Tag Archives: Honda

Honda Ridgeline Jumps On The Electric Pickup Truck Bandwagon

The pickup truck is shaping up to be one of the largest growth segments in the world of electric vehicles and with Ford recently unveiling the F-150 Lightning, we suspect other legacy automakers will soon follow suit.

Seemingly inspired by the growth in demand for electric pickup trucks, designer Rene Garcia has imagined what an electric version of the Honda Ridgeline could look like. While the Japanese automaker has not indicated in any way that it is working on such a model, Garcia’s creation certainly has a lot going for it.

While the truck retains the same name as the ICE-powered Ridgeline, it looks completely different. Underpinning it is a chassis housing the batteries in the floor and with electric motors at both the front and rear, the pickup truck could deliver up some very respectable performance.

Read Also: Honda Hopes Rugged New Ridgeline And Upcoming Passport Will Cash In On The Tougher SUV And Truck Trend

The exterior design of the electric Ridgeline could be best described as ‘radical.’ The front end lacks a traditional grille and features intriguing LED headlights and turn signals. Two orange tow hooks and a winch are also visible, as is a prominent skid plate. The hood is also quite unique and has cutouts that allow you to see the strut towers.

Elsewhere, the electric pickup features rear suicide doors. Thus, since it lacks B-pillars, both doors can be opened up providing occupants with uninterrupted access to the cabin.

Speaking of the cabin, it is just as wild as the exterior and features a curved screen that stretches the width of the dashboard in a similar way to the screens of the Honda e. There is also a yoke-style steering wheel, wooden accents, ambient lighting, a digital rear-view mirror, and seats clad in brown leather with wooden backs.

Note: This is an independent design study from Rene Garcia and is not related to or endorsed by Honda

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Can The New Honda Civic Type R Take On the Original NSX?

When he was working at McLaren, Gordon Murray’s daily driver was a Honda NSX, so impressed was he by the car’s usability. Although it can’t keep up with the Civic Type R in terms of practicality, surely it must be able to keep up with it in terms of performance.

Well, after 30 years of development, the Civic Type R looks better off than the NSX on paper. Despite packing two fewer cylinders, it makes 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque to the NSX’s 290 hp and 220 lb-ft.

Even in terms of weight, the more capacious Civic has the supercar beat. According to Honda UK, the Civic Type R weighs in at 1,395 kg (3,075 lbs) in Sport Line trim. The 2001-2005 NSX, meanwhile, weighed 1,430 kg (3,152 lbs).

Fifth Gear host Jason Plato, though, is impressed by the NSX. Tuned with input from the legendary Ayrton Senna, the Japanese supercar is eager to turn in and easy to handle.

See Also: What Makes The Original Acura NSX So Desirable And Valuable

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“The chassis is gorgeous,” says Plato. “It’s supple, yet stiff enough. The steering’s beautiful. I mean really lovely. That’s really delightful!”

In contrast, he has more than a few complaints about the Civic Type R. As he bounces in his seat, he says that the suspension is too stiff and that the rear is too planted. A bit more rotation, he says, would be welcome.

“The thing’s too stiff!” the BTCC driver says. “The rebound damping’s been wound up too much. That’s what makes it pump. Touring Cars don’t even hop like this.”

Rebound stiffness notwithstanding, Plato bounces his way to a 1:17.5 lap time at Castle Combe raceway – which is better by a large margin than the NSX’s time of 1:21.3. While the Civic Type R might not be as lovely a thing as the NSX, you definitely can’t accuse it of not being fast.

Women’s World Car Of The Year Names 2021 Awards Category Winners

The Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) jurors have announced the 2021 winners in nine different categories.

Selected by a panel of 50 motoring journalists from 38 countries across five continents composed exclusively of women, the winners were narrowed down from three models in each category, all of which had to be launched between January and December 2020.

