Hondanews Online Newsroom

Honda Automobiles: Honda Accord Named Automobile Magazine All-Star

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:00 -0700

The Honda Accord was the only midsize sedan named to the prestigious 2013 Automobile Magazine All-Star's list. Automobile Magazine editors used a combination of factors to determine the list of ten All-Stars including results from performance testing, feature evaluation and overall value analysis.

"The Accord continues to demonstrate it's the one to beat in the hyper competitive mid-size sedan segment," said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of auto operations at American Honda. "And to be recognized by a top automotive publication like Automobile Magazine as one of the most significant models of the year further validates our effort to deliver a best-in-class vehicle experience for our customers."

Since its introduction last fall as an all new model, the Accord has captured numerous industry accolades including being named a Car and Driver Magazine's 10Best, Ward's 10 Best Engines and a North American Car of the Year Finalist. Prior to being named an All-Star, the Accord won Automobile Magazine's highly competitive eight sedan comparison test where editors applauded the model's ability to 'aspire to standard's that should apply to more expensive machinery.'

This is the 18th time a Honda vehicle has been named an Automobile Magazine All-Star since the awards inception in 1986, and this is the first time the Accord has been awarded an All-Star designation. Past Honda All-Stars include the Civic, Element, Prelude, Odyssey, Fit and Ridgeline.

For more information on the Automobile Magazine All-Star list, please visit: http://www.automobilemag.com/features/awards/1307_2013_automobile_magazine_all_stars/.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com
For consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Accord, Odyssey and CR-V Named to KBB.com's 10 Best Family Cars of 2013

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 -0700

The 2013 Honda Accord, Odyssey and CR-V were all named to KBB.com's list of the 10 Best Family Cars of 2013. The three family-friendly Honda models were recognized for their leadership in the key areas of safety, roominess, comfort and value.

"Honda prides itself in designing vehicles around the needs of our customers," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "There's no better validation for this effort than being recognized for having vehicles that excel in the areas critical to the family buyer."

All-new for 2013, the Honda Accord was the top ranked sedan on KBB.com's list of family vehicles and had the lowest 5-Year Cost to Own¹ among the ten recognized vehicles. KBB.com editors applauded the new Accord for its stylish exterior, fuel-efficient powertrains and available features like the LaneWatch™ blind spot display. The Accord also earns industry-leading safety scores, having been rated as a TOP SAFETY PICK+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and distinguished by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 5-star Overall Vehicle Score.²

The 2013 Honda Odyssey was the top rated minivan on the list, continuing to lead its class in fuel economy and safety ratings, while providing spacious accommodations for up to eight passengers. The Odyssey Touring is rated at a remarkable 28 mpg³, the highest EPA highway fuel economy rating of any eight-passenger minivan. The Odyssey is rated as an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK, and the Odyssey has earned the best possible overall safety rating from NHTSA with a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score.²

Rounding out the selection of Honda vehicles recognized was the 2013 Honda CR-V, which achieved the highest KBB.com 60-Month Residual Value⁴ among the ten recognized vehicles. The CR-V is rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as a TOP SAFETY PICK and is distinguished by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 5-star Overall Vehicle Score.² Compact on the outside and roomy inside, the CR-V represents an unparalleled balance of size and capability ideal for families.

For more information about KBB.com's 10 Best Family Cars of 2013, please visit http://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/best-family-cars-2013.

¹ Kelley Blue Book® 5-Year Cost to Own sourced by KBB.com on April 25, 2013.
² Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov). Model tested with standard side airbags (SABs). Vehicles tested under the new program cannot be compared to MY10 and earlier vehicles.
³ Based on 2013 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
⁴ Kelley Blue Book® Residual Values sourced from KBB.com's May/June 2013 book.

Honda Automobiles: Honda Rocks the Summer's Biggest Music Festivals

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:30:00 -0700

Honda-sponsored stages return to Sasquatch!, Governors Ball and Austin City Limits Music Festival
Festival attendees can enter to win a 2013 Civic Sedan and VIP festival passes
Music fans encouraged to connect with #HondaStage on social media channels

Honda returns to support the biggest music festivals of the summer with major sponsorships at three premier events: Sasquatch! (May 24-27) at the Gorge in George, WA, Governors Ball in New York City (June 7-9) and Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX, (Oct. 4-6; 11-13). As part of the festival support, Honda is offering the opportunity to win a 2013 Civic Sedan and VIP festival passes as well as the return of the popular Honda Photobooth. Honda is also encouraging attendees to connect with other music fans, share their festival experience, including photos, fashions, set lists and musings with the #HondaStage hashtag on social media channels in addition to Honda-branded Facebook and Twitter pages.

"Here at Honda we are just as passionate about music as our owners and being a part of these festivals allows us to connect with them in an authentic way," said Mike Accavitti, Senior Vice President of Auto Operations for American Honda Motor Co.,Inc. "Honda has been a mainstay at the biggest summer festivals for more than five years and once again, attendees can expect that the Honda Stage will host the best and brightest bands in the country."

Honda returns to the Sasquatch! Music Festival for the fourth year with platinum-selling artists Vampire Weekend and Primus 3D playing the Honda Stage. For the second year, Honda joins the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City, with the Honda Stage featuring Pretty Lights, NAS, The Lumineers and The Avett Brothers. After years of consecutive of sell-out crowds, the Austin City Limits Music Festival expands to two weekends with Honda returning as a sponsor for the fifth consecutive year.

For more information on the opportunity to win a 2013 Civic Sedan and VIP passes to Sasquatch!, Governors Ball or Austin City Limits Music Festival, visit http://Honda.us/Music. For complete rules on the 2013 Honda Civic Sedan giveaway, visit: https://music.honda.com/fbsweeps/rules/Honda-Music-Festival.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
Honda Automobiles: www.automobiles.honda.com/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://facebook.com/honda

Connect with the music festivals:
Sasquatch! Music Festival: http://sasquatchfestival.com
Governors Ball: http://governorsballmusicfestival.com
Austin City Limits: http://www.aclfestival.com

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Honda Automobiles: 2013 Honda Civic Sedan Leads All Small Cars in Safety Ratings with Top NHTSA and IIHS Crash Scores

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:31:00 -0700

The new 2013 Honda Civic Sedan, the most popular small car among individual buyers, has received the highest possible overall safety ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2013 Civic Sedan recently received the top 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), and the highest possible rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the IIHS, including a top score of GOOD in the new small overlap frontal collision test.

Honda leads all automakers with every one of its tested model year 2013 vehicles earning a TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2013 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe are the first and only small cars to earn the IIHS' highest safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+, and the NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for the Civic Sedan further separates Civic from the competition in safety ratings performance. The 2013 Accord also earned these high safety ratings in the midsize segment.

"Car shoppers cannot find a small car with higher overall safety ratings than the 2013 Honda Civic," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "Safety ratings leadership across product lines is a fundamental part of not only our strategic business plan, but also our philosophy as a company."

The Civic Sedan, significantly reengineered for 2013, is equipped with Honda's next generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which plays a critical role in making Civic the first small car to earn a TOP SAFETY PICK+ crash safety rating, and the first to earn the highest rating of GOOD in the IIHS' new small overlap frontal crash test (sometimes called a 'narrow offset' test). This aggressive test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed. The reinforced ACE™ body structure found on the 2013 Civic further enhances frontal crash energy through a wider range of these offset and oblique collision scenarios.

Additional standard safety equipment on all Civic models include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control; an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags; dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; and driver and front passenger side airbags.

Honda Safety Leadership
Under the banner of "Safety for Everyone," Honda has a long history of leadership in the development and application of advanced technologies and designs to enhance the safety of all road users, including automobile occupants, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians. The company operates two of the world's most sophisticated crash test facilities and is responsible for numerous pioneering efforts in the areas of crashworthiness, airbag technology, collision compatibility and pedestrian safety. This commitment to safety is rooted in Honda's goal to be a company that society wants to exist, and it complements the company's leadership in reducing vehicle emissions, improving fuel efficiency and advancing alternatives to gasoline.

Honda Vehicle Ratings by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

2013 Honda TOP SAFETY PICK+:

Honda Accord Coupe
Honda Accord Sedan
Honda Civic Coupe
Honda Civic Sedan

2013 Honda TOP SAFETY PICKS:

Honda Fit
Honda Crosstour
Honda Civic Sedan
Honda CR-Z
Honda CR-V
Honda Insight

Honda Pilot
Honda Odyssey
Honda Ridgeline

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-safety
For Consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Honda on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

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Honda Automobiles: Honda April Sales Up on CR-V Monthly Sales Record; All-New RLX Flagship Sedan Bolsters Acura Sales Gain

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:15:00 -0700

American Honda today reported April 2013 U.S. sales of 130,999 units, an increase of 7.4 percent compared with April 2012 (up 3.1 percent based on the Daily Selling Rate, or DSR*). The Honda brand posted April 2013 sales of 117,100 units, an increase of 6.6 percent compared with April 2012. Acura U.S. April sales of 13,899 units increased 14.2 percent compared with April 2012.

Honda

Award-winning CR-V sets all-time April sales record, up 12.2 percent in to 26,519 units, breaking the record set in April 2012
Hot-selling Accord continues its retail sales strength, topping 33,500 units with year-to-date sales up over 26 percent
Sales for ultra-functional and efficient Fit up 33.9 percent for April

"The April sales record for the CR-V exemplifies the incredible retail sales success of Honda’s core models," said John Mendel, executive vice president of Sales at American Honda. "The Accord and Civic also continue to resonate, one customer at a time, with overall year-to-date sales well ahead of last year."

Acura

Sales of the all-new luxury flagship RLX sedan strong with 400 units in its first full month, as dealer inventory builds
RDX sets its twelfth-consecutive monthly sales record, up 106.0 percent from last April, and is the top-selling Acura model in April with sales of 4,088 units
Acura sets an April truck sales record, with total Acura year-to-date sales up over 13 percent

"With a full year of record sales growth, the RDX is a resounding success," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura Sales. "Continued record-breaking sales of the RDX is laying a solid foundation for the new RLX and MDX Acura models launching this year."

*The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 25 days for April 2013 and 24 days for April 2012. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 101 days for 2013 and 101 days for 2012. All other percentages in release are unadjusted; see table for adjusted DSR figures.

Honda Automobiles: Honda To Be Partnering Sponsor in 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:00:00 -0700

As a further extension of its growing commitment to grassroots racing in North America, Honda announced today that it is making a major commitment to the 2013 running of the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, as both a sponsor and race participant, with plans to field products in nine race classes, a first for any OEM in a single Pikes Peak event.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will serve as the Partnering Sponsor for the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the first time the company has participated as a corporate sponsor of the legendary race event. The 91st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is scheduled for June 30, 2013 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"Pikes Peak presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase Honda's diverse product lineup and to energize Honda fans around world, as we work to further strengthen Honda's presence in racing at all levels," said Mike Accavitti, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for American Honda. "Our associates will be working hard between now and Race Day to prepare this diverse field of race vehicles and showcase the Honda racing spirit."

With support from Honda's North American R&D and motorsports companies – Honda R&D Americas, Inc. and Honda Performance Development, Inc. – the company will campaign a broad range of Honda and Acura vehicles, as well as Honda motorcycles and ATVs. Honda will showcase its diverse range of fun-to-drive/ride products and will field 10 products in nine race classes, the most ever for a single race participant.

Along with Honda IndyCar team Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports pilot Simon Pagenaud, the vehicles will be developed and piloted by Honda's North American associates, under the banners of Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Team-Honda Research (THR). Pagenaud's Pikes Peak vehicle entry and racing class will be announced at a later date.

As a further extension of Honda's sponsorship effort, Honda Power Equipment will be supporting race operations, with Honda generators providing electricity and light to the pits and staging area.

Honda 2013 Pikes Peak entries:

Category	Class	Vehicle	Driver / Rider	Honda Company
Car	Pikes Peak Open	Acura NSX [1st gen. NSX]	James Robinson	Honda R&D
	Time Attack	Acura TL SH-AWD	Brian Shanfeld	Honda R&D
	Exhibition	Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe	Sage Marie	Honda North America
	EV	Honda Fit EV	Roy Richards	Honda R&D
Motorcycle	250	Honda CRF250R	Nick Robinson	Honda R&D
	250	Honda CRF250R	Dane Marsack	Honda R&D
	450	Honda CRF450R	Jeff Tigert	American Honda
	Exhibition	Honda CBR1000RR	Alex Moreno	Honda R&D
	750SS	Honda CBR600RR	Erik Dunshee	Honda R&D
ATV	450 ATV	Honda TRX450	Keith Steidl	Honda R&D

Honda has competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on a less ambitious scale in the recent past. In 2011, Honda campaigned a Fit hatchback that was built and piloted by Honda engineers from North America. In 2012, the company fielded an Acura NSX powered by an ALMS P2 twin-turbo V-6 engine supplied by Honda Performance Development (HPD), and outfitted with an ex-Le Mans body and wide body kit, with support from members of the Ohio-based Honda of America Race Team (HART). Prior to that, Honda set records in the EV class in 1994 and 1999 with the Honda EV Plus. This year also marks the return of advanced Honda EV technology to America's second-oldest race, in the form of a 2013 Honda Fit EV.

About Honda Performance Development, Inc.
Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines. As one of two engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. In addition to its Fit and NSX entries, HPD has also previously entered the Pikes Peak event in 2011 with its Desert Pilot racing machine. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

About Honda Power Equipment
Honda Power Equipment, a division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., markets a complete range of outdoor power equipment, including generators, lawnmowers, tillers, trimmers, pumps, snowblowers, outboard marine engines, and general purpose engines for commercial, rental and residential applications. Its comprehensive product line is powered exclusively by 4-stroke engines.

About Team Honda Research
Founded in 1996 and covering both Ohio and Los Angeles, THR has a record of success racing Honda and Acura products in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), NASA, and Rally-America competition, with more than 50 race victories in a variety of classes.

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Honda Automobiles: Award-Winning Honda Fit EV Continues to Impress Industry Experts; Named to KBB.com’s 10 Best Green Cars of 2013

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:00:00 -0700

Industry experts at KBB.com have named the Honda Fit EV to their annual list of 10 Best Green Cars. The editors at KBB.com were impressed with the Fit EV's combination of efficiency and power, which made it an easy choice as one of the best green vehicles of 2013. This most recent award continues Honda Fit EV's recognition as one of the best electric vehicles on the market today.

"Consumers only have one choice for the most energy efficient electric vehicle – the Honda Fit EV. What's more, its power and handling make it one of the most fun-to-drive EV's available," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "This recognition from KBB.com further highlights the tremendous environmental and customer value that the Honda Fit EV offers."

The 2013 Honda Fit EV, part of Honda's diverse portfolio of alternative-fuel vehicles, has a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe¹, an EPA-rated driving range of 82 miles, and a low energy-consumption rating of just 29 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 miles.

Based on the award-winning five-door, five-passenger Honda Fit, the 100-percent electric Fit EV features a 20-kilowatt-hour (kWh) Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery and a compact 92-kilowatt (123 horsepower) AC synchronous electric motor that generates 189 ft-lb of torque. This efficient powertrain is teamed to a chassis with a fully-independent suspension and a driver-selectable 3-mode drive system. The result is a fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82-miles¹.

An onboard charger allows the vehicle to be plugged into any household-type 120-volt outlet (dedicated GFCI outlet recommended) or an available 240-volt AC power supply. When connected to a 240-volt circuit, the Fit EV battery can be recharged in less than three hours from a low charge indicator illumination point³. When connected to an outlet, charging can be started or stopped with an included Fit EV interactive remote control, through an available smartphone application or through the internet on a personal computer.

Available for lease-only in at Honda dealers in select California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York markets, the Fit EV is offered at a lease price of $389 per month² over a three-year term, computing to a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $36,625. A new, streamlined lease application for customers interested in leasing the Fit EV is now available at www.FitEV.Honda.com.

For more information about KBB.com's 10 Best Green Cars of 2013, please visit http://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/10-best-green-cars-2013/.

