NewCa.com: 2011 Honda's ASIMO at the Ontario Science Centre

How the Honda Insight hybrid works

The guiding design mantra behind the all-new Honda Insight is “Aero Athlete.”

And while that may sound more apt for an exotic Italian two-seater or muscular sport luxury whip rather than an uber-economy car, the sinewy exterior and sporty interior of the 2010 Insight do conjure up athletic images.

“This is an image we use through the design process to communicate our goals for Insight,” explained Yasunari Seki, Honda’s chief engineer of the new 2010 Insight. “It features a chiseled, aerodynamic shape that promises muscular driving.”

He added that the muscular yet elegant lines of the new vehicle form a sharp wedge meant to visually communicate an athlete’s speed, all the way back to the aerodynamic tail of the car.

“Of course, we’ve subjected the allnew Insight to intensive wind tunnel testing and can literally state that the wind helped us design it too.” That’s not to say it is totally removed from the original, which debuted 10 years ago as the first hybrid available in North America.

“We wanted to keep a linkage to the original and provide the new Insight with a design that was distinctive and would communicate its unique personality.”

Designers succeeded in maintaining that ‘linkage’ to the original Insight’s aerodynamic wedge appearance, but there are many all-new design cues, particularly on the outside. For example, the new version’s frontend borrows heavily from the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, while the rounded rear-end and wide lower body is reminiscent of Honda’s sports car designs.

Seki explained that the FCX look indicates that “Insight is a member of Honda’s environmental product lineup,” and the sports car cues are “a key part of Honda’s fun-to-drive product philosophy.” With “Athlete Aero” guiding the exterior design, Seki said the interior’s philosophy is something Honda calls “Emotional Hybrid Interior.” Upon stepping inside it is apparent that a linkage to the past Insight’s cabins was not a high priority.

“In contrast to the concave cockpit designs of the past, the Insight’s cockpit is convex, a refreshing change that lends an advanced, futuristic feel,” said Seki.

“We have also included lots of storage areas for everyday usability, since Insight is meant to be a very usable car for everyday driving. Overall, we have gone for a simple, efficient and clean look and feel.”

Eco Assist system leaves you green
As you’d expect from a vehicle that is full of the unexpected and unorthodox, the 2010 Insight’s dashboard is filled with unique readouts, buttons and systems.The Eco Assist system uses indicator lights and a numerical readout to guide drivers to accelerate and brake in ways that consume less fuel and also increase power regeneration.

Similarly, the Eco Guide readout keeps score of your driving habits, awarding green leaves and blooming flowers.

The speedometer even gets into the act, glowing green when you maximize fuel economy, and blue when you guzzle fuel inefficiently.

Simple as pushing a button. Really
Improving fuel economy in the 2010 Insight is as simple as pushing a button. Really. Just press the ECON button on the far left of the dash and the savings begin. When engaged, the system regulates a number of onboard systems, including air conditioning, climate control, engine operation and the idle stop feature. Estimated combined fuel economy of the 2010 Insight is 4.7 L/100km.

Injury mitigation design
You never want to get hit by a car, of course, but if you ever do, hope it’s a 2010 Insight. The Pedestrian injury mitigation design of the front end and hood helps absorb energy and, according to research, can dramatically reduce the level of pedestrian injury in a front-end collision.

Features include: impactenergy absorbing hood; deformable hood hinges; impact energy-absorbing front fenders; and deformable windshield wiper pivots In addition, space is provided over engine room components to allow the hood to bend and deform.

Body Structure box
Just as the new Insight’s engine has shed a few pounds from its previous incarnation, so too has the high-tensile steel body structure of the 2010 model. In addition, increased rigidity of the body has resulted in better occupant safety, less vibration and a smoother ride.
Sound absorption in the roof, carpet and dashboard keep the cabin quiet, as does the heat and sound insulation in the windshield glass.

H-shaped torsion
McPherson struts up front and an H-shaped torsion beam in the rear give the Insight a smooth and very responsive handling characteristics, but also create a very roomy cabin space, particularly in the rear.

The Insight’s low height and low centre of gravity — remember those batteries under the rear seats — also contribute to the lively driving attributes of the Insight.

This skin is in
As with all great designs, form follows function in the 2010 Insight’s exterior skin. The car’s low height and extremely flat underbody are hallmarks of improved fuel efficient vehicles, and the Insight’s aerodynamic sweep creates a slippery wedge that slices through the air. Sculpted LED lights enhance the four corners of the Insight, and blue-coloured low beams add to the Insight’s clean look.

