’t much in the way of feedback. Really, it’s a minor thing.

The ride and handling is pretty good as well and thanks to its small size, the Civic feels almost sporty.

And since we’re on that topic, this Civic came in with the added mid-level Sport trim package and adds plenty of items over the base model. It includes 60/40 split rear seat, leather wrapped steering wheel, rear-seat centre armrest and power windows with auto-up/down driver side window, just to name a few.

While some may not like the wedge-like style of the Civic, I find it to be a sharp looking vehicle. Thanks again to the sports package for 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and colour-keyed door handles. Even with so many of these on the road, the design remains fresh.

Seating surfaces are comfy and nice to the touch and while actual seating space may look a bit tight, there is plenty of leg room in both the front and rear seats.

In the driver’s seat, you immediately notice the two-tiered gauge cluster — which I really like, but my wife doesn’t particularly. She says the speed indicator is way too big for her liking (or maybe she doesn’t feel the need to be reminded how fast she’s going?).

Trunk space is quite generous, and even shocking. There is little concern that you won’t have enough room for short trips or shopping outings. And if you do manage to run out of room, you can quickly pull the levers in the trunk to flip the rear seatbacks down. Just make sure your kids are not along with you.

I never felt out of place driving in the Civic. It’s not the biggest people mover out there, but it’s also far from the smallest. The performance is just right for me, the kids have lots of room and even my wife didn’t mind it.

Sounds like a winner to me.

Strong Points:

Weak Points:

• Styling: The 2010 Honda Pilot earns crossover cred by blending an SUV’s blocky profile and high ground clearance with a car-type unibody structure. Peel off its sheet metal and you’ll find not a truck frame but basically the same chassis used by Honda’s Odyssey minivan (and by the MDX crossover from Honda’s premium Acura division). The 2009 redesign wisely inflated Pilot’s exterior dimensions only slightly, so this wagon remains the most maneuverable eight-seat SUV on the market. It’s a garage-friendly 10- to 23-inches shorter than other eight-passenger SUVs. Unfortunately, Honda listened to first-generation Pilot owners who said they wanted tougher styling. So the 2010 Honda Pilot gamely wears a caboole of trucky cues: exaggerated fender flares, sapling-thick roof pillars, a pugnacious front end. The grille appears inspired by a tie clip filched from the set of “Mad Men.”
• Mechanical: The 2010 Honda Pilot boasts impressive engine and driveline engineering. Extracting the most efficiency from its lively, smooth 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 is Honda’s advanced Variable Cylinder Management system. This automatically transitions the engine back and forth between six, four, or three cylinders as sensors determine the best balance of fuel economy and power. All Pilots are available with Honda’s Variable Torque Management all-wheel drive. Pilot’s not designed for serious off-roading, so its AWD system does not have low-ranging gearing. It’s instead designed to improve grip in all conditions, even on dry roads. And pushing a dashboard button does lock in a front-rear torque split for maximum low-speed traction. The sole transmission for the 2010 Honda Pilot remains a five-speed automatic.
• Features: The 2010 Honda Pilot comes in four levels of trim: base LX, midrange EX, leather-upholstered EX-L, and top-of-the-line Touring. Honda doesn’t offer factory options, but does make the 2010 Pilot available just about every comfort and convenience feature. These include power heated front seats, sunroof, Bluetooth phone link, USB connection for iPod and other MP3 devices, navigation with voice recognition, rearview camera, and rear DVD entertainment. The 2010 Honda Pilot is among the few SUVs with anchor positions for four child safety seats. And folding the rear seats allows it to carry a 4-foot-wide plywood sheet laid flat. All models come with antilock four-wheel disc brakes, traction control, and an antiskid system. Standard are head-protecting curtain side airbags designed to deploy in side collisions as well as in impending rollovers. Front bucket seats and second- and third-row bench seats are standard; second-row captain’s chairs aren’t available. The second and third rows each hold three occupants, and both split and fold.

http://iguida.com/2010-honda-pilot

Crossover SUV offers genuine eight-passenger functionality, on-road refinement and top safety ratings

05/29/2009 – Torrance, CA – The 2010 Honda Pilot crossover combines car-like road manners and around-town driving ease with the most sought-after SUV traits by virtue of its spacious interior, rugged character and all-weather confidence.