Honda Environmental Leadership
In addition to the Fit EV, Honda's diverse portfolio of alternative fuel vehicles has included numerous technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions including the first EV leases in California (1997 Honda EV Plus), the retail introduction of America's first hybrid (1999 Honda Insight), delivery of the first fuel-cell electric vehicle in the U.S. (2002 Honda FCX), four generations of the Civic Natural Gas (first introduced in 1998) and the first gasoline-powered vehicles in the hands of consumers to meet stricter emissions standards. Honda has also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles, from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), for 15 consecutive years.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/channels/honda-automobiles-fit-ev
For consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

_{¹132/105/118 city/highway/combined miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) rating; 82 mile combined (city/highway) driving range rating (adjusted). Ratings determined by U.S. EPA. Your MPGe and range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-electric-label.shtml.
²Subject to limited availability through October 2014 in designated market regions on approved credit through American Honda Finance Corp. Closed end lease for 2013 Honda Fit EV for well-qualified lessees meeting specific use and operation requirements. Not all applicants will qualify. No purchase option at lease end. MSRP $37,415 (includes $790 destination). Excludes tax, title, license, registration, options and insurance. Zero capitalized cost reduction. Total monthly payments $14,004.00. Lessee responsible for non-routine maintenance, excessive wear/tear and up to $0.20/mi. over 12,000 mi./yr. Lease includes collision coverage, routine maintenance, roadside assistance and navigation system updates
³From low-charge indicator illumination point to full charge}

Honda Automobiles: Honda Donation Helps Preserve Baseball and Softball Season for Staten Island Little League

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0700

Honda, the official vehicle sponsor of Little League®, donated $50,000 to the Staten Island Little League to help rebuild their baseball facilities, which were severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy. With Honda's donation, storm ravaged fields, bleachers and dugouts will be repaired in time for the league's 32-team opening day on April 20th. On opening day, Honda will present the Staten Island Little League with a ceremonial check and host several fundraising events in an effort to increase community awareness. The additional money raised through these events will help replace damaged scoreboards and field lighting plus fund other needs throughout the season.

"For 17 years Honda has enjoyed a relationship with Little League Baseball and Softball. We're proud to play a part in getting Staten Island Little League up and running to make it possible for kids to play ball this year," said Susie Rossick, Sr. Manager, Honda Regional Marketing. "Though much still needs to be done, they are off to a good start, and we look forward to helping them with opening day and beyond."

The Honda hosted fundraising activities on opening day include, "Sing Badly for a Good Cause: Car-e-oke" in which parents will be encouraged to sing their worst rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" inside an Odyssey minivan with Honda donating up to $50 to the Staten Island Little League for each parent who participates. Other games will include, "Musical Car Seats" in an Odyssey, charades events and kids' activities with similar donation incentives.

"I was extremely surprised when I was notified by Honda about receiving the $50,000 grant. Everyone sees on the news how Staten Island was affected structurally, but no one thinks of the families and kids that the storm affected," said Michael Colini, president of the Staten Island Little League. "I cannot think of a better way to express our gratitude than by making sure our kids can get out on the diamond and play ball!"

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012, using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com/Odyssey
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

About the Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is the world's largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2.4 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries. For more information, visit www.littleleague.org, or follow the Little League on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LittleLeagueBaseballAndSoftball) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/LittleLeague).

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Honda Automobiles: New Accord Continues to Drive Honda Sales in March; Big Acura Sales Jump Fueled by Record-Setting RDX and All-New RLX

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:11:00 -0700

American Honda today reported March 2013 U.S. sales of 136,038 units, an increase of 7.1 percent compared with March 2012 (up 11.1 percent based on the Daily Selling Rate, or DSR*). The Honda brand posted March 2013 sales of 121,938 units, an increase of 5.3 percent compared with March 2012. Acura U.S. March sales of 14,100 units increased 26.3 percent compared with March 2012.

Honda

The award-winning new Accord continues to rack up impressive sales numbers, trumping the segment in retail sales, up 36.4 percent from last March with sales of 36,504 units
The Civic was the Honda brand's second best-selling model, posting March sales of 27,665
The redesigned 2013 Crosstour sees third consecutive month of sales growth, and along with Pilot, each model enjoyed sales gains of more than 11 percent from last March

"Our core models, Civic, Accord, CR-V and Odyssey, continue to lead the industry where it counts, in retail sales," said John Mendel, executive vice president of Sales at American Honda. "It's particularly rewarding to see Accord and Civic winning new customers against a headwind of competitor incentives and value-reducing fleet sales."

Acura

RDX sets its eleventh-consecutive monthly sales record, up 284.8 percent from last March, and is the top-selling Acura model in March with sales of 3,875 units

Sales of the all-new flagship RLX sedan, which went on-sale March 15, are off to a solid start with 336 units sold
TL was the top selling Acura sedan in March with sales of 3,080 units, ILX sales continue to bolster Acura totals with sales of 2,059 units

"As we close in on a full year of sales, it's clear that the RDX is an undisputed success," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura Sales. "With the all-new RLX off to a great start and a redesigned MDX coming soon, expect great things from Acura this year."

*The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 27 days for March 2013 and 28 days for March 2012. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 76 days for 2013 and 77 days for 2012. All other percentages in release are unadjusted; see table for adjusted DSR figures.

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Honda Automobiles: Maroon 5 To Headline 2013 Honda Civic Tour With Special Guest Kelly Clarkson

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:30:00 -0700

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will welcome GRAMMY® award winning recording artist Maroon 5 as the headliner for the 2013 Honda Civic Tour. The band will headline the 12th year of the popular concert series during the second leg of their current 2013 tour. In addition to Maroon 5, the Civic Tour will include global superstar Kelly Clarkson and the support acts of PJ Morton, Rozzi Crane and Tony Lucca on select dates. The tour serves as an exciting intersection of the automotive and music worlds and will kick off on St. Louis, Missouri on August 1st, continuing through early October.

The Honda Civic Tour will offer tickets priced for maximum affordability for all fans, providing first class musical experience at an incredible value. Members of the Maroon 5 fan club will have access to pre-sale tickets through Ticketmaster on April 1. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning April 6 at www.Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. To sign up for Honda's pre-sale, which begins April 2, visit hondacivictour.com/presale. Please note that tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed. Acquisition and possession of a pre-sale code does not guarantee access to tickets. Each pre-sale code is good for up to four (4) tickets per show, with a limit of 12 tickets for the tour. Pre-sale codes only apply to concerts for sale through the Ticketmaster ticketing system. Pre-sale code is good for all Ticketmaster venues. May not work at other venues.

"We are very excited to team up with the Honda Civic Tour," said Adam Levine. "Kelly, PJ, Rozzi and Tony are all such unique and amazing artists. I'm really looking forward to hitting the road with them. Each night will be a great night of music."

Continuing a Honda Civic Tour tradition, Honda will present fans with an opportunity to check out one-of-a-kind vehicles that have been customized and autographed by the headlining bands. Maroon 5's vehicle will be on display at each tour stop.

"We are pleased to welcome Maroon 5 to the Honda Civic Tour stage," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president of auto operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Now in its 12th year and arguably the biggest year in the Civic Tour's history, it's another great opportunity to bring music and Civic fans together."

Live Nation is the national tour promoter.

Tour Dates

August 1	St. Louis, MO	Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 3	Indianapolis, IN	Klipsch Music Center	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 4	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 6	Pittsburgh, PA	First Niagara Pavilion	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 7	Camden, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 9	Mansfield, MA	Comcast Center	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 10	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 11	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 25	Chicago, IL	First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 26	Cleveland, OH	Blossom Music Center	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 28	Detroit, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
August 31	Hartford, CT	Comcast Theatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
September 1	Scranton, PA	Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain	(Rozzi Crane to open)
September 4	Darien, NY	Darien Lake Performing Arts Center	(Tony Lucca to open)
September 5	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	(Tony Lucca to open)
September 7	Bristow, VA	Jiffy Lube Live	(Tony Lucca to open)
September 8	Virginia Beach, VA	Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach	(Tony Lucca to open)
September 10	Raleigh, NC	Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek	(Tony Lucca to open)
September 11	Charlotte, NC	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte	(Tony Lucca to open)
September 13	Tampa, FL	Live Nation Amphitheater	(PJ Morton to open)
September 14	West Palm Beach, FL	Cruzan Amphitheatre	(PJ Morton to open)
September 16	Atlanta, GA	Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood	(PJ Morton to open)
September 18	Austin, TX	Austin360 Amphitheater	(PJ Morton to open)
September 19	Houston, TX	The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion	(PJ Morton to open)
September 22	Dallas, TX	GEXA Energy Pavilion	(PJ Morton to open)
September 24	Denver, CO	Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
September 27	Portland, OR	Sleep Country Amphitheater	(Rozzi Crane to open)
September 28	George, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
October 1	Marysville, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
October 2	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)
October 5	San Diego, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre	(Rozzi Crane to open)

About Maroon 5
Capturing their first of three Grammy Awards as "Best New Artist" of 2005 and going on to sell more than 17 million albums worldwide, Maroon 5's releases have gone gold and platinum in over 35 countries. The band won over fans and critics alike with the hybrid rock/R&B sound they introduced on their debut album, Songs About Jane and their double platinum album, It Won't be Soon Before Long, which included hits like "Makes Me Wonder" and "If I Never See your Face Again." In 2010, Maroon 5 released their third studio album, Hands All Over, which was certified platinum. The collection featured two hit singles including the Hot AC smash "Misery" and the anthemic "Moves Like Jagger," which climbed to the #1 spot on the Top 40 and Hot AC charts, as well as claiming the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. "Moves Like Jagger" was also one of the best selling singles of 2011 with sales of 8.5 million copies worldwide. With the success of the track on the Hot 100 chart, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine also notably became the first artist in the chart's 53-year history to reach #1 as part of a group, while entering the Top 10 at the same time as a soloist, as he was featured on and co-wrote Gym Class Heroes' top single, "Stereo Hearts." Maroon 5's latest album Overexposed has quickly reinforced the group's status as a powerhouse in popular music with all of the collection's singles quickly rising to the top of the charts. The band's current single "Daylight" recently claimed the # 1 spot on both Top 40 and Hot AC radio charts. In the process, the band set a record for the most #1's (six in total) by a group in the Top 40 chart's 20-year history.

In addition to his work with Maroon 5, Adam Levine has returned for the fourth season as a coach on the #1 NBC hit series The Voice. Adam also recently made his small screen acting debut on the new 2012 season of the hit FX drama American Horror Story, and has landed a lead role in the major motion picture film, Can A Song Save Your Life from director John Carney.

About Honda Civic Tour
With almost three million fans having attended Honda Civic Tour concert events since 2001, Civic Tour has established itself as one of the nation's most compelling, successful music concert tour franchises. Civic Tour has provided concert-goers with an exclusive, interactive concert experience featuring up-close and personal access to their favorite bands, including Linkin Park, blink-182, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, The Black Eyed Peas, Fall Out Boy, Everclear, Incubus, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, Dashboard Confessional and Panic! at the Disco.

About Kelly Clarkson
Since bursting onto the music scene 10 years ago, Kelly Clarkson has released 5 studio albums (Thankful, Breakaway, My December, All I Ever Wanted, Stronger), sold over 20 million albums worldwide, 10 million albums in the US and has had 10 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. She is the recipient of 3 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, 2 Academy of Country Music Awards, 1 Country Music Association Award and 12 Billboard Music Awards. Clarkson's last studio effort Stronger debuted at #2 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Digital Albums Chart. The album produced the smash singles, "Mr. Know It All" and "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" which marks Kelly's 9th and 10th Top 10 hit. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" was #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for two consecutive weeks (3 weeks total) marking her 3rd #1 on the Hot 100 chart. Kelly spent last summer touring the US and appearing as a mentor on ABC's Duets as well as a guest mentor for Team Blake on NBC's The Voice. Clarkson's Stronger was recently certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A. and won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. Clarkson released Greatest Hits – Chapter 1 which features 3 brand new tracks, including current single "People Like Us", as well as a compilation of some of her greatest hits to date.

About PJ Morton
Born in the richly melodic soil of New Orleans, PJ recalls a musically inspired upbringing where his talents were eagerly nurtured. Though encompassed in a gospel environment, he was also strongly influenced by pop icons the Beatles and James Taylor and equally moved by soulful legends Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. These three persuasions shaped PJ's growth as a musician and propelled him to find his own artistry. After releasing several mixtapes and albums on the indie circuit in the early part of his career and collecting accolades as a producer and songwriter, PJ's big break came when Maroon 5 asked him to audition for a keyboardist/vocalist spot in the band, which ultimately landed him the gig. Shortly thereafter, Young Money Entertainment's President, Mack Maine, signed PJ to his production company, Soothe Your Soul Entertainment and Young Money Entertainment. Maine immediately recognized PJ's talent, along with Cash Money Record's Co-CEOs Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Birdman" Williams, and Young Money Entertainment's captain Lil Wayne. PJ Morton can currently be seen on the road with Maroon 5 on their Overexposed World Tour. He will release his highly anticipated debut album, New Orleans, on May 14, 2013 via Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment.

About Rozzi Crane
Rozzi Crane was the first artist signed to Adam Levine's newly formed, 222 Records. Crane can currently be seen on the road as a featured performer on Maroon 5's Overexposed World Tour. She also dueted with the band on "Come Away To the Water," their contribution to The Hunger Games soundtrack. The San Francisco-native's musical style artfully skips between pop, R&B, alternative, and hip-hop, crafting a sassy, sexy, and soulful sound of her own. Rozzi is no stranger to the spotlight, serving as the face for campaigns from both BCBGeneration and Gap.

About Tony Lucca
Tony Lucca captured America's hearts on Season 2 of NBC's hit series The Voice where he served as a contestant on Team Adam. His cover of Hugo's version of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" reacted strongly, propelling Lucca to the #3 spot on iTunes Overall Singles sales chart and #1 on iTunes Rock Singles chart. His songs have been featured on TV's Friday Night Lights, Brothers & Sisters, Shark, and Felicity and in Kevin Costner's feature Open Range. Over the course of his career, Lucca has shared stages with *NSYNC, Marc Anthony, Macy Gray, Johnny Lang, the late Chris Whitley, Sara Bareilles, and Tyrone Wells. Lucca has also completed several cooperative tours with Jay Nash and Matt Duke, also known as TFDI. Lucca is set to release his new album later this year on Adam Levine's 222 Records.

About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world's leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five ecommerce sites, with a database of over 119 million fans who visit our sites. Live Nation Concerts produces over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Artist Nation is the world's top artist management company, representing over 200 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 250 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

About Honda Civic
One of the best-selling compact cars in the United States, the Civic features a lineup of six distinct models: the conventional gasoline-powered Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, two high-performance Civic Si models, gasoline-electric Civic Hybrid, the Civic Natural Gas and Civic HF high fuel economy model. The Civic lineup embodies the Honda brand values of 'clean, safe and fun' with the Civic HF achieving an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating¹ of 41 mpg on the highway. The Civic Hybrid's EPA-estimated fuel economy rating is 44/44/44 city/highway/combined. The Civic Sedan has earned top safety ratings from NHTSA and the first small car to earn a 'TOP SAFETY PICK+' designation from IIHS. Now in its ninth generation, the Civic remains one of the most fun-to-drive compact cars on the road today. The Civic Sedan starts at a suggested retail price² (MSRP) of $18,165 and is available at Honda dealerships nationwide. For high-resolution photos, broadcast quality video and media information of the entire 2013 Civic lineup, please visit www.hondanews.com.

¹Based on 2013 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
²MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $790.00 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.

For more information, go to hondacivictour.com and www.maroon5.com.

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Introduces HondaHAIR, First-Ever In-Vehicle Hair-Grooming Tool

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:00:00 -0700

Today, Honda unveiled the first-ever mobile barbering tool for busy, cost-conscious families. The HondaHAIR will be available as a Honda Genuine Accessory that attaches to the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite's HondaVAC to provide an efficient way to cut hair.