Source;
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Cars/Honda+Insight+hybrid+works/1445059/story.html

New president, CEO at Honda Canada

Honda Canada Manufacturing will have a new CEO and President effective April 1.

He is Hiroshi Sasamoto, who has been President of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama since April 2007. Mr. Sasamoto is also being promoted to operating officer of Honda Motor Co.

During his tenure as president in Lincoln, he oversaw the transfer of production of the Ridgeline pickup truck from Alliston to Alabama. It's the first time Honda shifted model production from one North American plant to another.

The move in administration comes amid a series of senior executive changes including Honda Motor Company's president Takeo Fukui, stepping down in Japan, on the heels of the automaker's first quarterly loss in 15 years.

HCM, likes its sister plants around North America, Europe and Japan, is undergoing a series of production slow downs that cost approximately 1,000 contract workers their positions with the company, while permanent production associates are on rotating non-production days every Friday through February, and through the traditional March Break. The cuts started in December prior to Christmas.

The automaker's cuts will be acccounted for in this current fiscal year, which ends March 31.

Source;
http://www.madhunt.com/sasamotonewpreshcm.html

Honda Used Certification; A Good Reason to Buy a Used Honda from a Honda Dealer

London, Ontario - Honda Canada has announced that it has made CarProof vehicle history reports an integral part of its Honda and Acura used vehicle programs.

A CarProof report is required for certification under both the Honda Certified Used Vehicle Program, and the Acura pre-owned “Certified Performance” program. It is also required for all Honda and Acura vehicles coming off leases.


Consumers can view each vehicle’s CarProof report by going to the “Certified Used” section of the Honda Canada web site, or the “Pre-Owned” section of the Acura Canada website, and searching for the model of their choice.


“Our mission at CarProof is to bring greater transparency into the used car market by providing both the consumer and the automotive industry with the tool that enables due diligence and full disclosure,” said CarProof president Paul Antony. “We are very pleased by the fact that world-class manufacturers like Honda and Acura are using CarProof to further enhance their CPO programs and screen their off-lease vehicles.”


Source;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/thenews/2008/11/05/honda-adds-carproof-histories-to-used-vehicle-program.htm

Honda Canada UP in a DOWN Market

Honda Canada reports October sales results

Record sales set by new fuel-efficient Honda Fit

TORONTO, Nov. 3 /CNW/ - Honda Canada Inc. reported combined October salesof 11,455 units by its Honda and Acura divisions, a 1% increase over lastOctober. The Honda Automobile Division reported October sales of 10,293 units,up 2% from last year. The Acura Division reported October sales of 1,162units, down 7% over last year.

Honda October sales highlights include:

- Honda Fit set an October sales record of 1,363 units, up 58% over the previous October sales record of 895 units in 2006
- Honda Pilot sales were up 68% over last year
- Honda CR-V sales were up 32% over last year
- Honda Ridgeline sales were up 30% over last year
- Honda Element sales were up 28% over last year

Acura October sales highlights include:
- Acura TL sales were up 47% over last year
- Acura TSX sales were up 33% over last year

With 135 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries worldwide, Hondaattracts more than 23 million customers annually. Honda Canada manufacturesthe Honda Ridgeline and Civic sedan and coupe, and the Acura CSX and MDX atits two plants in Alliston, Ontario, and has produces fuel-efficient4-cylinder engines at its new engine plant in Alliston.

Source;
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2008/03/c4166.html

2010 Honda Odyssey Redesign Information

Well with all this talk of the Japanese Odyssey van being redesigned, I thought I'd put together a little piece on what us North American's can expect in the redesign here.

First off, Honda has raised the bar so high with the current model that aside from a potential Diesel engine, I dont' know how they are going to 'improve' on the van.

Here is what we can expect;

-a full model change for 2010 (I wouldn't be too surprised if Honda held off for one more year)

-"low-emission diesel V6 engine specifically designed for the U.S. market for the 2010 model year."

-as far as the potential diesel engine goes Forget notions of a rattling, smoking truck engine. This one will use Honda’s latest clean-diesel technology to provide smoothness and exhaust emissions that rival a gasoline engine, but with more torque (the thrust you experience when you hit the gas) and better fuel economy.

-the 3.5-liter diesel V-6 should be 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the equivalent gas engine.

