2009 Honda Civic Ex Sunroof on 2040-cars

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Honda Vezel is the Fit crossover we've been waiting for

"Vezel" may sound like the latest miracle cure from Big Pharma, but in truth it's the long-awaited Fit-based crossover from Honda. Unfortunate name aside, this four-door CUV looks ready for production, because it is.
Shown here in hybrid guise, the subcompact Vezel looks quite sporty, with boldly upswept sheetmetal contours, an aggressively raked backlight, "hidden" rear doorhandles borrowed from the JDM Civic hatchback, and an expressive face with LED headlamps.
Honda is presently confirming that the Vezel will go on sale in both hybrid and gas-only guise in Japan, but it isn't offering anything in the way of specifications other than to say that both models will make use of a 1.5-liter direct-injected engine, the "Sport Hybrid i-DCD" powertrain of course getting a "high-output motor" of unspecified power and what could be a dual-clutch transmission. Honda has declined to make clear whether this is the new 1.5-liter turbocharged VTEC engine we told you about yesterday, but it's a good bet that it is indeed the same new Earth Dreams powerplant. Critically, there's no mention of whether all-wheel drive will be offered.

Honda Walking Assist Device begins US testing at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

For years, we've been wondering what implications Honda's Asimo robot could have in the real world, and now we're starting to get a sense of that. Honda announced that it will begin its first US clinical studies of the Walking Assist Device at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in an effort to provided improved mobility for people who have suffered a stroke. While the automotive tie-in here is pretty weak, this is the first time we've heard about this device since it was unveiled back in 2008.
Weighing in at six pounds, Honda's device is fitted to the waist and legs of patients to make it easier to walk, and the 22.2-volt lithium-ion battery provides enough electricity for more than an hour of operation. According to Honda's press release, which is posted below, up to 80 percent of the almost 800,000 stroke victims each year (in the US alone) are afflicted with limited mobility, so a medical aid like this could have a big impact in the real world.

2015 Honda CR-V performs poorly in Swedish AWD test [w/video]

Swedish auto magazine Teknikens Värld has never been afraid to call out automakers when a vehicle fails one of its battery of examinations. Its famous Moose Test recently caught the Porsche Macan out, and a few years ago, there was a protracted argument between Teknikens Värld and Jeep over the performance of a Grand Cherokee in that evaluation.
This time, the 2015 Honda CR-V is raising the magazine's hackles, but it has nothing to do with avoiding a giant mammal. Snow is obviously an issue in Sweden, and Teknikens Värld has a test that challenges all-wheel drive systems in low-traction settings. On a slanted surface, the Swedes put the vehicles' front wheels on rollers with no traction and demands the rears accelerate away. The Honda couldn't do it. Teknikens Värld claims that it initially found the same result last year from the European CR-V, but Honda Sweden put out a software upgrade correcting the behavior in the test. This year, the CUV went back to failing.
While that's the magazine's side, Honda Sweden doesn't see the test as fair. In a statement to Teknikens Värld, the company explains the way the CUV's all-wheel drive system works. It also claims that the test isn't simulating a realistic situation. "In real conditions, regardless of the surface, there is a certain amount of friction always available for both front and rear wheels," the announcement says. "A scenario like the roll test with such a high difference in grip between the front and the rear wheels is highly unlikely."