By simply snapping the HondaHAIR into place on the Odyssey Touring Elite's standard HondaVAC vacuum, the powerful suction can fashion the perfect bob, pixie or buzz cut. Capable of creating any style cut, the HondaHAIR offers affordability and convenience and transforms the cargo space into a virtual salon on wheels—eliminating the need to trek to the stylist or barber.¹

"We recognize that our Odyssey drivers are busier than ever, which is why we've packed the car with so many conveniences, including this HondaHAIR forward-thinking technology," said Parsley Thyme, head of Public Relations at American Honda.

The HondaVac HondaHAIR accessory is the perfect complement to the do-it-yourself mobile haircut movement, which can be seen on more than 6,500 Pinterest boards, 100 Facebook groups and thousands of YouTube videos.

The HondaHAIR accessory will be available on the 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite when it hits Honda dealerships later this summer. View video of the HondaHAIR in action on Honda's YouTube channel: http://honda.us/HondaHAIR.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio, in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally2sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

Connect with Honda:
HondaHAIR video: http://honda.us/HondaHAIR
Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/
Website: http://automobiles.honda.com/odyssey
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HondaOdyssey
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

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¹Driver should not operate HondaHAIR, or have hair bobbed, while the vehicle is in motion. Some states may require cosmetology license.

Honda Automobiles: 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® Makes World Debut in New York with Host of Safety Upgrades and Innovations Including HondaVAC™, the First In-Car Vacuum

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:58:00 -0700

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite® is making its debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), setting the new 'ultimate family vehicle' standard. Thoroughly refreshed for 2014, the Odyssey Touring Elite® provides core safety upgrades, sharpened exterior styling and a revised interior with a host of new features and technologies designed to make the segment's benchmark minivan even better.

Demonstrating trademark Honda innovation, the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite® will also mark the debut of HondaVAC™, the first-ever in-vehicle vacuum system. Available exclusively in the Odyssey Touring Elite® trim, the all-new HondaVAC™ system is part of a thorough refresh of the Honda Odyssey for the 2014 model year, adding to its already class-leading fuel economy ratings and unmatched safety ratings. The 2014 Odyssey will go on sale at Honda dealerships nationwide this summer.

"The Odyssey is already the leader in its segment, and for 2014, Honda has made the modern family hauler even better," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations at American Honda. "Honda is once again showcasing its reputation for innovation with HondaVAC, and its ability to provide true value to our customers."

The 2014 Honda Odyssey brings an array of improvements to Honda's minivan, including structural upgrades expected to help it achieve top marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) stringent new small-overlap frontal crash test, which is part of IIHS's new TOP SAFETY PICK+ protocol. The refreshed Odyssey Touring Elite® will also come equipped with advanced Honda driver assistive and visibility technologies such as an Expanded View Driver's Mirror, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

The 2014 Odyssey features sleeker, more sophisticated exterior styling with a new, more deeply sculpted aluminum hood, new aluminum front fenders, a new bolder twin-bar grille, and a revised lower front fascia with integrated chrome-trimmed fog lights. New two-tone mirror housings, darker-finish projector-beam headlight housings, LED taillight bars and new badging add to the 2014 Odyssey's premium look.

Inside the 2014 Odyssey, new finishes brighten the cabin and an all-new center stack showcases a host of new features. Additional standard technology on the Odyssey Touring Elite® brings new levels of ease and connectivity to owners, including keyless Smart Entry with Push Button Start, HD Radio®, an SMS text messaging function, and HondaLink™ featuring Aha™ Mobile interface. HondaLink™, which debuted on the 2013 Honda Accord, enables Odyssey owners to connect quickly and easily to a wealth of cloud-based content. The free HondaLink™ smartphone app uses the owner's favorite online content to create live, personalized radio stations, allowing drivers to put away their phones and hear updates and news feeds from Facebook and Twitter, as well as check out restaurant reviews or find the closest coffee shop.

Standard on the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite®, the all-new HondaVAC™ was developed in conjunction with industry-leader Shop-Vac®, and is composed of a powerful vacuum, replaceable filter and canister bag, with nozzle accessories neatly integrated into a dedicated space on the driver's side bulkhead of the rear cargo area. HondaVAC™ makes quick cleanups a snap no matter the location, offering powerful cleaning suction and an integrated hose and cleaning attachments that reach into every corner of the Odyssey's cabin. The HondaVAC™ system's powerful electric motor never needs an outlet or recharging, can operate continuously when the engine is running, and will continue to operate for up to eight minutes when the vehicle is turned off for additional family duties.

Already one of the most lauded vehicles in its segment, the current 2013 Odyssey has earned IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK and NHTSA 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score crash safety ratings. The Honda Odyssey is an AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award winner, an ALG Residual Value award winner, recipient of the Best Family Cars of 2012 designation from both Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, and a Best Cars for Families award winner from U.S. News and World Report. The Odyssey represents Honda's robust product development capabilities in North America with its design, engineering and assembly all taking place in the U.S., using domestically and globally sourced parts. Currently, 95 percent of all Hondas sold in the U.S., are built in North America.

Along with the 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite® and Honda's complete lineup of fun-to-drive cars and trucks, the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid and 2013 Fit EV also will be on display at the Honda booth during NYIAS press and public days. The 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV both recently became available in New York.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/channels/honda-automobiles-odyssey
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com/2014-odyssey/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hondaodyssey
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Named Most Trusted Brand, Best Value Brand and Best Overall Brand by Thousands of New-Car Shoppers in KBB.com's 2013 Brand Image Awards

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 03:00:00 -0700

New-car shoppers have once again recognized the Honda brand as the 'Most Trusted Brand' and 'Best Value Brand' in Kelley Blue Book's 2013 Brand Image Award study. This is the second year Honda was named the 'Most Trusted Brand' and the third consecutive year as the 'Best Value Brand'. Additionally, Honda captured the top honor of 'Best Overall Non-Luxury Brand,' thus receiving more awards than any other brand in the 2013 Kelley Blue Book study.

"We are honored to be recognized by American car buyers for two tenets of the Honda brand: trust and value," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "These awards demonstrate how customers recognize the tremendous quality and value of our products, reflecting the incredible competitive strength of the Honda brand."

The 2013 Brand Image Awards are based on consumer automotive perception data from Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence's Brand Watch™ study. Brand Watch taps into more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers annually on Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. The Brand Watch study offers insight into in-market new-vehicle shoppers' perceptions of brands, including important factors driving their purchase decisions while they are in the midst of the shopping process. Honda was named 'Best Overall Non-Luxury Brand' by securing the highest average score across ratings of all non-luxury models, and the weight of importance of each of the factors in the study.

"Honda was named Best Overall Brand by non-luxury shoppers, which speaks to Honda's stellar reputation and brand leadership in the minds of consumers," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst, Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "In addition, Honda was awarded Most Trusted Brand for the second year in a row, and Best Value Brand for the third year running. Receiving consecutive awards in key categories like 'Trust' and 'Value' demonstrates the positive attributes of the Honda brand continue to resonate with the new-car buying public."

Additional comments from the Editors of Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com regarding Honda's Brand Image Award Wins:

2013 Honda - Best Value Brand
"Affordability, reliability and good resale value are key facets of new-car value, and Honda scores at or near the top in all three, earning from KBB.com visitors another Best Value Brand award."

2013 Honda - Most Trusted Brand
"This is the second year we've asked visitors to name their Most Trusted Brand, and it's the second year in a row they've named Honda. With a reputation that precedes it and vehicles that seemingly never fail to deliver on the promise, Honda is like the perpetual motion machine of brand trust."

2013 Honda – Brand Image Awards: Best Overall Brand
"We saved the biggest award for last, but after its wins in the Best Value Brand and Most Trusted Brand categories, Honda's win as Best Overall Brand among non-luxury shoppers hardly comes as a surprise. We admire the refined and reliable vehicles, but also the manner in which Honda promotes itself. You do too, apparently."

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
For consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/honda
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Civic Tour Launches 'Guess the 2013 Headliner' Sweepstakes

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0700

To kick-off the 12th year of the Honda Civic Tour, Honda is asking fans to guess this year's tour headliner for the opportunity to meet the act in person. Starting March 21 at 9:00 am ET and running through April 1, fans can enter the 'Guess the 2013 Headliner' sweepstakes on the Honda Civic Tour Facebook page(www.facebook.com/hondacivictour). Additionally, all sweepstakes entrants receive a special pre-sale code redeemable for the purchase of up to four tickets* starting April 2.

One grand prize winner will be selected to fly with a guest to Los Angeles, attend a Honda Civic Tour video shoot in Hollywood and meet the headliner. Prize includes round trip airfare and hotel accommodations. The 2013 Honda Civic Tour headliner will be announced on April 1.
For more information on the Honda Civic Tour, visit www.hondacivictour.com or the Honda Civic Tour Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hondacivictour.

* Tickets to the Honda Civic Tour are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed. Acquisition and possession of a pre-sale code does not guarantee access to tickets. Each pre-sale code is good for up to four tickets per show, with a limit of 12 tickets for the tour. The pre-sale code may be used starting on April 2, 2013 until the pre-sale closes.

About the Honda Civic Tour
With almost three million fans having attended Honda Civic Tour concert events since 2001, Civic Tour has established itself as one of the nation's most compelling, successful music concert tour franchises. Featuring the hottest music acts, giveaways of Civics customized by the headlining artists and dynamic, interactive attractions, Civic Tour consistently delivers its goal – to bring its fans across the U.S. closer to their favorite music.

About Honda Civic
One of the best-selling compact cars in the United States, the Civic features a lineup of six distinct models: the conventional gasoline-powered Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, two high-performance Civic Si models, gasoline-electric Civic Hybrid, the Civic Natural Gas and Civic HF high fuel economy model. The Civic lineup embodies the Honda brand values of 'clean, safe and fun' with the Civic HF achieving an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating¹ of 41 mpg on the highway. The Civic Hybrid's EPA-estimated fuel economy rating1 is 44/44/44 city/highway/combined. The Civic Sedan has earned top safety ratings from NHTSA and the first small car to earn a 'TOP SAFETY PICK+' designation from IIHS. Now in its ninth generation, the Civic remains one of the most fun-to-drive compact cars on the road today. The Civic Sedan starts at a suggested retail price² (MSRP) of $18,165 and is available at Honda dealerships nationwide. For high-resolution photos, broadcast quality video and media information of the entire 2013 Civic lineup, please visit www.hondanews.com.

¹ Based on 2013 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
²MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $790.00 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.

Connect with Honda Civic Tour:
Website: www.hondacivictour.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hondacivictour
Twitter: twitter.com/hondacivictour

Abbreviated Sweepstakes Rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Term: 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET") on 3/21/13 – 9:00 a.m. ET on 4/1/13. Eligibility: entrants must be legal residents that are physically located in the 48 contiguous United States or D.C., who are 18 yrs or older. All other entries are VOID. To Enter: you may access the Sweepstakes Application by visiting the official Honda Civic Tour Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/hondacivictour. From the Fan Page, complete and submit all required fields of the on-screen registration form. You will be asked to "guess" the headliner of the 2013 Honda Civic Tour, but your guess will not be evaluated or judged for prize determination. Winners will be randomly selected. When you submit an entry, you will automatically be entered into the Grand Prize drawing. Upon entry, all entrants will receive an email from Sponsor that includes a unique pre-sale code. The code is redeemable for the purchase of up to four tickets to the Honda Civic Tour and may be used starting on April 2, 2013 until the pre-sale closes. All entries must be completed and submitted by 9:00 AM ET on April 1, 2013, to be eligible for the Grand Prize drawing. Limit: One entry per person. One Grand Prize: A trip for the winner and one (1) guest to Los Angeles, CA to attend the Honda Civic Tour video shoot with the 2013 headliner. Trip includes: round-trip coach air transportation from a major U.S. Gateway airport nearest winner's residence to Los Angeles; standard hotel accommodations [one (1) room, double occupancy, room and tax only], $100 gift card for incidentals, for three days, transfers to and from airport and video shoot in Los Angeles. Winner and guest must be available for travel during April 16, 2013 to April 18, 2013 period or prize will be considered forfeited. (ARV: $3,857). Additional terms and restrictions apply. See full rules at http://www.hondacivictour.com/guesstheheadliner for full details. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Sponsor: American Honda Motor Co. Inc., 1919 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90501. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Facebook.

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Leads Industry with Four Vehicles Eligible for California Carpool Lane Access

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0700

Honda offers four vehicles eligible for single-occupant access to California's high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) 'carpool' lanes, the most of any full line automaker. The Accord Plug-In Hybrid, the Civic Natural Gas , the Fit EV all-electric vehicle and FCX Clarity fuel cell-electric vehicles provide drivers with the opportunity for single-occupancy carpool lane access with little-to-no tailpipe emissions at an already-reduced fuel cost.

"With four different Honda vehicles, the most of any automaker, providing single-occupancy access to California's carpool lanes, we are creating tremendous opportunities for consumers to save time and money and reduce their environmental footprint," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "Only Honda offers a broad portfolio of alternative-fuel vehicles in various sizes and body styles to meet the diverse needs of California drivers."

Honda HOV Access Eligible Vehicles

Model	EPA Range Rating¹	EPA Estimated Combined Fuel Efficiency Ratings¹	CA State Rebate²	Annual 5yr Fuel Savings³
Honda Accord Plug-In	570 mi	115 MPGe	$1500	$7250
Honda Civic CNG	not rated	31 MPG	n/a	$7000
Honda FCX Clarity	240 mi	60 MPEe	$2500	tbd
Honda Fit EV	82 mi	118 MPGe	$2500	$9100
¹Fuel economy and driving range determined by EPA data. Your actual fuel economy and driving range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors ²California rebate amount provided by Center for Sustainable Energy California: http://energycenter.org/index.php/incentive-programs/clean-vehicle-rebate-project/cvrp-eligible-vehicles ³Fuel savings based on EPA calculation of 45% highway, 55% city driving, 15,000 annual miles and current fuel prices compared to average new vehicle.

Upon applying for and adhering California Clean Air Vehicle Decals to eligible alternative fuel vehicles, single-occupant operators of these vehicles are allowed to drive in the state's carpool lanes – potentially saving significant commuting and driving time. In addition to saving time, the diverse alternative-fuel vehicles from Honda offer great potential for fuel savings compared to the fuel cost of the average passenger vehicle in the U.S.

Currently on-sale at 76 Honda dealers in California, the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid sedan is the most fuel-efficient sedan in America with a 115 MPGe fuel economy rating. It is also the first and only vehicle in the U.S. to meet the new, strict SULEV20 emissions standard. The Accord Plug-In offers 12-15 miles¹ of all-electric range before switching to an efficient hybrid powertrain with an EPA rating of 47/46/46 city/highway/combined fuel economy. This distinctly styled midsize sedan will soon be joined by a two-motor Accord Hybrid model later this year.

Honda is the only automaker to offer an OEM-built compressed natural gas powered vehicle with the 2012 Civic Natural Gas. An ideal daily commuter, the Civic Natural Gas offers range of 190 miles per tank and is equipped with a host of standard features like Bluetooth HandsFreeLink™, USB connectivity and a full-color iMID screen. The Civic Natural Gas is built exclusively in Greensburg, Indiana using domestic and globally sourced parts and runs on clean burning natural gas, which is domestically sourced and costs about 1/3 less per gasoline gallon equivalent as gasoline. Additionally, through April 30, 2013, Honda is offering a $3,000 Clean Energy fuel card with the purchase of a 2012 Civic Natural Gas, potentially defraying years of already-reduced fuel costs.

The Fit EV and FCX Clarity each offer zero-emissions driving experiences. Among the most fuel-efficient vehicle yet rated by the EPA with 118 MPGe and based on the popular five-door, five-passenger Fit and Fit Sport, the 100-percent electric Fit EV features a 20-kilowatt-hour (kWh) Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery and a compact 92-kilowatt (123 horsepower) AC synchronous electric motor that produced 189 ft-lb of motor torque. This efficient powertrain is teamed with a fully independent suspension and a driver-selectable 3-mode drive system. The result is a fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway driving range rating of 82 miles².