-an updated version of the 3.5L gasoline engine will be sold along side the prospective diesel.

-updated interior, don't expect the 2nd row to fold into the floor, althought they will probably tumble closer to the front seats.

-expect the 2010 Honda Odyssey to continue with front-wheel drive and not offer all-wheel drive.

That's all I have for now.

Honda to produce more cars, fewer minivans, SUVs

I know, not exactly new news, but news none the less....

By BRENT SNAVELY • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER


Honda Motor Co. said today it is boosting U.S. production of its Honda Accord while cutting production of its Odyssey minivans and Pilot sport-utility vehicles.


Honda said it is transferring most of its V6 Accord assembly from its plant in Marysville, Ohio, to its plant in Lincoln, Ala., where it has cut minivan and SUV production by 10,000 units this year. After moving most V6 Accord production to Alabama, Honda will boost production of four-cylinder Accords in Marysville, and plans to cut Odyssey and Pilot production there by an additional 22,000 units.


“We are trying to use our plant flexibility to minimize the effects of the market going down and satisfy our customers’ desire for more cars and fewer trucks,” said Honda spokesman Ed Miller.


The production shifts won’t result in an increase in availability of the Accord in the United States -- Honda will import fewer from Japan -- but does mean that Honda will make a higher percentage of Accords in the United States.


For the first nine months of this year, 253,922 of the Accords sold in the Untied States, or 81.1%, were built in the United States, according to Autodata Corp.


“Our rough goal is to build domestically 80% of what we sell in the U.S.,” Miller said. “We've been a little below that in recent years, mainly because of the success of the Fit, but this will bring us back up to 80% or more.”


So far this year, Honda has sold 313,032 Accords through the end of September, up 2.4% from the same period last year. Overall industry sales in the United States were down 12.8% for the same period.


Earlier this year, Honda announced plans to transfer production of the Ridgeline truck to Alabama from Canada in early 2009.


Sales of the Honda Pilot have decreased 16.8% through September to 79,430, while Odyssey sales declined 14% to 112,041.


Source;
http://www.freep.com/article/20081013/BUSINESS01/81013089

1st Generation INSIGHT Technology Information; Integrated Motor Assist

With all the talk about the 2010 Honda Insight, I figured it be fitting to pay tribute to the original Honda Insight and the technology that helped pioneer Honda's Hybrid dreams. So once in awhile when news is slow, I'll feature a different component.
Integrated Motor Assist System

The heart of the hybrid system is Honda’s innovative Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), which couples a compact 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine and an ultra-thin electric motor for outstanding efficiency.

The Insight’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system owes much of its remarkable performance to the application of numerous technologies developed by Honda over the past four decades. They include lean-burn combustion, low-emission engines, variable valve timing, high-efficiency electric motors, regenerative braking, nickel-metal hydride battery technology and microprocessor control.

In the IMA system, Honda engineers have optimized the performance of each of these technologies to create an efficient, lightweight and compact hybrid drive system that people can easily use and that does not require any changes in lifestyle.

Primary motive power for the Insight is provided by the system’s 1.0 liter, 12-valve, 3-cylinder, VTEC-E gasoline engine. Although the engine alone provides sufficient driving performance, when additional power is required, such as initial acceleration from a stop, passing and hill climbing, a permanent-magnet electric motor mounted between the engine and transmission provides power assist.

Since the electric motor is used only for power assistance and not for primary motive power, it too can be made smaller and lighter relative to the full-size traction motors in other hybrid systems.

Power to charge the Insight’s battery pack is generated mostly by recapturing energy from the forward momentum of the vehicle, rather than from the gasoline engine. When the Insight is braking or decelerating while in any gear, the assist motor is electrically reconfigured to operate as a generator, converting forward momentum into electrical energy.

If the charge state of the IMA battery is low, the motor/generator will charge the battery pack via engine power as the Insight cruises. The batteries are located under the cargo compartment floor, along with the IMA system’s Power Control Unit (PCU).

The IMA electric motor also functions as a high-rpm starter motor.

Source;
Honda Canada

Engine plant expansion helping Honda make more products in U.S.

The Honda plant in Anna is the largest Honda auto engine plant in the world, according to the company. The plant recently spent $138 million to expand its production capabilities, and it will now supply steel components for four-cylinder motors made at all of Honda’s North American plants. Those parts used to come primarily from Japan.
Business First of Columbus - by Dan Eaton

Honda spent $138 million to expand its Anna automobile engine plant, but the Shelby County operation won’t be making more engines.

