Honda CR-Z wins 2010 Japan Car of the Year

For the past 31 years, Japan has selected a Car of the Year award recipient. Over 60 jurors, composed mainly of Japanese journalists, vote on a vehicle worthy of the Car of the Year title, and the auto that receives the most nods drives away with the crown. Last year, that honor went to the redesigned Toyota Prius hybrid, which narrowly edged out the Honda Insight. This year, however, Honda took top honors with its all-new 2011 CR-Z.

Car of the Year jurors praised the CR-Z because of its ability to balance driving pleasure and fuel economy. Jurors also noted that Honda managed to wrap all that high-tech gadgetry inside a unique body design. Upon receiving the award, Honda’s president and CEO, Takanobu Ito, stated:

We are very proud that the CR-Z has been selected from the strong contenders of new models as the Car of the Year Japan 2010-2011. This award shows that the public has accepted Honda’s aspiration to supply exceptional environmental performance in a fun-to-drive hybrid car at an affordable price, as well as Honda’s desire to spread the joy of owning and driving a car. We also believe that this award for the CR-Z reflects the true value of the combined efforts of our business partners and the many others who supported CR-Z development and production. Going forward, Honda intends to bring more joy to an even larger number of customers.

Honda announces end of Element production

After a nine-year run, the Honda Element will officially be killed off after the 2011 model year. The Element has suffered from slow sales numbers over the past few years, and in the model’s death notice, Hondaspecifically cites that a large amount of customers prefer the better refinement and improved fuel economy of the automaker’s CR-V crossover.

Since its debut in December of 2002, more than 325,000 Elements have been sold in the United States. During its lifespan, we saw the introduction of the bolder-looking SC model in 2007, and just last year, Honda began offering the 2010 Element with a dog-friendly package (pictured). Modest facelifts over the years have helped keep the Element somewhat fresh, but newer competitors on the scene have helped expose weaknesses in refinement and power. That said, Honda’s boxy sport-ute has long been praised for its utility-oriented and easy-to-maintain interior – not to mention kicking off the modern styling trend of boxy vehicles.

CR-Z, Crosstour, Insight sales hurting – Odyssey lone bright spot among new Honda models

Honda has hit rough water with sales of its new CR-Z, Accord Crosstour and Insight models According toAutomotive News, the three models are underperforming in a big way.

Take the Insight hybrid, which is falling 40,000 units short of even the most conservative estimates inside the company. Outsold 8-to-1 by its Toyota Prius rival, Honda has only managed to shift 19,325 units through November – the company originally targeted sales of 60,000 to 80,000.

Likewise, thus far this year, Honda has sold nearly 20,000 fewer Crosstour models than its biggest competitor – the Toyota Venza, selling just 25,927 units compared to the Toyota’s 43,325. Need we remind you, Honda’s original sales goal for the Crosstour was 40,000 units per year, a number we were deeply skeptical of after first driving the vehicle at its launch last November.

Although it hasn’t been on the market that long, early sales for Honda’s new CR-Z hybrid coupe aren’t any more encouraging. Automotive News reports that Honda had conservatively intended to sell around 15,000 of the two-seat hybrids per year, but so far, only 4,373 have made their way off of dealer lots and another 3,000 are currently sitting in inventory. Thankfully, there is one bright spot in the Honda stable – the 2011 Odyssey. The minivan bowed in September, and it’s performing well against a minivan segment that has heated up with a range of new competitors.

Mazda5 minivans recalled over fuel pump concerns

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a safety recall on certain Mazda5 minivans from the 2009 and 2010 model year.
This recall focuses on the van’s fuel pump, with NHTSA citing that water may not have been completely removed from the pump’s harness connector before vehicle assembly. Thus, the connector pin may corrode, causing the pin to break. If the harness connector breaks, this could lead to an inoperative fuel pump. The Mazda5′s engine could stall, and the inability to restart the engine increases the risk of a crash.
Approximately 16,200 of the Mazda minivans are effected by this problem, and the safety recall is expected to begin on or before December 11th. Dealers will inspect the fuel pump connector and replace the harness free of charge. For the full details, follow the jump to read NHTSA’s official statement.