The Fit EV is available at Honda dealerships in California, Oregon and selected markets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and New Jersey for lease at $389 a month, which includes collision insurance and vehicle maintenance. The FCX Clarity fuel cell-electric vehicle has a driving range of 240 miles and can be refueled in minutes at one of 9 hydrogen stations in Southern California. The futuristically styled FCX Clarity is available for lease exclusively in Southern California.

Honda Environmental Leadership
Honda has developed numerous technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions, including the Honda Accord PHEV, Fit EV, Civic Natural Gas and the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Honda has also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for 15 consecutive years.

Connect with Honda:
Honda Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/
Honda for consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
Honda on YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Honda on Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Honda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Honda on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

¹ 124 city/105 highway/115 combined miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) electric rating; 47 city/46 highway/46 combined MPG gasoline only rating. 13 mile maximum EV mode driving range rating. 574 mile combined gas-electric driving range rating. Ratings determined by EPA. Use for comparison purposes only. Your MPGe/MPG and driving range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-PHEV-label.shtml

² 132/105/118 city/highway/combined miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) rating; 82 mile combined (city/highway) driving range rating (adjusted). Ratings determined by U.S. EPA. Your MPGe and range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-electric-label.shtml.

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Honda Automobiles: American Honda Announces New Advertising Structure for Automobile Business

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:00:00 -0700

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today announced that its comprehensive review of advertising creative and media accounts for its automobile business has resulted in a multi-agency approach for the company's Honda and Acura brands. MediaVest was selected as the media agency serving both brands, with RPA selected as the creative agency for the Honda automobile brand and Mullen as the creative agency for the Acura brand.

The agency assignments, the result of a nearly three-month long selection process, reflect a major change in strategies for Honda and Acura advertising. The new multi-agency structure will place American Honda at the hub of a collaborative team of agencies, with the focus on heightened creativity, greater efficiency and long-term strategic planning. RPA, Mullen and MediaVest together with Muse Communications and Orci, which retain the multicultural assignments, will report directly to American Honda rather than through a single agency.

"We are creating a new and highly collaborative path forward that will yield outstanding creative and enable us to focus more of our marketing investment on communicating with our customers," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of National Marketing Operations. "We are confident that our new team of agencies will create dynamic marketing campaigns that connect and engage consumers with our products and our brands, while achieving an even higher level of efficiency and effectiveness."

Each agency will have dedicated workspace at American Honda headquarters in Torrance, Calif. where agency personnel can better serve the needs of each brand by collaborating together and with the Honda and Acura teams. In addition, Mullen and MediaVest will be opening or expanding dedicated offices in Southern California. RPA, Muse and Orci are headquartered in Southern California.

MediaVest's role as the separate media agency is expected to result in more sophisticated targeting of the media mix, with a significant improvement in media buying efficiency. "Getting smarter about how we communicate was a critical goal of this process and even with the same level of investment we expect to realize more efficient and targeted media plans, which will increase the amount of money we spend on reaching our customers," said Accavitti.

From the standpoint of creative agencies, the new structure will enable RPA, Mullen, Muse and Orci to maintain a special focus on the unique needs of each brand at a time when both Honda and Acura have strong momentum with a number of all-new products just introduced or soon coming to market. "With Honda and Acura rolling out incredibly strong new products we think each agency will have a lot of good material to take our creative to the next level," said Accavitti.

Honda has an award-winning lineup of new or substantially refreshed models, including the just-introduced 2013 Honda Accord and Civic and a lineup of light trucks led by CR-V, America's top-selling SUV, and the Honda Odyssey. In 2014, Honda has announced plans to greatly expand small car sales with an all-new Honda Fit and a new model based on the Urban SUV Concept revealed at the North American International Auto Show in January 2013.

Acura is in the midst of the complete makeover of its product lineup. In 2012, the brand launched two new gateway Acura models with a redesigned RDX, which has since enjoyed 10 consecutive months of record sales, and the new ILX entry-luxury sedan. For 2013, the all-new 2014 RLX flagship sedan went on sale March 15, with an all-new 2014 MDX coming to market by mid-year. Acura has also announced plans for the introduction of the next generation of the Acura NSX supercar in about two years.

About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 272 dealers within the United States. The Acura lineup features seven distinctive models including the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX Sport Wagon and sedan, the ILX compact luxury sedan, the RDX luxury crossover SUV, the MDX luxury sport utility vehicle, the ZDX four-door sports coupe, and the all-new Acura RLX flagship sedan.

Connect with Honda:
Honda Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
Honda (for consumers): www.automobiles.honda.com
Honda on Facebook: www.facebook.com/honda
Honda on YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Honda on Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

Connect with Acura:
Media Information: www.acuranews.com
Consumer Information: www.acura.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Acura
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Acura_Insider
YouTube: www.youtube.com/acura
Flickr: www.flickr.com/acuranews
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/acura
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+acura

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Honda Automobiles: 2014 Honda Odyssey to Debut with Innovative New Features at the 2013 New York International Auto Show

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:01:00 -0700

Honda will reveal details of the refreshed 2014 Odyssey, including some innovative new features, at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). The 2014 Odyssey further strengthens the Honda minivan's position as the segment's most coveted family-friendly vehicle, and adds to its status as the strongest overall ownership value in its class.

The 2013 Odyssey is already an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK, an AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle Award winner, an ALG Residual Value award winner, and one of the Best Family Cars of 2012 according to the editors of Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.

The 2014 Odyssey along with Honda's complete line-up of fuel efficient, innovative and fun-to-drive cars and trucks, including the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid and 2013 Fit EV, will be on display at the Honda booth during NYIAS press and public days. Both the 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV were recently launched at select Honda dealerships in New York.

With an EPA fuel economy rating of 115 MPGe in electric-only mode, the Accord Plug-In is the most efficient sedan in America, and also the first production car to meet the U.S. EPA's more stringent LEV3/SULEV20 vehicle emissions standard. The five-passenger all-electric 2013 Honda Fit EV delivers 189 lb-ft of torque from its electric motor and features a fully independent, multi-link rear suspension that serves as the foundation for Honda's fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82 miles.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/channels/honda-automobiles-odyssey
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com/future-cars
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Honda on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

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Honda Automobiles: Honda CR-V and Odyssey Win "Best Cars For Families" Awards From U.S. News & World Report

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0700

The 2013 Honda CR-V and the 2013 Honda Odyssey were both honored by U.S. News & World Report among its "Best Cars for Families." The efficient and capable CR-V was named "Best Compact SUV for Families" and the stylish up to 8-passenger Odyssey was named "Best Minivan for Families" among 2013 model year vehicles sold in the United States.

"If you're looking for a top safety-rated, fuel efficient, fun-to-drive family vehicle, you can't really go wrong with a Honda," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Both the CR-V and the Odyssey exemplify 'family friendly' with top safety ratings, proven Honda quality and loads of smart features to keep the driver and all passengers comfortable and connected."

The "Best Cars for Families" methodology combines quality, size and family-friendly features into a composite score. Quality is measured using a weighted average of scores from the U.S. News rankings at the time the awards are published. The rankings compare cars on the basis of safety, reliability and a consensus of automotive critics' opinions. Size is based on a vehicle's seating capacity and interior space. For family-friendly features, the availability of features deemed to be helpful to families by U.S. News editors is factored in.

The 2013 Honda CR-V provides upscale styling, excellent fuel efficiency, and a host of standard convenience features, making it one of the most fun and functional compact SUVs in America. The CR-V is rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as a TOP SAFETY PICK and is distinguished by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 5-star Overall Vehicle Score.¹ Compact on the outside and roomy inside, the CR-V represents an unparalleled balance of size and capability in the entry SUV segment. With its car-like interior comfort, a smooth and quiet ride, plus innovative features, the versatile CR-V is a great fit for families or individuals with an active lifestyle.

The 2013 Honda Odyssey minivan continues to lead its class in fuel economy and safety ratings, while providing spacious accommodations for up to eight passengers and a refined and engaging driving experience. The Odyssey Touring is rated at a remarkable 28 mpg,² the highest EPA highway fuel economy rating of any eight-passenger minivan. All Odyssey models are an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK, and the Odyssey has earned the best possible overall safety rating from NHTSA with a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score.¹

¹ Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov). Model tested with standard side airbags (SABs). Vehicles tested under the new program cannot be compared to MY10 and earlier vehicles.

² Based on 2013 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

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Honda Automobiles: 2013 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe First Small Cars to Achieve TOP SAFETY PICK+ Rating in IIHS Safety Testing

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:00:00 -0800

The new 2013 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe have received the highest available safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This recognition makes the Civic Sedan and Coupe the first and only IIHS Small cars in the industry to earn a TOP SAFETY PICK+.

Honda leads all other brands in achieving TOP SAFETY PICK+ ratings with four models – Civic Sedan and Coupe, and Accord Sedan and Coupe. Further, for the 2013 model year, all Honda and Acura models tested¹ by the IIHS have received a TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating.

"If you want a compact car with a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating, the 2013 Honda Civic is the only choice," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "We believe this is a distinct competitive advantage, especially as more and more consumers place a premium on crash rating performance."

The new Civic Sedan, equipped with the second generation of the Honda Advanced Compatibility Body Structure™ (ACE™II), is not only the first Small car to earn TOP SAFETY PICK+ in the industry, but also the first and only to earn the highest possible rating of GOOD on the IIHS' new small overlap frontal crash test (sometimes called a 'narrow offset' test). This aggressive test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed. The ACE™II reinforced body structure found on the 2013 Civic further enhances frontal crash energy through a wider range of these offset and oblique collision scenarios.

Honda Safety Leadership
Honda has a long history of leadership in the development and application of advanced technologies and designs to enhance the safety of all road users, including automobile occupants, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians. The company operates two of the world's most sophisticated crash test facilities and is responsible for numerous pioneering efforts in the areas of crashworthiness, airbag technology, collision compatibility and pedestrian safety. This commitment to safety is rooted in Honda's goal
to be a company that society wants to exist, and it complements the company's leadership in reducing vehicle emissions, improving fuel efficiency and advancing alternatives to gasoline.

2013 American Honda TOP SAFETY PICK+:

Honda
Honda Accord Coupe
Honda Accord Sedan
Honda Civic Coupe
Honda Civic Sedan

Acura
Acura TL

2013 American Honda TOP SAFETY PICKS:

Honda
Honda Fit
Honda Crosstour
Honda Civic Sedan
Honda CR-Z
Honda CR-V
Honda Insight
Honda Pilot
Honda Odyssey
Honda Ridgeline

Acura
Acura ILX
Acura TSX Sedan
Acura MDX
Acura RDX

Connect with Honda:
Honda Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-safety
Honda for consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
Honda on YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Honda on Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Honda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Honda on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

Connect with Acura:
Acura (for consumers): www.acura.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Acura
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Acura_Insider
YouTube: www.youtube.com/acura

¹Acura ZDX, Honda FCX Clarity and Honda Fit EV have not been completely tested by the IIHS for the 2013 Model Year.

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Honda Automobiles: Redesigned 2013 Honda Accord Leads the Pack in February Sales; Acura's Newest Products Continue to Advance Brand Growth

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:32:00 -0800

American Honda today reported February 2013 U.S. sales of 107,987 units, overcoming winter's worst to post a decrease of only 2.0 percent compared with February 2012 (an increase of 2.1 percent based on the Daily Selling Rate (DSR*)), and enabling year-to-date sales to remain up over 2012. Reflecting Honda's unique focus on retail sales, and real demand for top-rated products such as Accord, the Honda brand posted February 2013 sales of 96,623 units, a decrease of 2.3 percent compared with February 2012 (an increase of 1.8 percent based on the DSR). Acura U.S. February sales of 11,364 units increased 0.9 percent compared with February 2012 (an increase of 5.1 percent based on the DSR).

Honda
- Strong sales of the all-new Accord continue, up 35.2 percent from last February with sales of 27,999 units
- The redesigned 2013 Crosstour sees second month of double-digit sales growth, up 15.3 percent from last February
- Pilot sales are up 8.3 percent compared with last February, with sales of 9,614 units

"It took a big winter storm in the Northeast to slow us down a bit, but our robust sales over the last three weeks show that our strong retail momentum continues," said John Mendel, executive vice president of Sales at American Honda. "With Accord posting strong numbers and spring just around the corner, the best is yet to come."

Acura
- RDX sets its tenth-consecutive monthly sales record, up 177.6 percent from last February with sales of 2,795 units
- MDX remains the top selling Acura model in February, with sales of 2,946 units
- TL was the top selling Acura sedan in February with sales of 2,216 units, ILX sales continue to trend up with sales of 1,997

"Acura's latest products continue to shine with ILX gaining traction and RDX sales up 177 percent," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura Sales. "With the all-new 2014 RLX flagship sedan launching in a few weeks and the MDX Prototype creating favorable buzz, spring 2013 is shaping up as a banner season for Acura."

*The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 24 days for February 2013 and 25 days for February 2012. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 49 days for 2012 and 49 days for 2011. All other percentages in release are unadjusted; see table for adjusted DSR figures.

For more information about Honda vehicles, please visit www.automobiles.honda.com. For media inquiries please visit www.hondanews.com. For more information about Acura vehicles, please visit www.acura.com. For media inquiries please visit www.acuranews.com.

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Honda Automobiles: Executive Changes Reflect Evolving Role for Honda in North America

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Honda today announced several key executive changes effective April 1, 2013, that reflect the increased and evolving responsibilities that the Honda North American Regional Operations have assumed within Honda's global business.

- Tetsuo Iwamura will remain as president of Honda North America, Inc. (HNA), COO of North American Regional Operations and president and CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Iwamura, who serves concurrently as the executive vice president, executive officer and representative director of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., will add new responsibilities as the COO of Automobile Operations and risk management officer for Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

- Hidenobu Iwata will become president of Honda North America Services, LLC (HNAS), a new shared services company to be established effective April 1, 2013. Iwata will remain in his current positions as president of Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (HAM) and senior managing officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

- Bob Nelson will become president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) in Greensburg, Ind. Nelson is currently a senior vice president at HMIN and has been with Honda for 25 years, including 23 years with Honda of America Mfg., Inc. in Ohio.

- Jon Minto will become president of Honda Engineering North America, Inc. (EGA), Honda's production engineering company in North America. Minto is currently a senior vice president with EGA, which is based in Marysville, Ohio, and has been with Honda for more than 20 years, including at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM)

- Dan Smith will become president of Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in Alliston, Ontario, a division of Honda Canada Inc. (HCI). Smith is currently a senior vice president at HCM and has been with Honda for 28 years, including 26 years with Honda of America Mfg., Inc. and Honda Engineering North America, Inc. in Ohio.

- Jerry Chenkin will become president and CEO of Honda Canada Inc. (HCI) in Markham, Ontario, outside Toronto. Chenkin, currently executive vice president of HCI, has been with Honda for 38 years.

In conjunction with these executive appointments, Honda will strengthen the leadership function of its North American regional operations under HNA and HNAS to enhance the ability to deliver high quality products to the customer more quickly and efficiently.

The changes will help achieve this through more efficient management and quicker decision making, and by merging some of the support functions common to multiple Honda companies in North America under one roof. Both HNA's leadership function and HNAS will be located on Honda's Marysville, Ohio, campus.

In 2012, Honda outlined key strategies that increased the role played by Honda's sales, manufacturing and R&D operations in North America within Honda's global business. The changes announced today are the next step in this direction.

"These organizational changes will improve the speed of decision-making and the efficiency of our business operations," said Tetsuo Iwamura, chief operating officer of Honda's North American Regional Operations, which includes the U.S, Canada and Mexico. "Our global customers desire new, exciting and affordable automobile, motorcycle and power equipment products, and these changes will enhance our ability to quickly bring our customers' dreams to the market."

Since its founding in 1987, HNA has served as a coordinating entity for such operations as legal services, corporate audit and risk management. In its evolving role, HNA will house several members of senior executive management responsible for strategic oversight over North American sales, manufacturing and R&D for the company's product lines. HNA has offices in Torrance, Calif., Marysville, Ohio, Detroit, Mich., New York, NY and Washington, D.C.