Also Check Out: 2021 Ford F-150 And Mustang Mach-E Named North American Truck And Utility Of The Year

“This year, voting was more complicated due to the pandemic, which limited each juror’s ability to drive”, WWCOTY notes in the press release about the nine vehicles declared best of the best in each category. “Despite the challenges, jurors made an extra effort to get behind the wheel of these vehicles to evaluate them in time for voting.”

Their work isn’t done yet, as they will now have to select the ‘Best Car of the Year’. Thus, another round of voting will take place, and the result will be announced on March 8, which is International Women’s Day.

You can check out the winners in each category down below.

2021 WWCOTY Best Urban Car: Peugeot 208

2021 WWCOTY Best Family Car: Skoda Octavia

2021 WWCOTY Best Luxury Car: Lexus LC500 Cabrio

2021 WWCOTY Best Sports Car: Ferrari F8 Spider

2021 WWCOTY Best Urban SUV: Peugeot 2008

2021 WWCOTY Best Medium SUV: Land Rover Defender

2021 WWCOTY Best Large SUV: Kia Sorento

2021 WWCOTY Best 4×4 & Pickup: Ford F-150

2021 WWCOTY Best EV: Honda e

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GM Will Reportedly Build Honda EV In Mexico, Acura EV In Tennessee

General Motors is set to build a Honda EV and an Acura EV in its Mexico and Tennessee plants respectively.

According to individuals with knowledge of the plans, the all-electric Honda in question will take the shape of a crossover and be built in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, the same location where the Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox are produced. Meanwhile, GM will handle production of an electric Acura crossover at its factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the same location where the electric Cadillac Lyriq will be built.

It is understood that both the Honda and the Acura EVs will be similar in size to the Lyriq.

Read Also: Acura Says It Has No Plans To Build A New MDX Hybrid

GM’s EV platform

Both the Honda and Acura are set to use GM’s Ultium batteries that have been rated at up to 450 miles of range, Auto News reports. Neither GM nor Honda would comment on the report.

The two automakers announced an agreement to jointly develop two Ultium-powered electric vehicles back in April 2020. In that announcement, the companies confirmed that the Honda and Acura EVs would feature exteriors and interiors designed exclusively by Honda while using GM’s global EV platform.

“This collaboration will put together the strength of both companies, while combined scale and manufacturing efficiencies will ultimately provide greater value to customers,” executive vice president of American Honda Motor Rick Schostek said at the time. “This expanded partnership will unlock economies of scale to accelerate our electrification roadmap and advance our industry-leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Sales of the Honda and Acura EVs are expected to begin for the 2024 model year in the U.S. and Canadian markets.

BMW, Honda, Ford, VW To Remain Neutral On Trump’s New Emissions Rule

BMW, Ford, Volkswagen and Honda will not take a position on legal challenges to the Trump administration’s decision to weaken fuel economy standards introduced while Barack Obama was president.

The Trump administration recently finalized the rollback of U.S. vehicle emissions standards. Under the Obama administration, car manufacturers were required to make 5 per cent increases in efficiency across their models through 2026, but now, these required efficiency improvements have been reduced to 1.5 per cent annually.

Read More: 23 States Sue Trump Administration Over Lower Fuel Economy Standards

Auto News reports that on Monday, BMW, Ford, Volkswagen and Honda will ask a U.S. Appeals Court in Washington for permission to be heard in a court challenge over the new regulations “to ensure that any remedy imposed by this court is both appropriate and achievable.” The four automakers finalized a voluntary agreement with California in July 2019 on vehicle emissions rules.

In a statement issued on Friday, Volkswagen said its “preference continues to be one set of national standards that’s achieved through an agreement between the federal government and California.”

A group of 23 U.S. states, including California has challenged the Trump vehicle rule and while some automakers are taking a neutral stance on the regulation changes, others are supporting the move. For example, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota have sided with the Trump administration on the rollback.

These automakers have also sided with the government in a separate lawsuit to determine if the federal government can strip California of the ability to set its own zero-emission vehicle requirements.