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Honda favoring turbo over hybrid for US-market Vezel

While Honda gears up to unveil the new Fit to the US market at the Detroit Auto Show next month, back in its home market, the car's crossover cousin is just going on sale. The Vezel was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last month and already has a three-month waiting list in Japan, where Honda projects that 90 percent of customers will opt for the hybrid version. Not so in the United States, however.
When the Vezel reaches American showrooms, there'll be a number of key differences. For starters, it will carry a different name, though Honda isn't saying what that will be. For another, it will be built for North American consumption at Honda's new plant in Mexico, roughly half of whose production capacity is reportedly being allocated to the new crossover. And finally, it'll have a different engine.
In Japan the Vezel is being offered with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with or without electric assist. Honda won't offer the hybrid version here - at least not initially - but it is preparing to offer a turbo option. Although it has yet to announce US specifications and options, the 1.5-liter turbo four (also unveiled at the Tokyo show) is considered a stronger likelihood than the 1.0- or 2.0-liter versions.

How Seinfeld hopes he'll help industry make better car commercials [w/video]

Bloomberg has a fascinating look into a web series that continues to be a favorite around the Autoblog offices - Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. The series, which is in its second season, sees the affable comedian picking up fellow comedians in a range of interesting cars, and having conversations with them over the drive and a cup of joe.
The piece by Bloomberg dives into the development of the series, as well as Seinfeld's tie-up with Acura, which saw the Honda-owned brand begin sponsorship this season. That relationship started not with his web series, though, but with a Super Bowl ad, alongside fellow funnyman and car enthusiast Jay Leno, that saw them competing over a new Acura NSX. Have a click over to Bloomberg for an entertaining piece that looks beyond the YouTube series. We've also wrangled Seinfeld's original Super Bowl ad for the Acura NSX, which you can see below.

Design Handbook explains the difference between design and styling

It's easy to confuse the terms 'design' and 'style,' but Jim Hall attempts to explain the difference between the two in his latest Design Handbook video column for Autoline. Before relating the terms to cars, Hall first uses other, non-automotive-related examples to prove his point, such as a well-designed glass versus a well-styled glass. Both do their job well as a result of good designs, he claims, but one stands out more because it also was styled.
When he relates his lesson to cars, he uses the 2013 Honda Accord and the new Chevrolet Impala as examples, but you'll have to watch the video below to find out which car he thinks is merely designed and which one has been styled.
We've also included a gallery of the Honda and a gallery of the Chevrolet so you can decide for yourself which one of these vehicles has been designed, and which one has been styled.