Honda Accelerates Sweeping Light Truck Makeover with New Ridgeline Pickup

  

Set for Global Debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show TORRANCE, Calif.

December 18, 2015 – Honda will challenge conventional thinking in the mid-size pickup segment with the return of the Honda Ridgeline truck, set to make its world debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday, January 11 at 1:15 PM EST.

Designed, developed and manufactured in America, the all-new Ridgeline is the fourth new or significantly refreshed light truck model introduced by Honda in the past 18 months and will hit roads nationwide in the first half of next year.

“We developed this new Honda Ridgeline to offer something new and fundamentally better suited to the way many buyers use their truck,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. “Ridgeline will deliver everything you’d expect in a Honda from incredible packaging and fuel-efficiency to top safety technologies and innovative, segment-first features.  We’re honored to once again debut the Ridgeline in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show.”

Honda began the complete remake of its light-truck lineup in the fall of 2014 with the freshened 2015 Honda CR-V, America’s best selling SUV.  Earlier this year, Honda launched the all-new HR-V crossover, gateway to the Honda truck lineup, and the third generation of its popular Pilot three-row SUV. In 2016, Honda will continue the strengthening of its light-truck family of vehicles with the new Ridgeline and a fully redesigned Odyssey minivan.

Calendar year 2015 sales of Honda light trucks are up 11.8 percent to 599,507 vehicles through the end of November and are on track to set a new all-time sales record for the brand, beating the previous best of 602,123 units in 2006.

Like the first generation Ridgeline, which also debuted at NAIAS in 2005, the all-new Ridgeline was designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., in its Torrance, California design studios and Raymond, Ohio, new-vehicle development center. The Ridgeline and its engine will be produced by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, Inc., in Lincoln, Alabama.

Watch the press conference live at Honda’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/Honda or media website, hondanews.com/channels/ridgeline.

All-New 2016 Honda Civic Wins “AutoGuide.com 2016 Car of the Year” Award

Civic honored for its sophisticated styling, advanced technology and sporty performance, all on top of class-leading reliability, versatility, fuel economy and safety ratings, and overall value

Torrance, Calif., December 15, 2016 – The all-new 2016 Honda Civic has been named the AutoGuide.com 2016 Car of the Year. On-sale since mid-November, the Civic sedan particularly impressed the publication with its upscale style and new available 1.5 liter turbo engine.

"Congratulations to the team at Honda," said AutoGuide Group Editorial Director Colum Wood. "The new Civic is easily the best all-around package I've driven, not just this year, but in a very long time. It's premium, yet sporty, and I just love that new turbocharged engine. A car that's this good, with Honda's reputation for quality, reliability and durability, just doesn't come along every day."

Truly all-new, the 2016 Civic features a new vehicle architecture; sporty and sophisticated new interior and exterior styling; a more spacious and high-quality cabin; two advanced new engines; and a host of new available premium features and technologies, including the first application of both Apple CarPlay®  and Android Auto™ in a compact car sold anywhere in the world. Further, with the addition of available Honda Sensing™ safety and driver-assistive technologies and the first application of Honda turbo engine technology to Civic, the 2016 Civic offers buyers a wider
range of options than ever before.

“The Civic has long been known as a smart choice for compact car buyers,” said Jeff Conrad, Honda Division senior vice president and general manager. “Now, with a healthy dose of style and sporty capability, it’s never been so much fun to choose wisely.”

The Steve's Coats for Kids coat drive begins today. Please drop off a new or gently used coat into one of our designated bins to help a child in need!  View the video below for details:

Hendrick Honda Supports Steve's Coats for Kids

American Honda has Eight Honda and Acura Vehicles Earning a 2016 TOP SAFETY
PICK+ Rating from the IIIHS

      Accord Sedan and Coupe, CR-V and Pilot earn top rating in latest

      testing, as do the ILX and RLX sedans and the MDX and RDX luxury SUVs

      Odyssey also named TOP SAFETY PICK

      A total of eight Honda and Acura models have received the highest

      possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the Insurance

      Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) under its more challenging crash

      protection and technology requirements implemented for the 2016 model

      year.

For model year 2016, four Honda models have earned a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating: the Accord Sedan, Accord Coupe, the CR-V sport-utility vehicle and the recently redesigned Honda Pilot SUV. The Odyssey minivan was named a TOP SAFETY PICK. Additionally, four 2016 Acura models, the ILX and RLX sedans and the MDX and RDX luxury SUVs, each have earned a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating. Further, Honda anticipates that the just released 2016 Honda Civic Sedan will also receive a top rating from the IIHS.

HR-V Wins Green SUV of the Year Award

2016 Honda HR-V Named a Finalist for Green Car Journal’s
Green SUV of the Year® Award

2016 HR-V is class leader in fuel efficiency with a top EPA fuel economy rating of 35 mpg

highway1

HR-V crossover blends the functionality of an SUV with the sporty styling and personality of a

coupe

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 8, 2015 – The stylish and fuel efficient 2016 Honda HR-V crossover has been named a finalist for the 2015 Green SUV of the Year® by the Green Car Journal. The award recognizes the environmental performance of the all-new HR-V, which has a top fuel economy rating of 35 mpg highway1 (2WD CVT) and an additional designation as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV2 ULEV).

