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'Butching up' the 2017 Honda Ridgeline

Honda has announced a number accessories for the Ridgeline at the Chicago Auto Show: black roof rails, cross bars, running boards, and fender flares; a skid plate; a hard tonneau cover; special 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires; and a towing kit. Most of these items are to be expected, while a few others raise an eyebrow. It appears that Honda is testing the waters to see if there is an audience for a "butched up" Ridgeline. The skid plate, fender flares, and all-terrain tires all move it a step in that direction visually. I'm not absolutely certain, but I don't think these accessories, which have a slight nod towards off-roading, have been offered by Honda in the past. Perhaps an informed reader can clarify that? There's been no word yet as to whether the tire size is larger, but looking at the image, it appears the tire may have a slightly taller sidewall. I believe the factory 18-inch tire offered is a 265/60, so this may be a 265/65 tire. Again, someone at the Chicago show could clarify this. As tepid as this may seem, it's a start. That's the good news. If these items prove successful, they may just push Honda enough to offer a beefed up trim level. Fingers crossed. This concludes my series of Ridgeline reports. I'm hoping to be at the New York Auto Show in March, and the Ridgeline is on my list of vehicles to crawl all over. If I learn of anything new, you can be assured I will report it here. Related Video: Image Credit: Honda Honda Truck open road

Honda Civic, Volvo XC90 named 2016 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year

It's a great day to be the Honda Civic and Volvo XC90. These cars are the official 2016 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year, with the awards just having been announced at the Detroit Auto Show. The Civic is a great car, and a fantastic entry in the compact class. To us, its win isn't a surprise, though our enthusiast hearts were really rooting for the runner-up Mazda MX-5 Miata. The new Chevy Malibu was also a finalist for this year's award. As for the Truck/Utility award, we wholeheartedly agree with the Volvo XC90 choice. It's a fantastic-looking, premium, tech-forward vehicle, and represents a huge step forward for Volvo here in the United States. But its runners-up, the Nissan Titan XD and Honda Pilot, are also great choices, bringing a lot of stiff competition to some pretty important segments. Here's how the jury voted: Car of the Year Honda Civic – 203 points Chevy Malibu – 181 points Mazda MX-5 Miata – 146 points Truck/Utility of the Year Volvo XC90 – 310 points Honda Pilot – 111 points Nissan Titan XD – 109 points

Honda bringing Civic hatchback concept to Geneva

Honda will give us another taste of things to come for the Civic next month at the Geneva Motor Show where the Japanese automaker will unveil a new hatchback concept. Following the Civic sedan revealed last September and the Civic Coupe unveiled in LA, the concept will preview the hatch's stubby liftgate. The five-door has traditionally been reserved for markets overseas, but the manufacturer confirms that "the car will be exported to global markets, including the US." As you can see from this teaser rendering, the hatchback will incorporate a similar taillight design to the versions we've already seen. The rear end will also feature a pair of tailpipes mounted side by side at the center, and what look to be some rather large vents in the rear bumper. The trailing edge of the roof appears to incorporate some aerodynamic elements to it as well. Of course this is just a sketch for a prototype, so the finished product will end up looking a little different once it reaches production early next year. Alongside the Civic hatch, Honda will also display the Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle for the first time in Europe. The new NSX will also be on hand at the Geneva Motor Show, as will a customized Jazz/Fit concept dubbed Keenlight, and the new CRF1000L Africa Twin motorcycle. HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK PROTOTYPE SET FOR WORLDWIDE DEBUT AT THE 2016 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW - Global premiere of Civic Hatchback Prototype redefines Honda's core European model - Clarity Fuel Cell to make European debut - European customer deliveries of NSX to start in 2016 - New Jazz concept turns on the style Honda is set to unveil the next step in the renewal of its European car range at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, including the global premiere of the Civic Hatchback Prototype. Civic Hatchback Prototype The Civic Hatchback Prototype receives its global premiere at Geneva Motor Show, previewing the exterior design of the all-new hatchback model, scheduled for a European launch in early 2017. Produced at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM), the car will be exported to global markets, including the US. Clarity Fuel Cell The Clarity Fuel Cell will make its European debut at Geneva, following its global unveil at Tokyo motor show in October last year. Clarity Fuel Cell is the world's first production fuel cell saloon to house the entire fuel cell powertrain under the bonnet.