HNAS, the new shared services company, will be based in Marysville, Ohio, with an additional office in Torrance, Calif. HNAS will provide many of Honda's common support functions in North America, and streamline coordination of Honda's R&D, manufacturing, purchasing and sales functions as they relate to the introduction of new products.

Most Honda associates (employees) assigned to these entities will be located on the Marysville campus in Ohio, but others will remain at other facilities throughout North America. Current Ohio-based associates will remain in Ohio. It is anticipated that fewer than 50 associates involved in support and strategic functions at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in Torrance, Calif., will transfer to HNA and HNAS over the course of the next fiscal year beginning April 1, 2013. The formation of HNAS and changes to HNA are not expected to result in additional employment.

About Honda

Honda established operations in America in 1959, and now employs more than 33,000 associates in its North American sales, R&D and manufacturing operations with a capital investment of more than $22 billion.

Based on its longstanding commitment to "build products close to the customer" Honda operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda and Acura automobiles, automobile engines and transmissions, Honda all-terrain vehicles, and power equipment products such as lawn mowers, mini-tillers and general purpose engines, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Seven Honda auto plants in the North American region, including four in the U.S., have the capacity to produce 1.63 million automobiles each year. In 2012, 90 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in North America. This will increase to 1.92 million vehicles per year in 2014, when the sales percentage of locally produced automobiles is expected to rise to more than 95 percent.

Honda R&D Americas, Inc., (HRA) operates 14 facilities in North America and is responsible for "complete product creation," of advanced automobile, powersports and power equipment products and technologies. Since 1990, HRA has researched, designed and developed more than 20 all-new automobile models.

Honda media contacts:
Jeffrey Smith, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (310) 781-5062 Jeffrey_Smith@ahm.honda.com
Ron Lietzke, Honda of America, Mfg., Inc., (937) 644-6627, ron_lietzke@ham.honda.com

Connect to Honda:
Honda Multimedia Newsroom (for media only): http://www.hondanews.com
Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (Press Room): www.ohio.honda.com
Honda News & Views: http://www.honda.com/news
Honda in America: http://www.hondainamerica.com
Honda on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/americanhonda
Honda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Honda on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/honda
Honda on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/hondanews
Honda Website: http://www.honda.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda/
On Google+

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Fit Wins Two "Best Cars For The Money" Awards From U.S. News & World Report

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0800

The 2013 Honda Fit has won two U.S. News & World Report "Best Cars for the Money" awards. The highly-versatile and fun-to-drive Fit was named "Best Subcompact for the Money" and "Best Hatchback for the Money" among 2013 vehicles sold in the United States.

"The Fit brings truth to the concept that big things can come in small packages," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "With an amazingly roomy interior, snappy styling, great driving dynamics and industry-leading Honda quality, Fit proves that small cars can provide value well beyond their size."

The "Best Cars for the Money" methodology combines quality and value data into a composite score. Within each of 21 award categories, the vehicle with the highest score is named the "Best Car for the Money" in that category. Quality is measured by the overall score a vehicle achieved in the U.S. News car rankings at the time the awards are published. The rankings, updated monthly at www.usnews.com/cars, compare cars on the basis of safety, reliability and a consensus of industry experts' opinions. Value is measured by a combination of a vehicle's five-year total cost of ownership and the average price paid for the vehicle at the time the awards are published.

Winner of multiple industry awards due to its class-leading safety scores, fuel economy ratings, versatility, residual value and overall excellence, the Honda Fit has built a loyal following over seven years and two generations. The 2013 Honda Fit earned a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), received a 2013 Residual Value Award from ALG and a 2013 Best Resale Value Award from KBB.com; was recognized as a "greener choice of 2013" by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE); and Fit is a seven-time Car and Driver magazine "10Best Cars" award winner.

Though the Fit has an overall exterior length of just 161.6 inches, a surprisingly roomy and versatile interior provides an impressive 90.8 cubic feet of passenger volume. There's comfortable seating for up to five passengers, and behind the rear seats, there's 20.6 cubic feet of storage space - much more than you'd find in a typical sedan.

For enhanced versatility, the exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat® offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations. With its one-motion dive-down functionality, it can fold flat into the floor to provide a maximum 57.3 cu-ft. of rear cargo volume. Compared to any other vehicle in the subcompact class, the five-passenger Fit provides the lowest, flattest cargo floor and the most cargo volume. The Fit's interior thus can easily be converted to tall-object mode or long-object mode based on the shape of the cargo.

Standard comfort and convenience features include air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, a USB audio interface3, an auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors, power door locks and a security system.

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Honda Automobiles: All-new 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Earns Highest Safety Ratings in Midsize Class

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0800

The completely redesigned 2013 Honda Accord Coupe has earned the highest available safety rating – a 5-Star¹ Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The 2013 Accord Coupe is the only vehicle in its class to earn a NHTSA 5-star Overall Vehicle Score and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating with GOOD ratings in all test modes. For model year 2013, all tested Honda models have earned a TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS (only the Civic Coupe, FCX Clarity and Fit EV have not been tested).

"The Honda comprehensive approach to vehicle safety is validated by these top-level safety ratings," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "The 2013 Honda Accord truly excels in all areas, delivering the best overall safety ratings, while also providing exhilarating performance, outstanding comfort and top-class fuel economy."

The Accord Coupe earned the 5-star Overall Vehicle Score by garnering a 5-star rating in each seating position in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) frontal, side-barrier, and side-pole crash test categories, as well as a 5-star rollover rating. The 2013 Coupe joins the Honda Accord Sedan in earning an Overall 5-Star Safety Rating under NHTSA's testing.

In addition to its NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score designation, the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan is the only car in its class to earn a GOOD rating in all IIHS test modes, including the Institute's aggressive, new small overlap frontal crash test. Under the IIHS' testing program, the new small overlap frontal crash test—sometimes called a "narrow offset" test—is designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed.

Beginning with the 2013 Honda Accord, Honda is applying the second generation of the Honda Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™ II) body structure to its models. This reinforced frontal structure further enhances frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique collision modes.

New standard and available safety and visibility technologies in Accord models such as Back-Up Camera, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Watch help increase driver awareness in the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle.

In addition to the Honda next-generation Advanced Compatibility (ACE II) body structure, passive-safety features offered as standard equipment on the 2013 Accord include dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, and new SmartVent™ front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. The new SmartVent side airbag construction helps mitigate the risk of injury to occupants that may be positioned in the deployment path of the side airbag. SmartVent also allows heating of the passenger seatback on EX-L and Touring models.

Honda Safety Leadership
Honda has a long history of leadership in the development and application of advanced technologies and designs to enhance the safety of all road users, including automobile occupants, motorcycle riders, and pedestrians. The company operates two of the world's most sophisticated crash test facilities and is responsible for numerous pioneering efforts in the areas of crashworthiness, airbag technology, collision compatibility and pedestrian safety. This commitment to safety is rooted in the longstanding Honda goal to be a company that society wants to exist, and it complements the company's leadership in reducing vehicle emissions, improving fuel efficiency and advancing alternatives to gasoline.

Connect with Honda:

Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/channels/honda-automobiles-fit-ev
For consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

¹Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side-impact air bags (SABs). Vehicles tested under this program cannot be compared to model-year 2010 and earlier vehicles. Ratings can only be compared with similar ratings on model year 2011 and later vehicles if rated under the new program

Honda Automobiles: Honda Expands Fit EV Leasing to Select East Coast Markets

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0800

The all-electric 2013 Honda Fit EV, first launched in California and Oregon in July 2012, is coming to select East Coast markets later this month, American Honda announced today. The Fit EV will be available for lease at Honda dealerships in selected markets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. Customers will be able to lease the ultra-efficient, spacious and fun-to-drive Fit EV for a period of three years at a cost of $389 per month.

The 2013 Honda Fit EV, part of Honda's diverse portfolio of alternative-fuel vehicles, has a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe¹, an EPA-rated driving range of 82 miles, and a low energy-consumption rating of just 29 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 miles.

"Expanding the availability of the ultra-efficient Fit EV to the East Coast is the next logical step in Honda's strategic and customer-focused approach to growing the market for low-CO2, sustainable mobility technologies," said Steve Center, vice president of the American Honda Environmental Business Development Office. "Combining Honda's extensive EV experience with customers–which began 15 years ago with the Honda EV Plus–with the real-world feedback from early Fit EV lessees in several different markets will help us prepare for growing adoption of electric vehicles."

Already available since July 2012 for lease-only in select California and Oregon markets, the Fit EV is offered at a lease price of $389 per month² over a three-year term, computing to a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $36,625. Customers interested in leasing or learning more about the Fit EV are encouraged to sign up at www.FitEV.Honda.com.

¹132/105/118 city/highway/combined miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) rating; 82 mile combined (city/highway) driving range rating (adjusted). Ratings determined by U.S. EPA. Your MPGe and range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-electric-label.shtml.

²Subject to limited availability through October 2014 in designated market regions on approved credit through American Honda Finance Corp. Closed end lease for 2013 Honda Fit EV for well-qualified lessees meeting specific use and operation requirements. Not all applicants will qualify. No purchase option at lease end. MSRP $37,415 (includes destination). Excludes tax, title, license, registration, options and insurance. Zero capitalized cost reduction. Total monthly payments $14,004.00. Lessee responsible for non-routine maintenance, excessive wear/tear and up to $0.20/mi. over 12,000 mi./yr. Lease includes collision coverage, routine maintenance, roadside assistance and navigation system updates

³ From low-charge indicator illumination point to full charge

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Highlights Six Inventors in #HondaInnovator Series Social Media Campaign Featuring 2013 Honda Civic

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0800

The new Civic TV campaign connects Honda's philosophy—a passion for innovative thinking and continuous improvement—to other real inventors, makers and explorers in the world who are never satisfied and always working to develop better solutions. The campaign has sparked curiosity about the innovations featured in the new Civic TV spot. Capitalizing on that momentum, Honda is launching a collection of live chats, the #HondaInnovator Series.

The #HondaInnovator Series uses Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube to drive curiosity and conversation. At http://www.hondainnovator.com, users are able to tweet questions to several inventors featured in the Civic TV spot, participate in scheduled one-hour innovator tweet chats and see #HondaInnovator feeds from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Schedule, topics and speakers for the "Innovator Series" tweet chats are as follows:

Tues., Feb. 5: Phoenix Fly with pro wingsuiter James "Macca" Macdonald at 10 a.m. PT
Thurs., Feb. 7: 4moms Origami Stroller with co-founder Henry Thorne at 10 a.m. PT
Tues., Feb. 12: Billabong V1 Wetsuit with pro surfer/inventor Shane Dorian at 10 a.m. PT
Fri., Feb. 15: 2013 Honda Civic Sr. Product Planner Jay Guzowski at 10 a.m. PT
Wed., Feb. 20: Waterfall Swing with inventors Ian Charnas and Drew Ratcliff at Noon PT
Tues., Feb. 26: Laser Keyboard with visionary Prashanth Shantharam at 10 a.m. PT

"The 'Innovator Series' is designed to applaud all visionaries—the dreamers who are always contemplating what could be—and provide an opportunity to engage with them," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The 2013 Civic speaks to our passion for innovative thinking and continuous improvement, and through social media we're inviting all creative thinkers to come together to talk about how to make things better."

On YouTube, Honda has created an innovation playlist featuring innovator-created video showcased in the Civic TV spot. Facebook posts will introduce fans to the "Innovator Series" and related album. Instagram will host behind-the-scenes photos from the Civic TV commercial and an assortment of Civic photos. And Pinterest will feature a "Things Can Be Better" board.

Also in February, the social news leader, Buzzfeed will feature sponsored posts highlighting the creative theme of the Civic campaign of true inventors, makers, explorers and engineering.

The "Innovator Series" program will be supported with promoted tweets, promoted posts on Facebook, YouTube ads and search.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally1 sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
Website: http://automobiles.honda.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda

¹Honda products are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts.

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Honda Automobiles: Honda Brings Forza Horizon Racing Action to 2013 Chicago Auto Show

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:00:00 -0800

Honda is bringing the year’s biggest racing game to the 2013 Chicago Auto Show with the launch of Forza Horizon on Xbox 360. Chicago Auto Show attendees will have the opportunity to play the game’s new downloadable Honda Challenge Car Pack in the Honda booth located in the South Hall Feb. 7 thru 10. With the Honda Challenge Pack, players will have the option to race three, distinct performance-oriented Honda models: a new 2013 Civic Si Coupe, an original 1986 Civic Si, and the Honda Performance Development B-Spec Rally Fit.

In addition to playing the new game, attendees can virtually race against Honda IndyCar driver Scott Dixon and try to beat his fastest time in a 2013 Honda Civic Si. The "2013 Civic Si Challenge" contest awards the fastest racer the opportunity to meet the Indianapolis 500® winner in-person and receive a custom Civic Si-themed Xbox 360 gaming console.

Starting on Feb. 15, a photo contest will launch on the Forza Horizon online community encouraging players to submit photos taken in-game of the 2013 Civic Si. The best photo will be featured on Honda social media channels and on the Honda web site. Winners of the photo contest will also receive a custom Civic Si-themed Xbox 360 gaming console.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally¹ sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com/civic/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HondaCivic
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda

¹Honda products are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts.

About Forza
Celebrate speed, music and style at the Horizon Festival! Forza Horizon combines legendary Forza authenticity with the freedom of the open road. Forza Horizon is exclusively on the Xbox 360 and is now available in a Limited Collector’s Edition ($79.99 U.S.) and a Standard Edition ($59.99 U.S). The game is rated "T" For Teen by the ESRB. According to MetaCritic.com Forza Horizon is the highest-rated racing game on the Xbox 360 this holiday season.

Connect with Forza:
Web: www.forzamotorsport.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/forzamotorsport
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Turn10Studios
YouTube: www.youtube.com/Turn10Studios

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Honda Automobiles: Honda January Sales Gain Powered by Award-Winning Accord; Acura Sales Increase Again Fueled by RDX and ILX

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:14:00 -0800

American Honda today reported January 2013 U.S. sales of 93,626 units, an increase of 12.8 percent compared with January 2012. The Honda brand posted January 2013 sales of 84,137 units, an increase of 12.7 percent compared with January 2012. Acura U.S. January sales of 9,489 units increased 13.2 percent compared with January 2012.

Sales of the all-new 2013 Honda Accord were up more than 75 percent from last year - with 10,000 more Accords sold this January than in January 2012. The totally revised Accord has already become one of the most decorated vehicles in Honda history, garnering a host of awards that include being named for a record 27th time to Car and Driver magazine's 10Best Cars list, as well as winning key comparison tests against its mid-size rivals in comparisons from Car and Driver and Cars.com/USA Today/"MotorWeek".

Honda
- Sales of the all-new Accord are up 75.2 percent from last January with sales of 23,924 units
- Reflecting key changes, the new 2013 Crosstour sees sales jump 38.2 percent from last January
- Pilot sales are up 16.3 percent compared with last January, with sales of 7,405 units

"The all-new Accord has the Honda brand right where we left off in 2012 - powering significant sales gains in the new year," said John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president of Sales. "With our strongest vehicle lineup ever and continued sales momentum, we're optimistic 2013 will be a great year for the Honda brand."

Acura
- RDX sets its ninth-consecutive monthly sales record, up over 181.6 percent from last January with sales of 2,489 units
- MDX was the top selling Acura model in January, with sales of 2,575 units
- ILX was again the top selling Acura sedan in January with sales of 1,558 units

"Acura's newest products continue to drive our sales momentum as we begin a new year," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura Sales. "With the positive reception of the all-new Acura MDX Prototype in Detroit, and the upcoming launch of our new flagship RLX sedan, Acura is poised for even greater success in 2013."

The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 25 days for January 2013 and 24 days for January 2012. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 25 days for 2012 and 24 days for 2011. All percentages in release are unadjusted; see table for adjusted DSR figures.

For more information about Honda vehicles, please visit www.automobiles.honda.com. For media inquiries please visit www.hondanews.com. For more information about Acura vehicles, please visit www.acura.com. For media inquiries please visit www.acuranews.com.

