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Honda to dub Fit-based as HR-V for North America

You may remember it as the Urban SUV (pictured above) from when it debuted in concept form at the Detroit Auto Show last year, or know it as the Vezel as the production version was unveiled for the Japanese Domestic Market at the 2014 Tokyo Motor Show. But when Honda starts exporting its new Fit-based crossover - or better yet, building it in Mexico for North American consumption - it will be called the HR-V.
This news comes courtesy of Honda enthusiast forum Temple of VTEC. When contacted by Autoblog, Honda spokesmen declined to comment on the veracity of the report, saying only that it would "announce the name in the near future," but the handle fits with what we know about Honda's history with compact crossovers. The previous HR-V (which was not available in the States) was a high-riding, squared-off crossover built between 1999 and 2006 and based on the Fit's predecessor, the Honda Logo.
While the HR-V moniker might not have name recognition in North America, it would in Europe where Honda also hopes its new crossover will find eager customers. It will also fit in nicely below the CR-V that will continue on as the HR-V's larger stablemate.

SAE World Congress: Honda FCEV fuel cell stack has cells just 1 mm thin

The only update we have for people who are paying ultra-close attention to the progress of the hydrogen-powered Honda FCEV concept is that we now know how thin the individual cells in the car's fuel cell stack are. Speaking at the 2015 SAE World Congress in Detroit this week, American Honda Motor Company Manager of fuel cell vehicle marketing, Steve Ellis, told AutoblogGreen that the fuel cell stack is now 33-percent smaller and offers a 60-percent improvement in power density. We knew this already. What we didn't know is how Honda got there. Ellis said that these improvements are due in part to a reduction in the size of the fuel cell thickness. Each cell in the stack is one millimeter thick, he said. For everyone who isn't counting the millimeters of this car, here's the broader situation. Honda and the state of California (and others) are working hard on getting H2 infrastructure up can running. "The stations are accelerating as we speak," Ellis said. Three new stations have opened in the last few months and the state has pledged $20 million per year until there are 100 stations in California. Honda has also invested in FirstElement to install stations. The production FCEV will feature a range of over 300 miles and have a three-to-five minute refueling time. The car will launch in Japan in March 2016, with US and European sales starting at some unspecified time after that.

The glorious return of the Civic Type R

This is it Honda fans, the moment you've all been waiting for. This is the new generation Civic Type R that will finally come to the US. Or at least it pretty much is. Technically this is still a prototype, and the production model will be shown early next year. However, based on Honda's recent Civic "concepts," you can rest easy knowing nothing major is going to change. The biggest change you'll probably see is in paint finish. The concept here has been given an interesting brushed aluminum-look vinyl wrap. If you're really have to have it, there's probably a decal shop nearby that could hook you up. View 22 Photos Moving past that, the Type R takes the standard hatchback and adds aggression rather than lightness. The front bumper is widened with extra slats, along with the fenders front and rear. It also gets a deeper chin spoiler in bare carbon fiber with a red accent stripe. Up on the hood is the intriguing addition of a scoop. We assume it's functional, and we imagine it feeds a top-mounted intercooler like the scoops on the Subaru WRX and last Mazdaspeed3. According to rumors, the engine under the scooped hood could produce as much as 340 horsepower. The sides of the car also get carbon fiber side skirts to go along with the front spoiler. The widened fenders accommodate fat wheels shod with 245 width tires. This leads to the back where the Type R once again receives an over-the-top rear wing, which we assume to be just as functional as the last one. The rear of the Type R also gets one more cool feature. It has functional, triple tailpipes, just like the Ferrari 458 Italia and the F40. Honda also brought attention to the exhaust by painting the center pipe red. We don't yet know the exact purpose of the third pipe, but we're excited to find out. As previously mentioned, this is just a "concept" and the production model will be shown early next year. After that, the Type R will be released in Europe first during the second half of 2017. US availability has not been announced yet. Related Video: Related Gallery Honda Civic Type R Concept Paris Motor Show Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillilps / Autoblog Paris Motor Show Honda Hatchback Performance honda civic type r hot hatch 2016 paris motor show civic type r hot hatchback