Honda to Build Fit Hatch, Sedan and Crossover Models at New Mexican Plant

It’s no secret that Honda plans to introduce the new generation of the Fit (sold as the Jazz in Europe) sub-compact next year and by 2015, two more variants based on the same underpinnings, including a small sedan and a crossover model, which we believe to be based on the Urban SUV Concept that was announced earlier today in advance of its Detroit Motor Show debut. Read more »

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Honda Teases New Urban SUV Concept Ahead of Detroit Auto Show Debut

A single teaser image along with a very short statement is all we get about Honda's new Urban SUV Concept study that will receive its world premiere in January at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Here's what the Japanese automaker told us in the press blurb:

"The Urban SUV Concept, teased in a sketch released today, is a global concept model combining a sporty and dynamic SUV profile with a spacious, functional interior."

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Unbreakable: These are the 10 Most Reliable Cars in the UK of the Last 15 Years

About a week ago, we posted a list of the 10 least reliable cars in the UK of the past 15 Years. This list was compiled by the Warranty Direct insurance company, which has been collecting data since 1997.

In the company’s own words, the 'Reliability Index' uses a “complex formula” that includes factors such as the number a car breaks down and its repair costs, for more than 450 models.

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Honda Announces New Lightweight and Compact 1.5-liter Petrol-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

Honda today introduced a new hybrid powertrain that will eventually replace its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system used on small vehicles such as the Civic sedan, Insight, Fit / Jazz hatchback and CR-Z coupe.

The new system is named Sport Hybrid i-DCD, which is an acronym for 'Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive', and it comprises a newly developed 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that runs on the more fuel-efficient Atkinson cycle and an electric motor that also acts as a generator connected to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT).

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New Version of the Honda Fit with a Crossover Twist Debuts at Sao Paulo Motor Show

Hyundai is not the only brand trying to tap into the crossover market in the sub-compact category in Brazil, as at the 2012 Sao Paulo International Motor Show, Honda also lifted the covers off its own proposal in the guise of the all-new Fit Twist.

The tougher-looking version of the Fit, which is sold in Europe and other parts of the world as the Jazz, is Honda's first vehicle to be developed exclusively for the Brazilian market.

On the outside, the Twist sports plastic cladding on the front and rear bumpers and over the wheel arches and side sills, a matte aluminum finish for the protective guards, mirror caps and the taller roof bars, bigger 16-inch alloy wheels, a re-styled front grille, dark headlamps and clear tail lamp fixtures.

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