TORONTO, April 22 /CNW/ – The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid hatchback goes on sale today across Canada, coinciding with Earth Day. With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $23,900, the new Insight is Canada’s most affordable hybrid vehicle.

“The Honda Insight brings fuel-efficient hybrid technology within closer reach for many new car buyers in Canada with its affordable pricing,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc. “On Earth Day, it’s important to be mindful of the benefits that hybrid technology can have in helping to reduce our impact on the environment through fuel efficiency and ultra-low emissions.”

The distinctively styled, 5-passenger, 5-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist(TM) (IMA(TM)) system comprised of a 1.3-litre i-VTEC(R) gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to a Transport Canada fuel economy rating of 4.8 L/100 km (city) and 4.5 L/100 km (highway). The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight’s highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

A 4-cylinder engine with intelligent variable valve timing and a DC brushless electric motor forms the foundation of the IMA(TM) hybrid system. The electric motor, positioned in-line between the engine and the transmission, adds power during acceleration and in certain cruising situations, and recaptures energy from the vehicle’s forward momentum during braking.

The Insight introduces Eco Assist(TM) to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist(TM) is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing a dash-mounted ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems, including throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation.

Eco Assist(TM) also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colours from blue to green to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking. The driver’s results are continuously tracked as fuel economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Up to five leaves can be ‘earned’ as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style. A real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide MID screen.

Honda Canada, now in its 40th year of operation in Canada, manufactures the Honda Civic sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX and MDX at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its engine plant adjacent to the Honda manufacturing facilities.

New dog transportation features turn Element into the alpha dog of pet travel

TORONTO – Based on its all-time record annual sales of 72,463 units in 2008, Honda Civic became the first passenger car in 15 years to achieve status as the top-selling vehicle, including all cars and trucks, in Canada.  The Civic also remained Canada’s top-selling passenger car for an 11th consecutive year, outselling its nearest competitor by 14,727 units. 

“We thank Canadian consumers for their continuing vote of confidence in the Civic with its strong value resulting from its excellent fuel efficiency, class-leading standard safety features and fun-to-drive character,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada Inc. 

“And with the exception of the Civic Hybrid, all other Civic models sold in Canada are produced right here in Canada.  We are proud of our investment in Canada as a vehicle manufacturer with virtually half of all the vehicles we sell in Canada being built in Canada.

“Our manufacturing facility in Alliston, which opened in 1986, represents an investment of $2.6 billion in Canada and currently employs 4,600 Associates.  In 2008, out of a total production of 383,011 vehicles at the Alliston facility, almost 300,000 were Civics.  In fact, of the nearly 5 million vehicles that our Canadian assembly plant has produced over the past 22 years, about 3 million of those have been Honda Civics.” 

Honda Canada manufactures the Honda Civic and Civic Si sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX sedan and MDX luxury utility vehicle at its two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and produces fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engines at its new engine plant adjacent to its Canadian manufacturing facilities. With 135 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries worldwide, Honda attracts more than 24 million customers annually.

http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr112508.html

ARLINGTON, VA – Seventy-two vehicles earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK award for 2009. This is more than double the number of 2008 recipients and more than 3 times the number of 2007 winners. TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also have to have electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows significantly reduces crash risk.

For the first time ever, winners represent every class of vehicle the Institute tests except microcars. Most car, minivan, and SUV models, midsize convertibles, and small and large pickups are eligible. Ford and its subsidiary Volvo have 16 winners, including the Ford F-150 large pickup. Thirteen winners are from Honda and its Acura division. The Honda Fit with optional ESC is the first minicar to earn TOP SAFETY PICK.

Honda, Acura, and Subaru, which picked up 4 awards, are standouts for 2009 because they have at least 1 TOP SAFETY PICK in every vehicle class in which they compete.

“Consumers are the biggest winners,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “No matter what kind of vehicle buyers may be considering, now they can walk into just about any dealership and find one that affords the best overall protection in serious crashes.”

Front and side impacts are the most common kinds of fatal crashes, killing about three-quarters of the 28,896 passenger vehicle occupants who died in 2007. Rear-end crashes usually aren’t fatal, but they result in a large proportion of crash injuries. Neck sprain or strain is the most commonly reported injury in two thirds of insurance claims for injuries in all kinds of crashes.

Automakers improve protection: TOP SAFETY PICK provides an incentive for manufacturers to offer safer vehicle designs that go far beyond basic federal standards.