The expansion, which took two years to complete, increases the plant’s steel parts production abilities and makes the 23-year-old plant the North American hub of Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.’s engine operations.

“This has been a major project,” said Honda spokesman Ron Lietzke. “It’s almost the same cost of the new engine plant in Canada.”

The work at Anna has received less public attention than Honda’s other recent North American projects, including the $550 million Greensburg auto plant that is set to open this month in Indiana and the $154 million Alliston engine plant in Ontario. But Anna project leader Jim Hranica said it is equally central to the company’s operations.

Cranking it up

Completion of the expansion is part of a worldwide production reshuffle for the auto maker.

Most manufacturing of four-cylinder motors for Honda’s auto plant in Ontario is moving to an engine plant that opened next door Sept. 15. The Anna plant will take up engine production for Honda’s Greensburg assembly operation and it will continue to make V-6 engines for the Alliston plant.

“We’ve been gearing up to do more V-6 production, but now, with the opening of Greensburg, that is swinging back to four-cylinders,” Hranica said.

The Anna plant, which opened in 1985 to build motorcycle engines, employs 2,750 workers and produces 1.2 million engines a year. The expansion added 100 jobs.

The biggest change is in the manufacture of steel component parts for the four-cylinder motors, which the engine plant will be doing for all of Honda’s North American auto plants. Those parts were mostly imported from Japan.

The Anna plant is increasing and in some cases starting production on cylinder sleeves, crankshafts, camshafts and connecting rods.

“What’s going to end up happening is where we were purchasing parts before, we’ll be able to produce them cheaper here and that’s even without shipping costs,” Hranica said.

For the rest of the article, follow the link;
http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/10/06/story13.html?b=1223265600%5E1710780

More Information on the 2009 Honda Element for Canada

On top of my previous post;
http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2008/09/finally-first-2009-honda-element-pic.html

Here are the Changes (aside from cosmetic) that the 2009's have over the 2008's.

LX 2WD
Adds body colour cladding
Adds Front and Rear splash guards
Adds Variable intermittent wiper
Adds Cruise Main switch to the steering wheel

EX 2WD
Same as 2008's

SC 2WD
Adds XM Radio
Adds Front and Rear splash guards
Adds Exterior Temperature Display
Adds Roof Storage Console
Adds Cruise Main switch to the steering wheel

EX 4WD
NO MORE Rear skylight
Adds XM Radio
Adds Removable Cooler Centre Storage
Adds Variable Intermittent Wiper
Adds Exterior Temperature Display
Adds Cruise Main Switch to the steering wheel

Source;
Honda Canada

Honda becomes official vehicle of the NHL

Honda becomes official vehicle of the NHL

Three-year sponsorship supports hockey in the U.S. and Canada

TORRANCE, Calif. -- American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Canada, Inc., and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into a 3-year agreement naming Honda as the official vehicle of the NHL, the companies announced today. Elements of the agreement include Honda sponsorship of NHL television and Internet coverage along with active participation at NHL events in both the United States and Canada, such as NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008, NHL Winter Classic and NHL All-Star Weekend.

"With more than 53 million fans in the United States and Canada, the NHL is a big part of the sports landscape in North America," said Steve Center, vice president of advertising and public relations for American Honda. "Honda has a long history of supporting sports at all levels worldwide, and working with the NHL will give Honda a great opportunity to become an even bigger part of the hockey experience."

"This partnership integrates the leading brand in the automotive industry with the strength, momentum and excitement of the NHL brand," said Keith Wachtel, the NHL's senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing. “We are excited to have Honda as part of every major NHL platform while strengthening partnerships with NHL member clubs."

The 3-year agreement with the NHL includes provisions for advertising on NHL.com and during game broadcasts, camera-visible signage during games and events, on-site displays of Honda vehicles at select events, and much more. Honda began its involvement with hockey when it became the presenting sponsor of the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks, in 2006.

Okay, now let's bring back those Jets to Winnipeg!

Source;
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=385151

More Pic's of the 2009 Honda Element Brochure

Nice pic's.

