A bit of name and badge switching here. Don’t be surprised if this is the first time for young US car enthusiasts to might have heard of the “Honda Legend.” Well, for those stateside, it’s just the Acura RL. Yup, the RL has been the Legend elsewhere, particularly in Europe.

Power figures are just the same since it sports the same 3.7L v6 that dishes out 300 horses and 271 lb-ft of torque mated to a 5-speed transmission complete with the new SH-AWD system found in the Acura RL and the TL. Performance figures: 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds.

So what’s different aside from the badge? Well, amazingly the Legend has taken off the Acura grille and now has a straightforward three-line grille slapped on. And I might have to agree with other takes that this looks better than what the Acura has.

In addition, one of the features Honda is just so proud of in their press release is the Active Noise Cancellation system that promises that the Legend will be a quiet ride and makes it play well with the other comforts include a Bose Audio system, Bluetooth and USB connectivity for audiophiles.

Source: Honda

Sometimes, you have to wonder, how automakers make their decision on which cars would be marketed to which place. The US is still one of the larger markets out there though China and Russia are said to be the more profitable markets today.

Honda is hellbent on unseating Toyota as the hybrid king, and by all means, that’s a good thing. Even if I’m a Toyota fan, the Prius being the top dog for the past years meant that there wasn’t any other really good choice for hybrid buyers. But with the new releases as of late, that’s bound to change.

Still, it makes one wonder why the Fit Hybrid will not be marketed in the US. In my opinion, the car would sell very well especially with all those city dwellers looking for small and fuel-economical vehicles. But Honda says no. That means the US will only be enjoying the gas-powered one that gets 28 mpg city/35 highway.

Their reason? The Fit has been selling like hot pancakes with syrup that they feel that a Fit hybrid would not be required. Well, quite a valid reason especially since the new Civic will get a hybrid version and it’s only a matter of time before Honda sells the Prius-killer.

Aha! So that’s where they’re going to use it. For those of you living under a rock for the past month, the Honda OSM Concept was a clay-model car that they showcased in the fairly recently concluded BIMS. Early reports had it that the OSM will be pretty similar to the CR-Z concept as a new low-emissions vehicle.

Now, with the launch of the new barely-facelifted 2009 Civic (thing didn’t even get a haircut, more like tweezed eyebrows), Honda is planning to redesign the next Civic incarnation and use the OSM as basis. And for those wishing for a new Civic hatch, prepare to rejoice.

The hatchback variant will get a mix of new elements as well as some carried-over ones from the current Civic. The front fascia, however, will be taken from the OSM concept. And yes, a new Type R is also in the pipeline! It will be powered by the 2.0L i-VTEC engine. And it might even be a hybrid too. Type R hybrid. Mmm…

What’s even more interesting is that Honda might even throw in a 1.5L gas engine + lithium-ion electric motor hybrid that will dish out a wicked 150 hp.

Source: AutoExpress

Teaser after teaser after teaser, Honda finally unveils the facelifted 2009 Honda Civic. Well, the exterior tweaks are barely recognizable, at least if you’re considering buying one, it now has more colors to choose from. The LX-S trim level also gets new alloy wheels as standard. Inside, there’s Bluetooth and USB audio connectivity.

Up front, the new Civic features a new bumper with new air inlets - three separate ones compared to one large single inlet from last year. At the back, the Civic’s taillights get some tweaking and a chrome now sits on top of the license plate holder.

The 2009 Civic features an interesting powertrain choice lineup including a base 1.8L i-VTEC that produces 140 hp that is mates to either a 5-speed manual or an optional 5-speed automatic. There’s also the 2.0L VTEC that produces a massive (for a compact sedan) 197 horses. The Civic will also be featured as a hybrid with a combination of a 1.3L VTEC and a 15 kW motor producing a total of 110 hp. The Hybrid gets a decent 40/45 mpg city/highway fuel economy.

Source: Honda

Even with the market trend shifts, I guess we can’t still totally rid the market of bigger vehicles. SOme people just need them. And even if truck and SUV sales are down, Honda has revealed the new 2009 Ridgeline mid-size pickup truck with 50 significant changes for the year.

