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4 hybrids and 2 diesels on the way. (http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/08/12/honda-will-stay-smaller-and-greener-4-hybrids-and-2-diesels-on-the-way/#more-24469)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Honda_Fit_Sport1.jpgeGM CarTech - Aug 12, 2008

Honda seems to be the only major automaker making it through the tough times of high gasoline prices and for the future the Japanese automaker plans to keep doing what its doing - keeping compact and green. Honda plans to offer more hybrid and diesel technology in its future lineup which will also get smaller.

“A smaller minivan could fit into Honda’s future,” Dan Bonawitz, vice president for corporate planning and logistics at American Honda Motor Co., told Automotive News. ”Ultimately, there will be a lot more smaller cars. The U.S. will look a lot more like Europe.”

So far dealers are waiting on the arrive of the redesigned 2009 Honda Fit. A hybrid version of the Fit will arrive in 2011. Of course let’s the five-door hatchback that’s been keeping Honda in the headlines recently. The dedicated-hybrid model will arrive next year as a 2010 model year and will cost below $20,000.

Both of those hybrids will be followed by the Honda CR-Z hybrid that is due out in late 2011. The CR-Z will be followed by a redesigned Civic and Civic Hybrid along with a diesel powered Accord. The diesel engine will also make its way in the CR-V in 2010.

As for the gas-guzzling and larger models - the S2000 roadster’s future is unclear after sales have fallen off dramatically. The new redesign Pilot just hit the market this year and Honda has already cut production of the new SUV… http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/08/12/honda-will-stay-smaller-and-greener-4-hybrids-and-2-diesels-on-the-way/#more-24469

I'm so glad to hear it, because it seems that up until now, the focus since the 1970s was making it bigger with more hp. I parked my wife's 1996 Civic next to a 1970's model the other day, and ours looked huge in comparison.

The downsizing is temporary. Once we see a completion of the energy paradigm shift to renewable, clean energy, and electric vehicle energy storage switch to ultracaps or other quick charge technology, vehicles will start growing in size again as energy becomes increasingly cheaper and less polluting.

“A smaller minivan could fit into Honda’s future,” Dan Bonawitz, vice president for corporate planning and logistics at American Honda Motor Co.
.....
Another minivan, the Japanese Honda Stream, is expected to be imported to the U.S. by 2010 as a rival to the Mazda5.
EXACTLY what I've been wanting to hear! Bring them on, yesterday please!

I hope the downsizing isn't temporary. Vehicles have gotten so big over the years because gas was cheap and we drank (gas) what the big 3 served us (FSP's). No matter what the source of energy is, if it's bigger and heavier, more energy is needed. My goal is to use as little energy (gas, electricity, etc.) as possible, both on the road and in my home.

Sure, larger vehicles will always be necessary, but it hopefully will become a niche market for those who actually do need to haul heavy loads.

I thought the Accord diesel was coming in model year 2009? :confused:



Update: I called my local Honda dealer and talked to a salesman (a surprisingly enlightening experience). Honda has put off once again the release of the Honda Accord diesel. The Acura TSX will receive the diesel in the spring of 2009. There are no current plans to put a diesel in the Accord for the United States.


The salesman recommended a website to check on the latest in Honda news/rumors...


www.vtec.net

I think that's the TSX diesel, with the Accord to follow.

as energy becomes increasingly cheaper

Good luck with that.

I'm not counting on cheaper energy. Not for decades. A true paradigm shift to renewables will take a significant capital expenditure that we will all have to pay for. The wind itself may be free but somebody (you and me) has to pay for a whole mess of them on top of the other things that we're going to need to get through. It will be a long, long time before the technology is mature. It's hardly been adopted!

The downsizing is temporary. Once we see a completion of the energy paradigm shift to renewable, clean energy, and electric vehicle energy storage switch to ultracaps or other quick charge technology, vehicles will start growing in size again as energy becomes increasingly cheaper and less polluting.

That river don't go to Antrey!

The downsizing is temporary. Once we see a completion of the energy paradigm shift to renewable, clean energy, and electric vehicle energy storage switch to ultracaps or other quick charge technology, vehicles will start growing in size again as energy becomes increasingly cheaper and less polluting.

I agree, I firmly believe that energy will cost next to nothing in the not so far future. It falls from the sky in vast quantities. To me digging up decomposed organic matter to burn is a ridiculous way of tapping that energy. Hopefully the strangle hold of the oil/coal monopolies are coming to an end and everyone (not just the US and Europe) can enjoy clean energy cheap energy.

