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2016 Honda Pilot to pack 280 hp, new Intelligent Traction Management system

Honda has released a spate of details on the all-new, third-generation Pilot, building on the information that was distributed way back at the car's 2015 Chicago Auto Show debut. Included in this latest release are power figures for the 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V6, a breakdown of trim levels and details on the new Intelligent Traction Management system. Let's start with that V6, which makes the Pilot the latest vehicle to be fitted with Honda's Earth Dreams technology. Regardless of whether it's mated to the standard six-speed automatic or the optional nine-speed gearbox, the 3.5-liter mill produces 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That's 30 more hp and 7 more lb-ft than the current model. While Honda isn't quite ready to release fuel economy figures, we have high hopes for the V6/9AT combo. The other big announcement coming today regards Honda's new Intelligent Traction Management system. The technology functions a lot like Land Rover's Terrain Response, Jeep's Selec-Terrain and Ford's Terrain Management System, providing owners with a number of condition-specific presets for the throttle response, shift mapping and stability control to maximize performance on the selected terrain. What makes the Honda system different, though, is that it's not limited to all-wheel-drive models. That said, the front-drive model is neutered to a degree, with its ITM only offering a Snow mode, compared to the all-wheel-drive Pilot's Mud, Sand and Snow settings. Still, considering the big Honda's role as a family hauler, a dedicated setting for driving in the snow will likely be welcomed by family types, especially in northern climates. Speaking of that AWD model, it uses a new system, called i-VTM4 (short for Intelligent Variable Torque Management for all Four Wheels). If you dig past the marketing speak, though, you'll find this system has a lot in common with the Acura Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, in that it transfers torque not only between the front and rear axles, but laterally between the rear wheels. We reached out to Honda to see what, if any, differences there are to the system, but they didn't get back to by press time. Check out the official press release from Honda, available below.

Honda ditching Takata for next Accord's airbags

Today brings unsurprising news that Honda will move away from Takata and source airbags for the next-generation Accord, among other models, from one of the embattled company's competitors. Both companies have been in headlines of late after the former recalled millions of vehicles that were fitted with the latter's airbag inflators, which had the unpleasant tendency to spew shrapnel at consumers. The move, as Reuters explains it, is particularly devastating for Takata. Honda is the company's largest customer, and the Accord represents its biggest product, accounting for over a quarter of the company's sales last year. It gets worse, though, as a confidential source with knowledge of the situation is reporting to Reuters that both the 2016 CR-V and Odyssey will source their airbags from Toyoda Gosei. If true, that'd mean that Takata will be losing out on more than half the cars Honda sells in the US market. At this point, Takata, Honda and Toyoda Gosei have all passed on opportunities to comment to Reuters.

Will states start to prevent you from registering cars that have pending recalls?

The impact of 2014 – henceforth known as Year of the Recalls – will have long-ranging consequences on the auto industry. One of the biggest changes, though, might not be in the way manufacturers inform the government of pending recalls or in the way Uncle Sam punishes automakers that violate its rules, but in the ability to sell cars with pending recalls. And strangely enough, the charge is being led by an automaker. Honda Executive Vice President Rick Schostek, pictured above, argued during a meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee that the government needs to take a role in mandating that consumers have recall services performed. That could include withholding registration for vehicles with pending recalls, Bloomberg reports. Honda is just one of the automakers currently embroiled in the massive Takata airbag recall. "It's a good idea," safety advocate Clarence Ditlow said, according to Bloomberg. "California won't give you a registration if you have an emissions recall. Why not a safety recall?" "Honda is going to use any innovative tools to find customers and get these recalls done," Schostek told the Transportation Committee. The exec, aside from echoing Ditlow's viewpoint, also argued for requiring dealerships and garages to inform vehicle owners of incomplete recalls, regardless of the service provided. Schostek also made an argument that state governments could step in, as well. Whatever ends up happening, it's fair to say that between Takata and General Motors, the future of recalls for American consumers are set for significant changes. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: J. Scott Applewhite / AP Government/Legal Recalls Honda Ownership Safety