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Next Honda Ridgeline previewed in sketch

Honda's big debut at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show may be the all-new Pilot crossover, but the Japanese automaker has released another juicy morsel for us here in the Windy City. Previewed in a sketch, Honda is giving us our first glimpse at the next-generation Ridgeline pickup (note that the drawing pictures the truck on an actual ridgeline – good one, guys). The Ridgeline always sort of steered away from conventional pickup truck wisdom, using a unibody construction with passenger-car roots. We don't know much more about the new truck, the company only saying that the next Ridgeline "will take the original's award-winning performance, comfort and utility to new levels with completely new styling that communicates unmistakably that it's a pickup, yet with a uniquely Honda flair." It's unclear exactly when the new Ridgeline will debut, though Honda expects it to go on sale sometime next year.

2014 Honda Civic Hybrid now available nationwide, CNG model in 37 states [UPDATE]

As promised, the 2014 Honda Civic is about to get a little green update. A hybrid gas-electric version will join the standard 2014 Civic in Honda showrooms nationwide tomorrow and a natural gas-powered model will join the party on February 15th, but only in 37 states. Both new models will get the updates that Honda applied to the other 2014 Civic models, including a seven-inch touchscreen display audio and expanded view driver's mirror, which are both now standard. Read our review of the 2013 Civic Hybrid here but note that enough has changed with the new model to go from an EPA rating of 44 miles per gallon across the board to 44/47/45 city/highway/combined. The CNG model is rated at 31 mpg in all three categories. The 2014 Civic Hybrid will start at $24,635, while the compressed natural gas (CNG) Civic aims a bit higher, starting at $26,640. More details on these new vehicles is available below. If you're happy with earlier versions of the CNG Civic, then you'll be happy to know that 2012 MY vehicles at participating Honda dealers still comes with a $3,000 fuel credit that can be used at Clean Energy stations, the largest brand of public compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in the US. If you don't have a Clean Energy station in your area, the Civic CNG comes with a $2,000 prepaid debit card to be used at other refueling stations. We've asked Honda for information on which 13 states will not offer the CNG model and will update this post when we get that information. UPDATE: The 37 states are now available below. These are the 37 states where the Civic CNG is available: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New England, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. That leaves the following 13 states without the Civic CNG: Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming. Honda Launches 2014 Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas, Enhancing a Diverse Lineup of Fuel Efficient and Alternative Fuel Models Text Only 2014_Honda_Civic_Hybrid-CNG_Rls_FINAL.docx Add to Basket Printer Friendly 02/04/2014 - TORRANCE, Calif.

2015 Honda Fit set for Detroit reveal

We've got one more debut confirmed for next month's Detroit Auto Show, as Honda has announced that it will be showing off the 2015 Fit in the Motor City. Honda has released a singular image of the new Fit's rear taillight, above.
From the sole image, we can see that the American-spec Fit will share at least its taillights with the Japanese variant, which we've helpfully included an image of to the right. Now, technically, the blue car to the right is the Fit Hybrid, a car we aren't expecting to see in the US market. But the gallery of images we've included below should give those interested in the car a very good idea of what the new Fit will look like when it hits the auto show stage next month.
As for what will be under hood when it debuts in January, Honda is touting its Earth Dreams Technology engine, which we take to mean some sort of four-cylinder, gas-powered mill. Expect excellent fuel economy from the new car, and according to the Japanese brand, "leading-edge connected car technologies."