Funny story regarding "downsizing" - a friend of mine purchased a 60's era Chevy 1/2 ton truck to use on his farm. His neighbor drives a new Chevy extended cab 1/2 ton and was surpised Chevy made "mini trucks" in the 60s. The surprise came when he found out it was not a mini truck but a 1/2 ton that probably weighed 1,500 pounds less than his and gets better fuel economy with its 6 cylinder attached to a column shift 3 speed (remember those).

It's interesting to compare the profile of a '60s pickup with a new one. Look at them from the side, and you see the bed area is pretty much the same, but the new one has been stretched vertically, with more ground clearance, more space between tires and the top of the wheel well, and especially taller sheet metal in the body. All of those add weight & increase drag, and so cut mileage.

What's worse, for the few who actually need a working pickup (rather than a machismo enhancer) the bed is much higher off the ground, so you have to lift stuff further.

I'm not counting on cheaper energy. Not for decades. A true paradigm shift to renewables will take a significant capital expenditure that we will all have to pay for. The wind itself may be free but somebody (you and me) has to pay for a whole mess of them on top of the other things that we're going to need to get through. It will be a long, long time before the technology is mature. It's hardly been adopted!

Decades? Even now installing a full residential photo voltaic system is a solid investment. Within a couple of years solar panel prices are expected to drop anywhere from 50% to 90% in price and Federal and State incentives will increase. The era of vast quantities of virtually free energy is just around the corner. Next gen nano-tech cells will be here in less than 10 years and soon we may be powering everything simply with a sprayed on coating.

The CR-Z will be followed by a redesigned Civic and Civic Hybrid along with a diesel powered Accord. The diesel engine will also make its way in the CR-V in 2010.

Another new Civic? The current model came out in '07, or was it '06? It's still fairly new.

Keep 'em coming, Honda. By the time I'm ready to part with my '99 Civic, I should have a nice selection of Hondas to choose from.

Harry

Decades? Even now installing a full residential photo voltaic system is a solid investment. Within a couple of years solar panel prices are expected to drop anywhere from 50% to 90% in price and Federal and State incentives will increase. The era of vast quantities of virtually free energy is just around the corner. ...

Yeh, right. Just like atomic energy will very soon be too cheap to meter. Probably by 1965, certainly by 1970. :-)

I've had a single solar panel on my roof since 1994, partly for lighting during the occasional power failures (and some daily rooming lighting), and partly to get some PV experience before installing a much larger system when it becomes more economical. I'm still waiting.

The subsidies are not yet large enough in my state to make home PV justifiable on purely economic grounds. Some other reasons (AGW, pollution, energy independence, etc.) must tip (or rather, bully) the balance. And our energy appetite is so huge, no stockholders would allow prices to drop that much for years to come, and no government could possibly foot the bill to subsidize vast quantities of cheap energy.

We are due for some significant advances, but vast quantities of virtually free energy will continue to be the pipedream it is has been for many generations.

As a major Honda fan, I'm glad to hear the news of them bringing more hybrids and diesels. My wife had wanted a Pilot, until this new model came out. She thinks they're pretty ugly, and I think they're too big... I'm wondering why they took an aerodynamic lesson from the Hummer for the Pilot. It looks like the CR-V finally got some aerodynamics.

I want to see a 1.7L Civic (4dr) with lean burn... oh wait they already made that and stopped...

Fortunately Honda has well established fuel efficient models sold in overseas markets which can be introduced in North America relatively quickly. The Fit has served as a good example of this.

As others have mentioned, I'm a bit disappointed that Honda has felt the need to build larger, heavier, and more powerful cars, in response to their analysis of American consumer behavior. The latest Accords are generally getting poorer real-world fuel economy than the cars they replaced.

Even though I now own a Civic Hybrid, a friend who's a mechanical engineer told me that the same 1.3 liter motor with the CVT, but without the extra weight of the hybrid technology, would probably get similar fuel economy at a much reduced cost. I have to admit that the only thing the Hybrid does better is give good "off the line" response with its IMA boost. Again, this is because typical consumers expect quicker acceleration from their cars. [CleanMPG members have other priorities, of course].

The next few years should prove interesting with Honda well positioned to move up while the domestic manufacturers continue to 'lick their wounds'.