“With class-leading fuel economy ratings and interior space, the Honda HR-V compact crossover is a
great choice to replace larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Jeff Conrad, Honda Division senior vice president and general manager. “The HR-V also fulfills the Honda brand's promise to deliver both fun-to-drive enjoyment with outstanding fuel efficiency."

The 2016 HR-V is available with an all-new continuously variable transmission (CVT) which targets
both fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive performance at a high level. When equipped with the available CVT, the HR-V has an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating1 of 28/35 miles per gallon when equipped with front-wheel drive, and 27/32 miles per gallon when equipped with Real Time AWD™. When equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive, the HR-V has an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating1 of 25/34 miles per gallon.

"The Honda HR-V is sporty, right-sized, and fun to drive," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of GreenCar Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "Its approachable price means a great many drivers have access to a versatile crossover with a top fuel economy rating of 35 mpg."

The Green SUV of the Year™ winner will be honored along with winning vehicles for the magazine's 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year™ and 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year™ awards at a press conference during the Washington Auto Show's Policy Days on January 21, 2016.

About Green Car of the Year®

The award-winning Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and
environment since its launch in 1992. As part of its mission, the magazine hosts events, produces
ride-and-drives of advanced and clean fuel vehicles, and conducts various outreach efforts to educate
consumers on better and more environmentally positive vehicle choices. The magazine's content is
featured online at www.CarsOfChange.com.

Honda Environmental Leadership

Based on its vision of "Blue Skies for our Children," Honda is taking a comprehensive approach to
reducing the environmental impact of its products, advancing fuel efficiency, low emissions and
fun-to-drive performance with new powertrain technologies, including more fuel-efficient engines and transmissions and advanced electromotive technologies. Honda will offer several next-generation, advanced powertrain vehicles, including the launch of the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedan in 2016, and an all-new Honda plug-in hybrid model by 2018. Honda will also expand the use of its advanced two and three-motor hybrid systems in the years to come. Together, these vehicles will offer significant sales volume, enabling Honda to bring ultra-low carbon transportation to consumers in the U.S.

1 Based on 2016 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.

Honda Road Readers Program

New Honda Road Readers Program Designed to Encourage Children
to Use Their Imaginations During Drives

• Custom-Created App Gives Honda Owners Access to More Than 100 Free Audiobooks, Offers Parents Opportunities for Quality Family Time
• Honda Road Readers Program Seeks to Better Utilize the Roughly 208 Hours the Typical American Family Spends Driving Per Year

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 9, 2015 – The average family spends about four hours per week in the car. Honda wants families to put that time to good use. Today the brand is

launching Honda Road Readers, a new app (available on Apple® and Android™) providing Honda drivers free access to children’s audiobooks to expose children to great

literature and foster their imaginations. An introductory video to the program will be promoted on Honda’s social channels, using the hashtag #HondaRoadReaders.

“The goal for the Honda Road Readers program is to provide an educational and entertaining alternative to the usual car ride and inspire young listeners to vividly

imagine,” said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President, Honda/Acura Regional Media and Marketing at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “This effort is a powerful

demonstration of our commitment to the brand’s ‘Power of Dreams’ philosophy by encouraging our customers and their families to dream big together.”

To add to the experience, most books are supported with critical-thinking questions aimed at getting parents and children to dive deeper into each story. Honda has also

teamed up with the National Teacher of the Year Program run by the Council of Chief State School Officers to provide a curated selection of books that will be both

entertaining and intellectually stimulating.

“Students learn best when they have enthusiastic teachers, and parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. Honda Road Readers will help families share the

infectious fun of reading together on journeys of the mind, the imagination and the heart,” says Rebecca Mieliwocki, the 2012 National Teacher of the Year and 7th-grade

English teacher in Burbank, Calif. “Reading not only boosts academic success but also awakens a person’s social and civic sense. They help us know and be mesmerized

by the world around us and give us a sense of how we fit in. Simply put, books change lives for the better.”

Honda recently commissioned a survey of more than 1,500 parents with one or more children ages 5 to 16 and learned that 77 percent of parents think listening to books or

stories read aloud is very important for children’s cognitive development and developing listening skills. The survey also revealed that parents (69 percent) are concerned

that their children are spending too much time in front of screens (cell phones, computers and TV). They are equally aware that their children are not reading books for fun

and have fewer opportunities to use their imagination these days.

A Honda Road Readers infographic summarizing the survey findings can be viewed on Honda’s Pinterest and Tumblr pages.

Any Honda owner can easily access the Honda Road Readers program. First, owners go to www.hondaroadreaders.com to register. Owners will then be directed to

download the Honda Road Readers app in the Apple or Android store. Next, owners will either scan or key in their 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN). Honda

owners will have access to five free audiobooks per Honda VIN aimed at children 5 to 16 years old for one year, the first being J. M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan and followed

by four other titles of their choice.

The app experience features 10 rotating National Teacher of the Year featured books and several audiobook categories including fantasy/adventure, mystery, science fiction

and teens.

To further support Honda Road Readers in December, the brand will debut a social video, titled “Imagination Inspiration,” featuring Jeff Kinney, the bestselling author of

the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Honda spoke with the author, just before he departed on a global tour for book 10, about his new bookstore, imagination and the Honda

Road Readers program.

Toys for Tots - Last Week

Last week for Toys for Tots! Don't forget to bring in your new, unwrapped toys for a child in need!