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Honda Automobiles: Honda ECO Assist™ Named to Green Car Journal's Top 10 Green Car Technology List for 2013

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:30:00 -0800

Honda's innovative and interactive ECO Assist™ fuel-efficiency coaching technology has been named to Green Car Journal's Top 10 Green Car Technology List for 2013. Short for "Ecological Drive Assist System", Honda's ECO Assist™ is available on some of the most popular Honda models, including the 2013 Civic, CR-V and Accord.

Honda's ECO Assist™ technology can help drivers develop driving habits that enhance fuel efficiency by observing the speedometer background's response to driving practices. Fuel-saving behaviors like smooth acceleration and braking make the meter glow green. Less fuel-efficient driving habits will cause the meter glow blue-green, while aggressive starts and stops that consume extra fuel cause the meter to glow blue. In addition to the ECO Assist™ technology, drivers can also engage the green, dash-mounted "ECON" button to further optimize control of the transmission, engine and other powertrain elements to help conserve additional fuel.

"Honda developed the driver guidance and driver feedback functions of ECO Assist to help drivers improve their fuel economy, and in turn, to also benefit our environment," said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. "The visual nature of the technology is intended to help drivers improve their efficient driving skills by making it a more fun and rewarding experience."

On Honda hybrid and alternative fuel models, a fuel efficiency scoring function located in the gauge-cluster's Multi-Information Display (MID) provides further feedback about cumulative, long-term driving style. The MID also allows drivers to view fuel economy figures for the past three trips, as well as instantaneous and average fuel economy statistics. The scoring function encourages drivers to take an interest in developing fuel efficient driving habits over the long term and rewards their efforts with growing foliage.

The Green Car Technology Award™ honors important enabling technology helping to create a new generation of fuel-efficient, alternative-fuel, or low-emission vehicles. Technologies considered for the award range from advanced powerplants and drivetrain components to on-board systems that work toward increasing efficiencies, reducing petroleum use or improving environmental impact. Qualifying technologies must be in use by vehicle models currently on the market today.

"Honda's ECO Assist system was selected as a Green Car Technology Award finalist for its innate ability to help drivers enhance their fuel efficiency," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and www.CarsOfChange.com. "In an era of increased demands on environmental performance from consumers and government alike, we wanted to highlight the innovative technologies like ECO Assist™ that make their incredible achievements possible."

Honda Environmental Leadership
In addition to the ECO Assist™ system, Honda is committed to further advancements in fuel efficiency, with a focus on the broad application of technologies such as VTEC™ and Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM™), and the expanded application of Honda hybrid technology. In October 2011, Honda debuted a new lineup of advanced gasoline engines using new 'Earth Dreams' powertrain technology, which will serve as the foundational technology to advance the fuel efficiency of Honda and Acura vehicles. Honda has also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for 15 consecutive years.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda/
On Google+

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Honda Automobiles: Honda and Acura to Offer Convenience of Apple's Siri™ Eyes Free on Select 2013 Vehicles

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

American Honda today announced it will integrate support for Siri, the intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking, into its 2013 Honda Accord and Acura RDX and ILX models as a dealer installed option. Later this year, owners with a compatible iPhone¹ running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of specific tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. Using Eyes Free mode, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further and minimizes distractions even more by keeping your iOS device's screen from lighting up.

"iPhone has become so integral to people's lives that they continue to use them in their vehicles," said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president of automobile product planning, American Honda. "Offering Honda and Acura owners Siri and its Eyes Free mode via Bluetooth is an incredible opportunity to provide next-generation connectivity and meet our customer's ever-changing needs."

Honda recognizes the power of Siri and Eyes Free mode as an in-vehicle tool that will help meet the connectivity and convenience needs of its customers in a responsible manner. Honda has reengineered its software to seamlessly integrate Siri Eyes Free mode into its Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® via the onboard microphone and speakers.

About Honda and Acura
Honda offers a diverse lineup of 12 cars and trucks including the mid-sized Accord, compact Civic, Pilot SUV, CR-V crossover SUV, Crosstour, Ridgeline and Odyssey minivan. Honda also offers a wide range of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles that include the Insight hybrid, Natural Gas Civic, Civic Hybrid, CR-Z (sport hybrid coupe) and FCX Clarity (fuel cell-electric vehicle). Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first overseas subsidiary. Honda began U.S. production of automobiles in 1982.

Connect with Honda and Acura:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
Web site: honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda - www.youtube.com/acura
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda - www.twitter.com/acura_insider
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda - www.facebook.com/Acura
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda/
On Google+

¹Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (3rd and 4th generations), iPad mini and iPod touch (5th generation), and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.

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Honda Automobiles: Honda LaneWatch™ Blind Spot Display Wins A 2013 VIP (Very Innovative Products) Award from Good Housekeeping

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:12:00 -0800

Honda's LaneWatch™ blind spot display has won a Good Housekeeping 2013 "Very Innovative Products" (VIP) Award, the only automotive product to earn this distinction for 2013 and one of only nine innovative new product winners overall. Good Housekeeping's 2013 VIP award winners were chosen from more than 1,500 new products evaluated by the scientists and engineers at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute during the past year in the magazine's state-of-the-art product-testing laboratory. Before any product can be named a VIP award winner, it must also pass the Research Institute's evaluations for performance and safety.

Debuting on the all-new 2013 Accord, which recently achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) new TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation, and now also available on the versatile 2013 Crosstour, LaneWatch uses a camera mounted on the passenger-side mirror to display real-time images of the vehicle's right-side blind spot on an 8-inch color dashboard display. The image appears when the right turn signal is activated, or when a button on the end of the turn signal stalk is pressed.

"LaneWatch is an intuitive visibility technology that represents the sort of innovation that consumers have come to expect from Honda," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Automotive products don't often win Good Housekeeping's VIP awards, and that makes it even sweeter to have LaneWatch listed among the best new consumer products of 2013."

The typical field of view for a passenger-side mirror is approximately 18 to 22 degrees, but the LaneWatch field-of-view is about four times greater, or approximately 80 degrees. The system helps the driver to see traffic, as well as pedestrians, bicycles or other objects in the vehicle's blind spot. To help make judging distance easier, the display has three reference lines. Drivers are encouraged to visually confirm roadway conditions prior to changing lanes.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of Honda cars, trucks and service through a network of over 1,000 Honda dealerships within the United States. In 2012, Honda marked 30 years of producing automobiles in the U.S.¹, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 23 million vehicles in North America, Honda currently operates seven major automobile manufacturing facilities in the region.

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¹ Honda products are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Honda Automobiles: 2013 Honda Accord and CR-V Earn Best Value Awards from Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:03:00 -0800

The 2013 Honda Accord and 2013 Honda C-RV earned Best Value Awards from Kiplinger's Personal Finance. The Accord was named 'Best New Model' in the Cars $30,000-$40,000 category and CR-V was rated 'Best in Class' in the Small Crossover category. Kiplinger's selects the winners based on a number of qualifications including price, performance, value, safety, roominess and driving impressions.

"The Accord and CR-V remain segment standouts for their efficiency, packaging, performance and value," said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing operations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The strength of the Honda lineup is clearly resonating in the marketplace and we are proud to be recognized for offering true value to customers."

The magazine applauded the Accord for upscale styling, efficient packaging and ample standard feature content. For the second consecutive year, the CR-V was named a Best Value, with Kiplinger's noting the model's outstanding cargo capacity and technology features.

"With the 2013 redesign, Accord keeps its essential ingredients - a solid driver-to-road connection, comfy interior and high resale values - and spices things up with new technology and a more modern exterior," said Jessica Anderson, associate editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "Additionally, in an increasingly crowded segment, CR-V is the ideal others aspire to."

In addition to being named a 'Best Value' by Kiplinger's Personal Finance, the all-new 2013 Honda Accord is among the first vehicles awarded the TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and was named to Car and Driver Magazine's '10Best Cars' list for a record 27th time. Both the 2013 Accord 4-cylinder and V-6 powertrains were named to the Ward's 10 Best Engines. Additionally, the Honda-exclusive LaneWatch™ blind spot display, which debuted on the Accord, won Good Housekeeping Magazine's 'Very Innovative Product' award for 2013.

The CR-V finished 2012 as the best-selling SUV in the U.S and was also named a TOP SAFETY PICK by the IIHS.

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of Honda cars, trucks and service through a network of 1,037 Honda dealerships within the United States. In 2012, Honda marked 30 years of producing automobiles in the U.S.¹, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced more than 23 million vehicles in North America, Honda currently operates seven major automobile manufacturing facilities in the region.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
Honda Accord (for consumers): http://automobiles.honda.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Google+

¹Honda products are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts.

About Kiplinger
For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting. Founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation's first successful newsletters in modern times. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation's first personal finance magazine and has been covering cars since then as a major component of family finances. Kiplinger.com is the fastest growing Web site in the personal finance space. Located in the heart of our nation's capital, the Kiplinger editors remain dedicated to delivering sound, unbiased advice for your family and your business in clear, concise language.
For more information, visit http://www.kiplinger.com.

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Honda Automobiles: 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Specifications & Features

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:44:00 -0800

ENGINEERING	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Gasoline Engine Type	In-Line 4-Cylinder
Engine Block/Cylinder Head	Aluminum-Alloy
Displacement (cc)	1993
Bore and Stroke (mm)	81 x 96.7
Compression Ratio	13.0 : 1
Valve Train	16-Valve DOHC i-VTEC®
Drive-by-Wire Throttle System	•
Eco Assist™ System	•
Active Noise Cancellation™ (ANC)	•
Hill Start Assist	•
CARB Emissions Rating¹	SULEV20/TZEV
Direct Ignition System with Immobilizer	•
ELECTRIC POWER STORAGE	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Lithium-Ion Battery	•
Volume/Size (kWh)	6.7
Output (kW)	15
6.6 kW Onboard 32-Amp Charger	•
Approximate Charging Time3 (hrs, 240V / 120V4)	1 / 3
ELECTRIC MOTOR	ACCORD PLUG-IN
AC Synchronous Permanent-Magnet Electric Motor	•
Gasoline Engine Horsepower (SAE net @ rpm)	141 @ 6200 rpm
Battery Power (kW/hp)	41/55
TRANSMISSION	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT)	•
BODY/SUSPENSION/CHASSIS	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Aluminum Hood	•
Unit-Body Construction	•
MacPherson Strut Front Suspension	•
Independent Multi-Link Rear Suspension	•
Stabilizer Bar (mm, front/rear)	19 / 16
Electric Power-Assisted Rack-and-Pinion Steering (EPS)	•
Steering Wheel Turns, Lock-to-Lock	2.55
Steering Ratio	13.36
Turning Diameter, Curb-to-Curb (ft)	38.1
Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Solid Rear Disc Brakes	•
Wheels	17" Forged Alloy with Aero Covers
All-Season Tires	225/50 R17 94V
Tire Repair Kit (TRK) with 24-Hour Assistance	•
EXTERIOR MEASUREMENTS	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Wheelbase (in)	109.3
Length (in)	193.5
Height (in)	57.7
Width (in)	72.8
Track (in, front/rear)	62.4 / 62.7
Curb Weight (lbs)	3799
Weight Distribution (%, front/rear)	56 / 44
INTERIOR MEASUREMENTS	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Headroom (in, front/rear)	39.1 / 37.5
Legroom (in, front/rear)	42.5 / 38.5
Shoulder Room (in, front/rear)	58.6 / 56.5
Hiproom (in, front/rear)	55.6 / 54.7
Cargo Volume (cu ft)	8.6
Passenger Volume (cu ft)	103.2
Seating Capacity	5
EPA MILEAGE RATINGS⁵/FUEL	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Electric-Only Miles-Per-Gallon of Gasoline-Equivalent (MPGe, City/Highway/Combined)	124 / 105 / 115
Gasoline-Only (MPG, City/Highway/Combined)	47 / 46 / 46
Combined Gas-Electric Driving Range Rating (mi)	574
Maximum EV Mode Driving Range Rating (mi)	13
Fuel (gal)	12.2
Required Fuel	Regular Unleaded
ACTIVE SAFETY	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS)	•
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)⁶	•
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)⁷	•
Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control⁸	•
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)	•
Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)	•
Brake Assist	•
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)⁹	•
LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)	•
PASSIVE SAFETY	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACETM) II Body Structure	•
Dual-Stage, Multiple-Threshold Front Airbags (SRS)	•
SmartVent™ Front Side Airbags	•
Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor	•
3-Point Seat Belts at all Seating Positions	•
Front 3-Point Seat Belts with Automatic Tensioning System	•
Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH): Lower Anchors (2nd-Row Outboard), Tether Anchors (2nd-Row All)	•
Driver's and Front Passenger's Seat-Belt Reminder	•
Child-Proof Rear Door Locks	•
EXTERIOR FEATURES	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Battery Charging Door (120V and 240V)	•
Fin-Type Roof-Mounted Antenna	•
Security System with Smart Entry	•
Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers	•
Body-Colored Decklid Spoiler	•
LED Headlights with Auto-On/Off and Blue-Tinted Chrome Bezels	•
Fog Lights	•
LED Brake Lights with Blue-Tinted Chrome Bezels	•
Chrome Door Handles	•
Heated, Body-Colored Power Side Mirrors with Integrated LED Turn Indicators and Expanded View Driver's Mirror	•
COMFORT & CONVENIENCE	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Electric Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control System	•
HondaLink™ Telematics	•
Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition10, Interface Dial and HondaLink Real-Time Traffic™	•
i-MID with 8-Inch High-Resolution WVGA (800x480) Screen and Customizable Feature Settings	•
Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with Guidelines	•
Honda LaneWatch™¹¹	•
Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®¹²	•
SMS Text Message Function¹³	•
Power On/Off Button	•
Power Windows with Auto-Up/Down Driver's and Front Passenger's Windows	•
Illuminated Power Window Switches	•
Power Door Locks/Programmable Auto-Locking Doors	•
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)¹⁴	•
Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel	•
Illuminated Steering Wheel-Mounted Controls	Cruise / Audio / Phone / i-MID / Navi
Tilt and Telescopic Steering Column	•
HomeLink® Remote System¹⁵	•
Center Console with Armrest and Storage Compartment	•
Beverage Holders, Front and Rear	•
Driver's and Front Passenger's Illuminated Vanity Mirrors	•
Automatic-Dimming Rearview Mirror	•
Map Lights	•
Sunglasses Holder	•
12-Volt Power Outlets	•
Lockable Glove Compartment	•
Driver- and Passenger-Side Seatback Pockets	•
Remote Fuel Filler Door Release	•
Remote Trunk Release with Lock	•
Electronic Remote Trunk Release	•
Rear Window Defroster	•
Cargo Area Light	•
Floor Mats	•
Side Door Pockets	•
SEATING	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Honda Bio-Fabric-Trimmed Interior	•
Driver's Seat with 10-Way Power Adjustment, including Power Lumbar Support and Two-Position Memory	•
Heated Front and Outboard Rear Seats	•
Adjustable Front Seat-Belt Anchors	•
Fold-Down Rear-Seat Center Armrest	•
AUDIO SYSTEMS	ACCORD PLUG-IN
180-Watt AM/FM/CD Audio System with 6 Speakers	•
HondaLink™ featuring Aha™¹⁶ Compatibility	•
Audio Touch-Screen	•
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) including 16-GB Audio Memory¹⁷	•
Pandora®18 Compatibility	•
Bluetooth® Streaming Audio	•
Song By Voice® (SBV)	•
USB Audio Interface¹⁹	•
MP3/Auxiliary Input Jack	•
MP3/Windows Media®20 Audio (WMA) Playback Capability	•
Radio Data System (RDS)	•
Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC)	•
MULTI - INFORMATION DISPLAY	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Average Fuel Economy Indicator	•
Average Speed Indicator	•
Digital Odometer and Digital Trip Meters (2)	•
Eco Drive Display	•
Elapsed Time Indicator	•
Energy Flow Indicator	•
Engine Oil Life Indicator	•
Exterior Temperature Indicator	•
Instant Fuel Economy Indicator	•
Miles-to-Empty Indicator	•
INTELLIGENT MULTI - INFORMATION DISPLAY	ACCORD PLUG-IN
Average Fuel Economy Indicator	•
Clock	•
Compass	•
Customizable Feature Settings	•
Energy Flow Indicator	•
Instant Fuel Economy Indicator	•
Miles-to-Empty Indicator	•
Multi-Angle Rearview Camera	•
Welcome Screen	•
INSTRUMENTATION	ACCORD PLUG-IN
12-Volt Battery-Charging System Indicator	•
ABS Indicator	•
Airbag System Indicator	•
Backlit Gauges	•
Brake System Indicator	•
ECON Mode Indicator	•
Electric Power Steering (EPS) Indicator	•
EV Mode Indicator	•
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) Indicator	•
Fog Lights Indicator	•
Fuel Level Indicator	•
Headlights-On Indicator	•
High-Beam Indicator	•
HV Mode Indicator	•
Immobilizer System Indicator	•
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Indicator	•
Lithium-Ion Battery Charge Level Indicator	•
Low-Tire Pressure Indicator	•
Low-Fuel Indicator	•
Low-Oil Pressure Indicator	•
Malfunction Indicator	•
Passenger-Side Airbag-Off Indicator	•
Power/Charge Indicator	•
Power System Indicator	•
Ready-to-Drive Indicator	•
Seat-Belt Reminder Indicator	•
Security System Indicator	•
Shift Lever Position Indicator	•
Smart Entry System Indicator	•
System Message Indicator	•
TPMS Indicator	•
VSA System and VSA-Off Indicators	•

[1] SULEV20 (Super-Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle) model as certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
[2] Does not apply to fluid and filter changes. Will vary with driving conditions. Please see your Honda dealer for details.
[3] Charging time is measured from initial illumination of the low state-of-charge indicator, not from full depletion.
[4] Honda recommends the use of a dedicated 120-volt GFCI outlet tested for use by an electrician.
[5] Based on 2014 EPA mileage and driving range ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your MPGe/MPG and driving range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-PHEV-label.shtml.
[6] FCW cannot detect all objects ahead and may not detect a given object; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and other factors. System operation affected by extreme interior heat. FCW does not include a braking function. Driver remains responsible for safely operating vehicle and avoiding collisions.
[7] LDW only alerts drivers when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use. LDW may not detect all lane markings or lane departures; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and road condition. System operation affected by extreme interior heat. Driver remains responsible for safely operating vehicle and avoiding collisions.
[8] VSA is not a substitute for safe driving. It cannot correct the vehicle’s course in every situation or compensate for reckless driving. Control of the vehicle always remains with the driver.
[9] For optimal tire wear and performance, tire pressure should be checked regularly with a gauge. Do not rely solely on the monitor system. Please see your Honda dealer for details.
[10] The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ is standard in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. (HondaLink Real-Time Traffic service only available in the United States, except Alaska). Please see your Honda dealer for details. - UPDATE with correct Real-Time area coverage
[11] Display accuracy will vary based on weather, size of object and speed, and the display may not show all relevant traffic. The display is not a substitute for your own direct visual assessment of traffic conditions before changing lanes.
[12] The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., is under license.
[13] Compatible with select phones with Bluetooth®. Your wireless carrier's rate plans apply. State or local laws may limit use of texting feature. Only use texting feature when conditions allow you to do so safely.
[14] ACC cannot detect all objects ahead and may not detect a given object; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and other factors. ACC should not be used in heavy traffic, poor weather or on winding roads. The driver remains responsible to slow or stop the vehicle to avoid a collision.
[15] HomeLink and the HomeLink house are registered trademarks of Johnson Controls®.
[16] Compatible smartphone required. All Aha platform feeds are audible, not visual in nature. Vehicle does not provide any feeds. Some state laws prohibit the operation of handheld electronic devices while operating a vehicle. Launch smartphone applications only when the vehicle is safely parked. Aha is a trademark of Harman International Industries, Inc. Your wireless carrier's rates may apply.
[17] Audio memory is a component of navigation system's hard disk drive (HDD).
[18] Pandora, the Pandora logo, and the Pandora trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pandora Media, Inc. Used with permission. Compatible with select smartphones. See: www.pandora.com/everywhere/mobile. Not all devices compatible with USB connection. Your wireless carrier's rate plans apply.
[19] The USB Audio Interface is used for direct connection to and control of some current digital audio players and other USB devices that contain MP3, WMA or AAC music files. Some USB devices with security software and digital rights-protected files may not work. Please see your Honda dealer for details.
[20] Windows Media® is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Honda Automobiles: 115 MPGe Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid, Most Fuel-Efficient Sedan in America, Now Available at Select New York and California Dealerships

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 09:00:00 -0800

The 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, rated by the EPA at 115 MPGe¹ in all electric mode, making it the most fuel-efficient sedan in America, went on-sale at select New York and California Honda dealers on January 15 with an MSRP of $39,780² and a monthly lease price of $429³.

Combining hybrid efficiency with a powerful dose of instantaneous electric-motor torque, the Honda Accord Plug-In is rated by the EPA with a maximum EV Mode driving range of 13 miles and a gasoline fuel-economy rating of 47/46/46 mpg (city/hwy/combined). The 2014 Accord Plug-In earned the highest EPA MPGe rating¹ (115 MPGe) in its class⁴, topping all plug-in-class competitors. In addition to being Honda’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Accord Plug-In is the first production car in the U.S. to meet the new, more stringent LEV3/SULEV20 emissions standard, and will also qualify for single-occupant carpool-lane access in California.

Honda Accord Plug-In Fuel Efficiency Comparison
Model	EPA Combined MPGe Rating	EPA Fuel Economy City/Highway/Combined
Honda Accord Plug-In	115 MPGe	47/46/46
Ford Fusion Energi Plug-In	100 MPGe	44/41/43
Chevy Volt	98 MPGe	35/40/37
Prius Plug-In	95 MPGe	51/49/50

The 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid is powered by an all-new Honda Earth DreamsTM technology two-motor hybrid system utilizing a powerful 124-kilowatt (kW) electric motor that also acts like a continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) mated to a highly fuel-efficient 2.0-liter i-VTEC, Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine. Electric-only operation is supported by a 6.7-kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery, with high efficiency regenerative braking provided by an all-new electric-servo braking system.

To maximize driving efficiency, the new two-motor hybrid system allows the Accord Plug-In powertrain to transition seamlessly between all-electric EV Drive, gasoline-electric Hybrid Drive; and direct Engine Drive. Beyond its function as a full-electric vehicle, owners of the Accord Plug-In will be able to choose two additional driving modes to manage battery capacity and tailor the capabilities of the vehicle to their commute. In its default start-up mode, the Accord Plug-In acts as a pure electric vehicle and will remain in full-electric mode until the battery state of charge necessitates the automatic switch to gas/electric hybrid operation. At higher speeds and engine loads, such as during aggressive acceleration, the gasoline engine kicks in to provide additional power. There is also a button on the center console that allows the driver to manually select EV mode – for example, if they want to utilize EV mode in their neighborhood, or in city traffic on stop-and-go highway driving when regenerative braking potential is increased. In the driver-selectable “HV” mode, the plug-in Accord acts as a conventional hybrid, blending electric motor gasoline engine power to maximize fuel efficiency while maintaining the battery charge level.

The plug-in Accord can be fully charged from a low-charge indication point in less than three hours using the supplied 120-volt charger when plugged into a standard 120-volt household electrical outlet (use of a dedicated GFCI outlet is recommended), and in less than one hour using a 240-volt “Level-2” charger⁵. The free HondaLink™ EV smartphone application will allow owners to remotely monitor the charging state of the Accord Plug-In.

Based on the Touring trim level of standard Accord Sedan but featuring unique styling cues, the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In will be available in three exterior colors, including two standard Accord shades (White Orchid Pearl and Crystal Black Pearl) plus a model-exclusive Burnished Silver Metallic.

Honda Environmental Leadership
In addition to producing the Accord Plug-In, Honda has developed numerous technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, including the Honda Fit EV, Civic Natural Gas and the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Honda has also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for 15 consecutive years.

Connect with Honda:
Media Newsroom (for journalists): http://www.hondanews.com/
For consumers: http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-hybrids/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda/
On Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Honda

¹ 124 city/105 highway/115 combined miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) electric rating; 47 city/46 highway/46 combined MPG gasoline only rating. 13 mile maximum EV mode driving range rating. 574 mile combined gas-electric driving range rating. Ratings determined by EPA. Use for comparison purposes only. Your MPGe/MPG and driving range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-PHEV-label.shtml

² MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $790 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.

³ $429.00 per month for 36 months. $2,499.00 total due at signing. Includes down payments with no security deposit. Excludes taxes, titles and dealer fees. For well qualified lessees. Subject to limited availability in New York and California only. Closed end lease for 2014 Accord Plug-In CVT PHEV (CR5F7EGW) available from January 15, 2013 through March 4, 2013, to well-qualified lessees approved by Honda Financial Services. Not all lessees will qualify. Higher lease rates apply for lessees with lower credit ratings. MSRP $40,570.00 (includes destination, excludes tax, license, title, registration, documentation fees, options, insurance and the like). Actual net capitalized cost $32,768.63. Net capitalized cost includes $595 acquisition fee. Dealer contribution may vary and could affect actual lease payment. Total monthly payments $15,444.00. Option to purchase at lease end $20,285.00. Must take new retail delivery on vehicle from dealer stock by March 4, 2013. Lessee responsible for maintenance, excessive wear/tear and 15¢/mile over 12,000 miles/year for vehicles with MSRP less than $30,000, and 20¢/mile over 12,000 miles/year for vehicles with MSRP of $30,000 or more. See your NY or CA Accord Plug-In dealer for complete details.

⁴ Among available mid-size hybrid sedans.

⁵ From low-charge indicator illumination point to full charge.

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Honda Automobiles: Five Honda Vehicles Earn Recognition on ACEEE's List of "Greenest" and "Greener" Vehicles of 2013

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:48:00 -0800

Five Honda vehicles have earned recognition from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for superior environmental performance, including three Honda vehicles that have been named among the ACEEE's "greenest vehicles of 2013." In the annual ACEEE's "Green Book® Online"ranking of environmentally responsible vehicles, the zero emissions, 100-percent electric Honda Fit EV placed second on the "greenest" list and was joined by two Honda hybrid models – the Insight and Civic Hybrid – on the ACEEE's list of the 12 most environmentally responsible, "greenest" vehicles available to the public.

The fun and fuel-efficient subcompact Honda Fit and the Honda Odyssey minivan were also named as "greener choices of 2013" within their respective classes. This is the 15th straight year that multiple Honda vehicles have been named in the top 12.

"The recognition by ACEEE of Honda's alternative fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles over the past 15 years further validates our commitment to create and deliver more energy-efficient, low emissions mobility solutions for society," said Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Honda's vision for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which is reflected in our environmental slogan of "Blue Skies for our Children," inspires us to lead and innovate in every aspect of our operations, from our product engineering and manufacturing practices to our upstream sales and service activities."

The ACEEE ranking system uses a singular measure that incorporates fuel economy and health-related pollution impacts plus global warming and upstream emissions. All vehicles are analyzed and given a "Green Score" which is used to rank each vehicle's total environmental performance, including a list of the 12 "greenest" and 12 "meanest" vehicles along with a ranking of greenest vehicles by segment.

The Honda Fit EV is part of Honda's diverse and growing portfolio of advanced alternative-fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles and has an EPA combined mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe¹. Based on the popular five-door, five-passenger Fit and Fit Sport, the 100-percent electric Fit EV features a 20-kilowatt-hour (kWh) Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery and a compact 92-kilowatt (123 horsepower) AC synchronous electric motor that produced 189 ft-lb of motor torque. This efficient powertrain is teamed with a fully independent suspension and a driver-selectable 3-mode drive system. The result is a fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway driving range rating of 82 miles¹.

When connected to a 240-volt circuit, the Fit EV battery can be recharged (from a low charge indicator illumination point²) in less than three hours. When connected to a charging device, charging can be monitored, scheduled, started or stopped by an included Fit EV interactive remote control, by an available smartphone application, or by any web-enabled device, such as a laptop or tablet PC.

The Fit EV is available for lease ($389/month or three years) in select markets in California and Oregon, and will be launching in select Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and New York markets in the spring.

Honda's Environmental Leadership
Honda has a long history of environmental innovation, including the retail introduction of America's first hybrid (1999 Honda Insight), delivery of the first fuel-cell electric vehicle in the U.S. (2002 Honda FCX) and the first gasoline-powered vehicles in the hands of consumers to meet stricter emissions standards, including: the 1996 Honda Civic, the first gasoline Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV); the 1998 Honda Accord, the first gasoline Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV); the 2000 Honda Accord, the first gasoline Super Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV); the 2001 Civic Natural Gas, the first vehicle to qualify as an Advanced Technology Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV); and the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In, the first Super Ultra-Low Emissions 20 Vehicle (LEV 3/SULEV 20), now available for lease and sale in California and New York state.

For more information or downloadable high-resolution images of Honda award winners and other Honda vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com. For more information on ACEEE, visit http://www.greenercars.org.

Connect with Honda:
Honda Media Newsroom (for journalists): www.hondanews.com
Honda (for consumers): automobiles.honda.com
Honda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
Honda on YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Honda on Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Honda on Google+

¹ 132/105/118 city/highway/combined miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) rating; 82 mile combined (city/highway) driving range rating (adjusted). Ratings determined by U.S. EPA. Your MPGe and range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-electric-label.shtml.

² From low-charge indicator illumination point to full charge.

ACEEE's Green Book® Online — GREENEST VEHICLES OF 2013

Make and Model	Specifications	Emission Standard a	MPG: City	MPG: Hwy	Green Score
TOYOTA PRIUS C	1.5L 4, auto	SULEV II / Bin 3	53	46	58
HONDA FIT b	Electric (Li-ion battery)	ZEV	3.9	3.1	57
TOYOTA PRIUS	1.8L 4, auto	PZEV / Bin 3	51	48	55
TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID c	Electric (Li-ion bat.) / 1.8L 4, auto CVT	PZEV / Bin 3	3.9 / 51	3.0 / 49	55
HONDA CIVIC HYBRID	1.5L 4, auto	PZEV / Bin 2	44	44	55
HONDA INSIGHT	1.3L 4, auto	Bin 3	41	44	54
VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HYBRID	1.4L 4, auto	PZEV / Bin 3	42	48	53
MERCEDES-BENZ SMART FORTWO CONVERTIBLE / COUPE	1.0L 3, manual [P]	ULEV II / Bin 5	34	38	53
SCION IQ	1.3L 4, auto	ULEV II / Bin 5	36	37	53
FORD FOCUS b	Electric (Li-ion bat.)	ZEV / Bin 1	3.3	2.9	52
TOYOTA PRIUS V	1.8L 4, auto	SULEV II / Bin 3	44	40	52
FORD FUSION HYBRID / C-MAX HYBRID	2.0L 4, auto	Bin 3	47	47	51
[P] denotes premium gasoline. "auto CVT" denotes continuously variable automatic transmission. a A listing with two emission standards (e.g., Tier 2 bin 2/ PZEV) denotes a single vehicle carrying both a Federal and a California emission certification. Green Scores for such listings reflect the cleaner of the two certifications. b Fuel economy for electric vehicles is provided in miles per kilowatt-hour. c Fuel economy for plug-in hybrids is provided in miles per gallon for gasoline operation and in miles per kilowatt-hour for electric operation.

# # #

Honda Automobiles: Honda Captures Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0800

Honda has received three 2012 Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards honoring the brand in key high-growth segments. For the third time and second straight year, the Honda brand led the industry in "Hispanic Market Loyalty to Make." Best-selling in their segments for 2012, Civic and CR-V captured awards for owner loyalty in the highly-competitive "Compact Car" and "Compact SUV" categories.

"Honda has never taken owner loyalty lightly, and it's been an honor to see so many owners return for a new Honda during the last year," said Tom Peyton, assistant vice president of Advertising and Marketing at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Winning three awards from Polk in these hard-fought segments validates Honda's commitment to high vehicle quality and long-term customer satisfaction."

The Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards are based on actual model year purchase/lease activity and recognize manufacturers for superior performance in owner retention – a critical aspect of building and maintaining market share.

"Honda's wins this year are a great example of their commitment to owner loyalty," said Brad Smith, director of Polk's Loyalty Management Practice. "Retaining customers in a competitive marketplace is extremely challenging and Honda's product offerings, combined with their customer engagement strategies have resulted in high rates of repurchase loyalty."

Owners had such a positive overall experience that they came back to buy another vehicle of the same model, make, or manufacturer. Awards are based on actual consumer transactions, with more than 5.9 million household records from the 2012 model year being analyzed to determine the winners based on information obtained from state vehicle registrations and lease transaction information.

# # #

Honda Automobiles: Honda "Urban SUV Concept" Makes World Debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:50:00 -0800

Please download the Adobe Flash Player in order to play this video.

An all-new Honda "Urban SUV Concept" vehicle made its world debut today at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The dynamic and youthful concept hints at the styling direction of an all-new small SUV slated to launch in Japan by the end of 2013, followed by the U.S. market in 2014.

"No one has had greater success with small cars than Honda, and this Urban SUV Concept will create new value in the growing small-SUV segment," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales at American Honda. "With the continued expansion of our North American manufacturing operations, we expect fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive 'small' cars to play a key role in meeting the needs of our customers in the U.S."

The Urban SUV Concept is intended to provide the basis for a fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient small SUV with aspirational design, flexible packaging and next-generation connectivity targeting active lifestyle customers. The concept showcases clean and sophisticated styling, dynamic character lines and a strong stance, with hidden rear door handles giving the SUV a coupe-like presence. Measuring 169.3 inches long, the Urban SUV Concept is nine inches shorter than the Honda CR-V, making it the ideal size for navigating both crowded city streets and open mountain roads.

The Urban SUV Concept represents the expansion of vehicles based on Honda's Global Compact Series, which includes the Honda Fit subcompact and the Honda City subcompact sedan, a model sold in markets outside the United States.

All-New Small SUV Launching 2014
Coming to the U.S. in 2014, an all-new small SUV based on the Urban SUV Concept will feature fuel-efficient Earth Dreams™ Technology and be priced and positioned below the CR-V within the Honda light-truck lineup. Part of Honda's Global Compact Series, and utilizing the Honda-original center-tank layout featured on the Fit, the model will include Honda's configurable Magic Seat® setup that can provide a host of passenger and cargo options, including a fold-flat mode for maximum cargo capacity. The all-new model will also feature next-generation telematics and a modern interior.

The small SUV will be manufactured along with the Fit at Honda's newest North American plant near Celaya, Mexico, expected to open in the spring of 2014. The growth and expansion of its small-vehicle lineup will help Honda double worldwide production of vehicles in its Global Compact Series to more than 1.5 million units by the end of 2016, and remain a global small-car leader.

About Honda
American Honda offers a complete lineup of Honda cars, trucks and service through a network of over 1,000 Honda dealerships within the United States. In 2012, Honda marked 30 years of producing automobiles in the U.S., which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced over 23 million vehicles in North America, Honda currently operates 14 manufacturing facilities in the region, producing¹ a wide range of Honda automobiles, engines and transmissions.

Connect with Honda:
For Consumers: http://www.honda.com/news
Multimedia Newsroom (media only): http://www.hondanews.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/honda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Honda
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/honda
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/hondanews
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Honda

¹ Honda vehicles are produced using domestically and globally sourced parts

###

Honda Automobiles: Honda Teams With Forza Horizon for Civic Launch

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:00:00 -0800

Honda is set to launch three distinct performance-oriented models in the year's biggest racing game, Forza Horizon on Xbox 360. Beginning on Tues, Jan. 15, Forza Horizon players can download the Honda Challenge Car Pack on Xbox LIVE, featuring three Honda models, the new 2013 Civic Si Coupe, original 1986 Civic Si or Honda Performance Development B-Spec Rally Fit, free to Xbox LIVE members.

"Gaming is a huge passion of our Honda Civic customer and integrating with the latest installment of the popular Forza franchise allows us to interact with our customers where they naturally are," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "To create an immersive event, we partnered with Microsoft and Xbox to develop a branded destination experience complete with free car downloads for players."

In addition to downloading Honda cars to play in-game, players can race virtually against Honda IndyCar driver Scott Dixon and try to beat his fastest time around the environment in a 2013 Civic Si. This "2013 Civic Si Challenge" contest awards the fastest racer the opportunity to meet the Indianapolis 500® winner in person and receive a custom Civic Si-themed Xbox 360 gaming console.

On Feb. 15 a photo contest will launch in Forza Horizon encouraging players to submit photos taken in-game of the 2013 Civic Si. The best photo will be featured on Honda social channels and on the Honda website. Winners of the contest will receive a custom Civic Si-themed Xbox 360 gaming console.

Beginning on Dec. 15 the branded destination experience launched and video banner ads directed players from the Xbox LIVE environment. Players could then view photos of Honda cars and vote on the track to compete in the "2013 Civic Si Challenge."

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of Honda cars, trucks and service through a network of 1,037 Honda dealerships within the United States. In 2012, Honda marked 30 years of producing automobiles in U.S.¹, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio in November 1982. Having produced over 23 million vehicles in North America, Honda currently operates 7 major automobile manufacturing facilities in the region.

¹Honda products are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts.

About Forza
Celebrate speed, music, and style at the Horizon Festival! Forza Horizon combines legendary Forza authenticity with the freedom of the open road. Forza Horizon is exclusively on the Xbox 360 and is now available in a Limited Collector's Edition ($79.99 U.S. ERP) and a Standard Edition ($59.99 U.S. ERP). The game is rated "T" For Teen by the ESRB. According to MetaCritic.com Forza Horizon is the highest-rated racing game on the Xbox 360 this holiday season.

Connect with Forza:
Web: www.forzamotorsport.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/forzamotorsport
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Turn10Studios
YouTube: www.youtube.com/Turn10Studios

# # #

Honda Automobiles: 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid Pricing and EPA

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0800

Model	Transmission	MSRP*	EPA City/Hwy/Combined MPG**

Accord Plug-In Hybrid	two-motor hybrid	$39,780	47/46/46

*Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) excluding tax, license, registration, $790 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.

**Based on 2013 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

Honda Automobiles: Honda to Build New 2014 Accord Hybrid in U.S.

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:56:00 -0800

Honda of America Mfg., Inc. announced today that it will invest $23 million and hire approximately 50 new associates at its Marysville, Ohio auto plant to add production of the new two-motor Accord Hybrid Sedan, scheduled to go on sale nationwide this fall.

In another step toward bringing hybrid production to the U.S., this will be the third hybrid model built by Honda in America¹ and the first in Ohio. Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC in Greensburg, Ind. was the first Honda plant in North America to build a hybrid vehicle, and currently produces both the Civic Hybrid and Acura ILX Hybrid models.

The Marysville Auto Plant is undergoing an expansion of 95,000-square-feet to house assembly processes and logistics specifically for production of the Accord Hybrid. The project includes lengthening the main assembly line to accommodate the unique hybrid production processes, and adding space for related parts receiving and sub-assembly operations. The project also will increase overall efficiency of the plant's parts logistics operations.

"With more than 30 years of continuously building eight generations of the Honda Accord close to our customers, our team now is using its experience and flexibility to add this sophisticated Accord Hybrid model," said Jeff Tomko, plant manager of the Marysville Auto Plant. "At the same time, we are continuing with our commitment to manufacture new models in Ohio, along with the resulting growth in jobs."

One of four efficient powertrains for the Accord lineup, the new Accord Hybrid Sedan joins the 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid Sedan in incorporating Honda's first two-motor hybrid system. Both the Accord Plug-In and Accord Hybrid team a new Earth Dreams™ Technology 2.0-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine with a powerful 124-kilowatt (KW) traction electric motor that can function as an electric continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) and a 105-KW electric motor for power generation.

All of the conventional, gasoline-powered 2013 Accords now on sale in the United States are equipped with a new Earth Dreams Technology powertrain, either a direct-injected 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter V6 engine equipped with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). Manufactured at Honda's automobile engine plant in Anna, Ohio, both of these new and efficient engines were named to Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 2013.

In the last three years, Honda has announced investments at its Ohio manufacturing facilities exceeding $800 million. They include projects to establish on-site parts consolidation centers, renovate auto assembly and painting operations, and major investments at the Anna Engine Plant, as well as its transmission plant in Russells Point, to manufacture continuously variable transmissions (CVTs).

Recently, the transmission plant started a second phase of projects to expand CVT production. This new investment of $90 million includes an additional assembly line, and new aluminum die casting and machining operations. Investments at that the transmission plant in recent years now total $235 million.

Honda in Ohio
Honda operates four manufacturing plants in Ohio, including auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty with the capacity to manufacture nearly 700,000 cars and light trucks per year. Its engine plant in Anna supplies engines and components to most of Honda's auto plants in North America, with production exceeding a million engines per year. And the transmission plant in Russells Point manufactures more than one million automatic transmissions per year, including the CVTs, for Honda's North American auto plants.

In addition to manufacturing, Ohio is the center for vehicle engineering in North America. At its expansive R&D center in Raymond, Ohio, Honda's largest R&D center outside Japan, more than 1,300 associates are engaged in "complete product creation" of all-new products for Honda and Acura customers.
Among all its operations, Honda employs more than 13,500 Ohioans.

About Honda
Honda established operations in America in 1959, and now employs more than 26,000 associates in its U.S. sales, R&D and manufacturing operations with a capital investment of more than $22 billion.

Seven Honda auto plants in the region, including four in the U.S., have the capacity to produce 1.63 million automobiles each year. In 2011, 85 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in North America. This will increase to 1.92 million vehicles per year in 2014, when the sales percentage of locally produced automobiles is expected to rise to more than 90 percent.

Honda operates major research and development centers in the U.S. that fully design, develop and engineer many of the products Honda produces in North America.

Honda media contacts:
Ron Lietzke (Honda of America, Mfg., Inc.) (937) 644-6627, ron_lietzke@ham.honda.com
Edward Miller (Honda North America, Inc., Detroit): (937) 537-1087, ed_miller@hna.honda.com

# # #

¹Honda vehicles and components built in America use domestic and globally sourced parts.

Honda Automobiles: Canard Takes Second in a Remarkable Comeback

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:11:00 -0800

Torrance, CA: Honda Red Riders came out strong Saturday night at round one of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship series, taking home five of the top ten positions in the 450 Supercross class. Fans filled the stands of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA, to see Team Honda Muscle Milk's Trey Canard and Justin Barcia occupy the top spots all night aboard their all-new CRF450Rs. GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac started the season exactly where he left off in 2012, on top of the podium.

The Race
The much-anticipated return of Canard was nothing short of amazing as he posted a second place finish in his qualifying heat race. In the main event—his first main in nearly a year—Canard launched into the first turn to grab a second place start. Throughout the entire 20-lap main event, Canard stuck right with the leader looking for a place to attack. With four laps remaining he made his move to take over the lead, which he held until the final lap when he was passed and finished second—a remarkable performance for a young man who a year ago suffered a broken back that nearly ended his career.

"Tonight went better then I could have ever dreamed. I really had no set number or expectations coming into this race except to give it 100 percent effort and I am beyond grateful to even be lining up on the gate," said Canard. "I hope to be able to continue this throughout the year and hopefully get a win but mostly I just want to be there every weekend."

Rookie Justin Barcia proved that he has the speed to run up front as well, taking an early lead in his heat race and winning under pressure. In the main event, Barcia tucked into third place behind teammate Canard where he stayed the majority of the race. Unfortunately, a few laps before the checkered he went down and finished seventh. "Overall my first race went pretty well. I won my heat race which was cool and got a good start in the main. I was in third behind Trey most of the race until I accidently hit neutral causing me to crash but I was able to get up and finish in seventh."

After nearly two decades of racing, 34-year-old Kevin Windham lined up on the gate for his 18th professional season aboard his GEICO Honda CRF450R. With more than 200 starts under his belt he showed that he can still run with the best of them, finishing the night in tenth. GEICO Honda's Eli Tomac started the season exactly where he left off in 2012, grabbing the lead on the first lap on his CRF250R and setting a blistering pace that was unmatched by the rest of the field. He continued to gap the pack until taking the checkered flag and the win. "Starts are so key for racing. If you don't get a good start it can really put you out of rhythm for the whole race, which seems to be what happened in my heat. Luckily, I got a good start in the main and was able to set a comfortable pace that allowed me to keep a good gap on the Roczen," said Tomac.

GEICO Honda's newest addition Zach Osborne had a successful day, finishing third overall in qualifying and second in his heat. In the main event, Osborne got tangled in a crash on the first lap forcing him to work his way through the field to finish seventh.

TwoTwo Motorsports' Chad Reed rode solid the entire main event posting a fourth place finish, followed by Chaparral Motorsports' Andrew Short in sixth.

The Focus: REvival 41
Muscle Milk presented the world premiere of REvival 41 on Thursday January 3rd at the UltraLuxe Cinemas in Anaheim, CA.

REvival 41 is a moving documentary about Canard's comeback and attempt to reconcile the tragedy and pain of the past with an unshakeable belief in the future. The film follows Canard throughout his yearlong recovery process, including countless doctors appointments, surgeries, physical therapy and an emotional visit to Angel Stadium. After his back-breaking crash at Dodger Stadium, doctors told Canard it would be a year before he would race again; amazingly it took him less than six months to get back on a bike and less than a year to line up on the gate again at Anaheim 1. Many Supercross riders hit the red carpet to support Canard, including teammate Justin Barcia, GEICO Honda riders Wil Hahn, Justin Bogle and Zach Bell. The film was directed and produced by Jason Bergh, Muscle Milk's Shane McCassy and Sal Masekela, who also served as host for the evening.

In the film, Canard says, "I believe that I was put on this earth to ride a motorcycle."

Check out the full-length documentary at www.Revival41.com. To embed the link into your site, please use http://youtu.be/fSaSewBnC_U

450 Supercross Class Overall Results
1. Davi Millsaps
2. Trey Canard (Honda)
3. Ryan Dungey
4. Chad Reed (Honda)
5. Jake Weimer
6. Andrew Short (Honda)
7. Justin Barcia (Honda)
8. James Stewart
9. Justin Brayton
10. Kevin Windham (Honda)

450 Supercross Class Championship Points (after 1 of 17 rounds)
1. Davi Millsaps 25
2. Trey Canard 22
3. Ryan Dungey 20
4. Chad Reed 18
5. Jake Weimer 16
6. Andrew Short 15
7. Justin Barcia 14
8. James Stewart 13
9. Justin Brayton 12
10. Kevin Windham 11

250 Supercross West Class Overall Results
1. Eli Tomac (Honda)
2. Ken Roczen
3. Cole Seely (Honda)
4. Jason Anderson
5. Malcolm Stewart
6. Ryan Sipes
7. Zach Osborne
8. Tyla Rattray
9. Max Anstie
10. Michael Leib

250 Supercross West Class Championship Points (after 1 of 9 rounds)
1. Eli Tomac 25
2. Ken Roczen 22
3. Cole Seely 20
4. Jason Anderson 18
5. Malcolm Stewart 16
6. Ryan Sipes 16
7. Zach Osborne 14
8. Tyla Rattray 13
9. Max Anstie 12
10. Michael Leib 11

About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was established in 1959 and is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and side-by-sides in the U.S. The American Honda Motorcycle Division is responsible for the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to www.powersports.honda.com.

About Muscle Milk
Muscle Milk® Ready-to-Drink is a protein-enhanced functional beverage that promotes workout recovery, lean muscle growth, and sustained energy. Muscle Milk takes the guesswork out of high performance nutrition, delivering a precise blend of premium proteins, complex carbohydrates, functional fats, vitamins & minerals. CytoSport™, the maker of Muscle Milk®, is among the largest sport nutrition protein beverage companies in the U.S. and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes and bars. Muscle Milk® was named Ready-to-Drink Beverage of the Year by bodybuilding.com, Best Functional Beverage and Beverage of the Year by BevNet and Company of the Year by Beverage Forum presented by Beverage Marketing Corporation and Beverage World.