The truck is powered by a 3.5L V6 VTEC engine producing 250 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque. No surprises on the fuel economy on this one as Honda apparently did not slap on some green tech on this one getting an average of 17 mpg (15 city, 20 highway). At least it can pull 5,000 pounds of load.

On the outside, the Ridgeline gets a new grille, front and rear bumpers. The truck can now also sit on 18-inch alloy wheels as option. The interior also gets a new steering design and an electronic dash panel. A few more tech twists for the new Ridgeline include Bluetooth HandsFreelink, a camera of backing up, and satnav system for the swankier trim level.

Source: Honda

The battle for the hybrid market heats up another notch as Honda prepares to unveil their own Prius-fighting hybrid - a five-door hatchback compact sedan. With a price tag of just under $20,000, it is positioned to take the fight to Toyota.

Still without a badge and a name designation, company insiders call it New Dedicated Hybrid Vehicle or just “small hybrid.” But once it hits Paris, the hybrid would have its own name. It will be the first of the four hybrids Honda has planned to unleash in the motoring world. Also to be released are the CR-Z hybrid coupe and the Civic Hybrid replacement by 2010, and a new subcompact one by 2012.

But seriously, Honda might create a better product than the Prius with their hybrid. Still, they can’t top what Toyota has achieved soon. They might have an impact in the market, but overtaking Toyota will be a long and tough fight.

Source: Inside Line

So Honda OSM seemed to be a hit at the British Motor Show. Standing for Open Study Model, the OSM is aimed to showcase the new design styles that Honda wants to implement in future models. For a more visual take, here’s a video courtesy of Autocar.

So far, the only pictures we’ve been seeing of the new upcoming Acura/Honda NSX are those camouflaged ones with the zebra streaks running around the Nurburgring. Thanks to some generous people and the Internet, we can now see at some renderings of how the NSX would look like sans the camo.

Sad to say, the NSX, while not ugly, isn’t look too hot at all. At a supposed $160,000 price tag, it doesn’t even become a better choice for those who are simply looking for a great looking supercar. For that kind of money, you can get a more handsome Aston Martin Vanquish or a Maserati GranTurismo.

Well, you have to blame engineering for the design, though, since the whole rear is designed to act like one huge rear wing to create massive downforce to keep the car on the ground. With a large 5.5L V10 generating 600 horses, the downforce really better be massive.

For the price tag, it better pack a lot of wallop. Buck per bang, the Nissan GT-R still seems to be the best value for money. Not even the Lexus LF-A seems to miles better too.

Source: Inside Line

Is this the start of a new age in motoring? Perhaps. The Honda FCX Clarity is the first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that is made available to a selected public. Emphasis on selected since the first deliveries are reserved to celebrities and other personalities, probably to rival the star power that drove the sales of the Toyota Prius (which is driven by celebs like Leo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz).

While actually on a lease program, the first FCX Clarity was delivered to film producer Ron Yerxa and wife Anette Ballester in Santa Monica. Yerxa and Ballester will be joined by 200 other customers who are to lease the vehicle in the US and Japan for three years at $600 a month. Other celebrities that are set to get their FCX Clarities are Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Harris.

The is supposed to get an amazing 68 mpg on just a $5 pop of hydrogen. Honda will be creating their own network of fueling stations to serve FCX Clarity drivers. Yerxa’s car dishes out 134 hp and 189 lb.-ft. of torque.

Now this surprised me a bit since I was expecting Honda to just continue working on their existing concept cars and get them into production. They had quite a lot of concepts unveiled these past motor shows already. But they managed to get this OSM Concept ready for this years British Motor Show. OSM stands for Open Study Model - a two-seater lightweight convertible.

Honda revealed that the OSM is just what the name stands for - a study with not current plans to be put into production. Like the CR-Z, the OSM is supposed to be a low-emission sports car and since it’s just a “clay model” car, there’s no engine and powertrain lineup available for this one.

What I think here, is that Honda’s designers are toying around with some ideas and is intent on getting some reactions from the show. Perhaps its an exercise to test their skills and the audience’s reception to the design. We might expect some of the elements from this car filtering down to their future concepts.

Source: Leftlane