Here's a link to my previous post with all the info. that I have on the 2009 Canadian Element's.
http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2008/09/finally-first-2009-honda-element-pic.html

More Pic's of the 2009 Honda Element

Well, courtesy of www.handa-accessories.com comes some accessory pic's of the new 2009 Honda Element, now giving us some 'insight' into the new SC Trim level as well. Looks like Honda is now going towards a new corporate grill (a la Ridgeline and Pilot). The interior pretty much is the same as the previous 2008 model. I speculate that these models to land in the showrooms for late October or early November.

Full Page Brochure Pic of 2009 Honda Element

Just got my hands on the full picture where the previous post came from.

More 2009 Honda Element Information w/pic's

I have to give credit where credit is due, http://www.elementownersclub.com/ member 'Atomic E' scanned a picture from a 2009 product brochure. So there we have it, the revised front grill and quite possibly a revised rear end. Honda says that they are changing up the interior as well, although I wouldn't expect a dramatic difference.

Here's what I know about the 2009 Honda Element's for Canada so far;

2009 Honda Element LX Automatic Transmission
-there is NO model code representing a Manual Transmission, this does not mean that there won't be one, it could be that Honda Canada has not updated their model codes for ordering, but it does make me suspect as to whether or not there will be a Manual Transmission.
-NO model code to distinguish a 2WD and a 4WD as of yet, although I expect the LX to be 2WD only.
Colour Codes(so far);
B-536P Deep Blue
NH-700M Silver
NH-731P Black
YR-579M Orange

2009 Honda Element SC Automatic Transmission
-again, NO model code representing a Manual Transmission.
-again, I expect the same as last year, only a 2WD model.
Colour Codes (so far);
B-536P Deep Blue
NH-700M Silver
NH-731P Black
R-536P Deep Red

2009 Honda Element EX Automatic Transmission
-again, NO model code representing a Manual Transmission.
-I expect the EX to be the 4WD, although there are no specifics.
Colour Codes are the same as the LX

Source;
Honda Canada

Honda's Environmental Technology Milestones

Developing cleaner products is not a new mandate for Honda. Coupled with world-class quality and technology, Honda has routinely incorporated environmentally-focused features into its products for more than 40 years. A few examples include:

* Since 1964 Honda has manufactured only four-stroke outboard motors. Cleaner, more fuel-efficient and quieter than traditional two-stroke outboards, four-stroke motors also do not release oil directly into the water;

* In 1972 Honda introduced the Controlled Vortex Combustion Chamber (CVCC) engine. The CVCC was the first automobile engine capable of meeting the 1970 Clean Air Act without the weight, cost, and complexity of a catalytic converter;

* In 1997 Honda entered the handheld power-equipment market with a noticeably quiet and fuel-efficient trimmer/brush cutter powered by the world’s first 360-degree inclinable mini-four-stroke engine;

* In 1998 Honda became the first company to introduce an entire line of high-performance outboard motors that met the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) year 2006 emission standards;

* In 2000 Honda became the first auto company to receive the EPA’s Climate Protection Award for development of the Honda Insight, the first gas-electric hybrid vehicle sold in the United States;

* In 2002 Honda became the first automaker in the world to market a fuel cell vehicle certified by the U.S. EPA and the state of California. The 2005 Honda FCX also features its own fuel cell stack capable of cold weather operation;

* In 2003 Honda introduced the HRX lawnmower, the first to enable simultaneous distribution of grass clippings to both the bag and the ground with no additional equipment. Whether the user chooses to mulch, compost or dispose of the bagged clippings, all of the options provided by the HRX are better for the environment than conventional clipping disposal.

The Honda Environment Statement
As a responsible member of society determined to help preserve the global environment, Honda makes concerted efforts to contribute to human health and preservation of the global environment in each phase of its corporate activities and to stay at the forefront of such endeavors.

Source;
http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=1068

Honda offers quicker, safer inflating air bag

TOKYO — Honda has developed an air bag that inflates quicker and reduces the impact of a crash, the Japanese automaker said Thursday.

Tokyo-based Honda Motor Co. said its new air bag is the world's first that inflates in stages, mitigating the force of its deployment.

The new air bag will be introduced in the Life minicar, which goes on sale in Japan in November. Overseas sales plans are undecided as regulations vary, especially for the U.S., said senior manager Koichi Kamiji.

Europe may get the air bag as early as next year, he said.

The new air bag inflates to a safe size in 0.015 seconds. Current air bags take 0.030 seconds, according to Honda.

Honda also unveiled a camera system that shows blind-spots for the driver on a car-navigation monitor.