“In order to win, automakers have beefed up the side structures of vehicles and added side airbags to do a better job of protecting people in serious side crashes,” Lund says. “They’re rapidly adding ESC to prevent crashes, and they’re designing seats and head restraints that do a better job of protecting against whiplash.”

The changes are evident in the safety equipment that is increasingly standard. For the 2009 model year, 84 percent of passenger cars, 99 percent of SUVs, and 23 percent of pickups have standard side airbags with head protection. The same is true for ESC. It’s standard on 74 percent of passenger cars, 99 percent of SUVs, and 37 percent of pickups.

Crash avoidance is required: The Institute began the TOP SAFETY PICK program in 2006, initially giving out 2 tiers of awards. Gold winners scored good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection. Silver winners had good ratings in front and side tests and acceptable ratings in rear evaluations.

For 2007, the Institute raised the bar to win by requiring good rear impact results and ESC as either standard or optional equipment. ESC helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles in the worst situation – loss of control at high speed – by engaging automatically when it senses vehicle instability and helping to bring a vehicle back in the intended line of travel. ESC lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half, and it lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 70 percent.

Rear, side performance still lags: Crash tests have driven major improvements in the designs of all kinds and sizes of passenger vehicles. The Institute began conducting frontal tests for consumer information in 1995. Side tests were added in 2003 and rear tests in 2004. Most vehicles earn good ratings based on the frontal crash test, but significant differences remain among vehicles’ performance in side and rear tests.

Twenty-six models fall short of earning TOP SAFETY PICK because of inadequate head restraint designs. The Smart Fortwo, the only microcar in the US market, missed because of its head restraints. The same goes for Toyota’s hybrid Prius, which performed well in the Institute’s front and side crash tests but came up short for rear crash protection.

Chrysler is the only major automaker lacking a single TOP SAFETY PICK. It could have picked up 5 awards if the head restraints were better in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible, and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.

A 2008 Institute analysis of insurance claims found that, all other factors being the same, drivers of vehicles with seat/head restraint combinations rated good in Institute evaluations were 15 percent less likely to sustain neck injuries in rear-end crashes than drivers of vehicles with poor head restraints.

Eleven vehicles missed the mark because they didn’t earn a good rating for occupant protection in side crashes. Many of these vehicles are smaller cars whose size puts them at a disadvantage in the challenging test compared with larger, heavier vehicles.

Still, the sheer number of this year’s winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection to achieve TOP SAFETY PICK designation,” Lund says. “For years Toyota had more also-rans than winners. For 2009 this automaker has come on strong by updating seats and head restraints in the Avalon, Corolla, FJ Cruiser, and RAV4 to earn good ratings. Volkswagen has done the same with the Eos, Jetta, Passat, and Rabbit.”

Winners include 8 large cars, 13 midsize cars, 6 small cars, 1 minicar, 3 midsize convertibles, and 3 minivans. Among SUVs, 19 are midsize, 10 are small, and 5 are large. The 2008 Toyota Tundra was the first large pickup to earn TOP SAFETY PICK. For 2009, the Tundra is joined by the Ford F-150 and the Honda Ridgeline. The Toyota Tacoma is the only small pickup winner.

Each year the Institute offers to test TOP SAFETY PICK candidates early in the model year. The policy is for manufacturers to reimburse the Institute for the cost of vehicles if the tests aren’t part of the group’s regular schedule. TOP SAFETY PICK is presented by vehicle size because size and weight are closely related, and both influence how well occupants will be protected in serious crashes. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford better protection in crashes than smaller, lighter ones.

“Just because small cars are TOP SAFETY PICKs doesn’t make them as crashworthy as larger vehicles,” Lund says. “Rather, it’s all the more important to choose a small car that rates highly for safety because you give up the protection of size and weight.”

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute’s frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry – the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can’t be positioned to protect many people.

ALL 72 WINNERS

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit

Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma

ALSO-RANS
These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have ESC, standard or optional. They would be 2009 TOP SAFETY PICK winners if their seat/head restraints also earn good ratings:

Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, Town & Country
Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan
Infiniti G35, M35
Kia Amanti
Lexus ES, GS,IS
Mazda CX-7, CX-9
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor
Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra
Saturn AURA
Smart Fortwo
Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna