We do not know yet how this new Honda crossover will be called but it will be using a tweaked version of the platform used by the Honda Civic. The new Civic SUV will be sold starting 2013. We can expect the design lines of the new Honda Civic with details like the narrow headlamps or the soft lines of the wheelarches. The front end of the vehicle might borrow elements from the concept car called Skydeck MPV with the underbody guard. For the interior, the crossover will be having rear flip up seats.

According to initial reports the new Honda crossover will have a higher riding clearance and will be easy to handle, thanks to its Civic influences. The stiff subframe on the rear plus the bushes filled with fluid help keep the handling sharp and the ride smoother.

Honda will put its 1.6L i-DTEC powerplant under the hood of the crossover. It is capable of giving out 118bhp with a torque of 300 NM. The carbon dioxide emission is at 110 grams for every kilometer while the fuel mileage is reported to be at 70 miles per gallon. The efficiency might be attributed to a well designed power steering setup and a stop start system.

The more potent 147 bhp 2.2L i-DTEC powerplant will also be available plus another option to go for the 1.8L gasoline dependent engine that gives out 138 bhp.

Honda will have their marketing centered on their new generation of hybrid technologies which we might see being used on this newcomer. There could be an electric motor on the rear wheels to give it an all wheel drive version. The Japanese car manufacturer is also working on plug-in hybrid setup for their bigger vehicles, and according to some source the new crossover might get this.

The crossover is expected to have a tag price around the area of £17,000. It might hit the showrooms by next year.

Honda now accepts orders for the 2012 Insight which implemented cosmetic improvements for both the exterior and interior of the car. The Insight also features additional features for some models and also boast of an additional 1 mpg fuel mileage across its range. The sticker price for the 2012 Honda Insight is currently at $19,120 which includes handling and destinations fees amounting to $770. There is just a minor increase of $150 from the 2011 Insight.

The designers of the new Honda Insight restyled the front grille of the vehicle incorporating a blue accent bar. The bumpers on both ends were also revised. Other changes include improved headlights, graphics of the brakelight, and enhancements under the body of the car improve its aerodynamics. The new look is completed by the new design for the alloy wheels and new look of the wheel covers.

The upgrades of the equipment of the Insight involves map lights and audio controls on the steering wheel for te LX variant. The EX gets automatic headlights, Bluetooth connectivity, and leather treatment for the shifting know and the steering wheel.

The car is still powered by the IMA system made up of the iVTEC 1.3L engine partnered with the electric motor with an output of 10kW. The setup generates an output of 98 horsepower with a torque of 123 lb-ft. The engineers have also reduced the friction encountered by the CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission of the Insight. The fuel mileage numbers are pegged at 40 mpg for city driving and 43 mpg for highway driving.

Reports show that Honda Motor Co. has raised its expectations for its annual profit figures despite its enormous fall last year. Clearly, Japanese car company’s latest figures exceed great expectations from the market, zoning in on various U.S. markets to meet these new figures.

During the last quarter of year 2010, Honda Motors Co. has reported a staggering 29 percent fall at only $1.5 billion. Its previous reported yearly earnings were somewhere around 177 billion yen with an average of about 110 billion yen. According to Reuters, the figures were studied by seven financial analysts.

Competitor Nissan Motor Co. ran past Honda Motors Co. The latter ranked as the third largest car company in Japan in 2010. Today, Honda raised its operations profit expectations from 500 billion yen to 620 billion yen in its March 31 time table. Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S’s team of analysts made a forecast that Honda would reap in profits of around 594 billion yen. Therefore, the car company raised their net profit forecasts from 500 billion yen to 530 billion yen.

Amazingly, Honda’s expected profits in the span of nine months have exceeded the figures outlook for an entire year.

Due to the price hike for raw materials and the end of financial support for eco-friendly brand models, it is expected that Japanese car companies would report a painful downfall in the figures of its last quarter profits. Despite these forecasts, these companies have already taken deliberate actions in terms of cost-cutting and efficiency in manufacturing process and activities to counter these incoming challenges in the automobile industry.

According to Honda, the production version of the Li Nian concept will be available to the Chinese market during the Guangzhou Motor Show. This is set to happen by the end of 2010, but the company did not release any other details about the car. Reviewers suspect that the model will be based on the Honda City, a small sedan which was also based on the Jazz’s platform, but nothing official has been announced.

The Honda City is powered by a 1.8 liter engine which is perfect for a smooth, city cruise. The concept car’s name “Li Nian” means “idea” in English, and with the spare information released about the concept car, it remains just like that right now: an idea. Consumers may have to wait for a few more months before this idea can be realized by Honda. The Li Nian concept car was first introduced to the public in 2008, and after two years of waiting, the Chinese market is just hoping that it will be well worth the wait. Based on the photos alone, the concept “idea” car Li Nian seems to hold a lot of promise.

The CR-Z hybrid will be powered by the 4-cylinder i-VTEC 1.5L engine that makes use of the Integrated Motor Assist(IMA) by Honda. It looks like that this car shares most of its DNA with the recently rolled out Insight Hybrid. The CR-Z makes use of a 10 kilowatt electric motor which accelerates the car and recaptures power as it coasts and decelerates. The energy is stored in a 100 volt battery pack made of nickel metal hydride.

The fuel economy is not the best as we expect for small hybrids. The electric engine is paired with six speed manual transmission or via a continuously variable transmission. The CVT version rates 36/38 mpg which is just like the Ford Fiesta while the manual hits worse at 31/37 mpg.

Though the fuel economy is not impressive the CR-Z still makes it as a AT-PZEV or Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle as per CARB standards.

The Honda CR-Z hybrid has an output of 122 horsepower at 6,000 rpm with 128 lb-ft of torque at 1,000 to 1,500 rpm.

The car will be sold with a base and EX versions. The base comes with the usual standard features of stability system, climate control, ABS, and cruise control. The EX will add HID headlamps, leather trim, fog lamps, Bluetooth, and a 360-watt entertainment system.

Some experts comment on the absence of the Honda brand in the premium end of the auto world where rear wheel drive sedans from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus dominate the race. Ito does not see the sense in producing front engine and rear drive cars by imitating the other brands that have devoted almost half a century developing their cars.

The Honda leader wants to focus their target on producing medium and large sedans that will sport their new engines, transmissions, technologies, packaging, and efficiency. The Japanese brand is locked on developing good hybrids that may dominate the market in the future.

Last fall, Honda announced the release of the 2010 Acura TL SH-AWD equipped with a V6 engine coupled with manual transmission. The car targets drivers which are after the performance of their cars, and they will surely capture a chunk of the market with the SH-AWD system paired with manual transmission.

The use of the AWD system in the premium brand Acura places it side by side with Audi which has crafted the AWD very well with their Audi quattro technology.

The market will tell if the Acura brand relying on front drive, fuel efficient sedans can compete with the premium brands producing RWDs.