The system, which uses cameras in the front, sides and rear of a vehicle, will be offered in the Odyssey minivan, set to go on sale next month in Japan. Overseas plans are undecided.

Nissan Motor Co. already offers a similar system.

2009 Honda Civic Si Coupe Pic's

The smart money is on Honda

Jeremy Cato, September 10, 2008 at 11:01 AM EDT

Honda or General Motors? When it comes to hybrids, who's got it right?

I'm leaning to Honda's simple approach over GM's attempt at a moonshot.

Here's the background. On Monday, unauthorized photos of the Chevrolet Volt, GM's plug-in hybrid, were leaked to the Web. Among other places they popped up on http://www.thecarconnection.com/. GM officials say they had planned to release the photos themselves later this month to coincide with the company's centennial celebrations next month.

Production of the Volt is due to start in November of 2010. If GM pulls this off it will be an amazing technological achievement.

That's because the Volt is really an electric car with a range of about 56 km. It will have a lithium ion battery pack and a small on-board gasoline engine. GM expects owners mostly to re-charge using a wall outlet, but if you get stuck you'll be able to charge up the batteries using the on-board gas motor.

GM actually does not call the Volt a hybrid at all. It is, instead, an “extended range electric vehicle.”

No auto maker has ever managed what GM is attempting. Most troubling of all is the fact the batteries are unproven. GM insists it has all the problems licked and that running prototypes are already being tested. We'll probably see one next week in Detroit at the company's centennial celebration in Detroit.

Even if GM manages to overcome all the technological hurdles, there is the little matter of price. Most believe – me among them – that the Volt will sell for something approaching $35,000 or $40,000. Why? All the new gizmos and gadgets for one. For another, GM will be selling Volts in very small numbers – at least at the outset.

I give GM full marks for being daring, but frankly Honda's approach is less risky and more likely to work as a profitable business.

I am talking about the Insight hybrid Honda showed last week. It is a smallish five-door hatchback due to go on sale next April and it we are led to believe it will sell for about $20,000, perhaps less. The Insight is smaller than the current Civic Hybrid which lists for just under $27,000.

Honda expects to sell 200,000 Insights a year worldwide. Moreover, this Insight is the first of several more hybrids from Honda. A smaller sports hybrid, the CR-Z, will come next and there is talk that around 2012 a hybrid Fit will be added. In each case, Honda will be using hybrid technology that the company has been refining for a decade, since the first two-door Insight hybrid went on sale.

Honda just keeps grinding away at overcoming the technological hurdles, rather than trying to manage a fantastic breakthrough. On top of that, Honda's very clear and oft-stated strategy is to put hybrid systems into compacts and subcompacts because that's where the green technology achieves its greatest efficiencies.

Unlike Toyota and GM, to name two, Honda has no interest in installing hybrid drive trains in luxury sedans and SUVs. And Honda research and development people say a pure electric vehicle, or something close to it, is not ready now and won't be for some time; the battery technology is not there and is not likely to be for many years – not in a reliable and affordable way, at least.

Honda's position here makes the most sense to me. I agree that hybrid systems are best used in small cars which are most often used for city driving – where stop-start technology saves fuel and cuts emissions and regenerative braking constantly recharges the batteries.

Oh, and I like Honda's recent track record overall. Remember, Honda reported a record profit of US $1.68 billion for the quarter that ended in June. GM and Ford, to name two, have lost billions this year.

Honda doesn't need a moonshot to be successful, but GM does. Put all the various factors together and it seems to me the smart money should be on Honda.

Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080910.WBdriving20080910110140/WBStory/WBdriving

What's New for 2009 Honda Civic Sedan's

- new Sport trim replaces LX & LX SR.

DX, DX-A and DX-G: No new features.

Sport adds to DX-G: 16" aluminum-alloy wheels, Power-assisted ventilated front and solid rear disc brakes, Body-coloured door mirrors and handles, Heated door mirrors, Power moonroof, Variable intermittent windshield wipers, Exterior temperature indicator, Map lights, Rear-seat center armrest, USB Device Connector, Exhaust finisher, Leather-wrapped steering wheel, 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback, Black cloth interior with silver contrast stitching.

EX-L adds to Sport: VSA® with traction control, 12-volt power outlets (2), 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with 6-speakers MP3/WMA compatibility, Steering wheel-mounted audio controls, Heated front seats, Leather-trimmed seating.

Si: Adds Fog lights over last years model.