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92-609: The first Honda Ascot was borne out Honda's strategy to diversify its sales channels in Japan. In 1985, two separate dealer networks were established, under the names of Honda Clio and Honda Primo , in addition to the already existing Honda Verno network. While the Primo stores handled kei cars , as well as the Honda Civic , the Clio stores focused on larger models, including

184-471: A MOMO leather-wrapped steering wheel with matching manual transmission gearshift handle and matching 14" alloy wheels, keyless remote entry, a driver-side airbag, and a six-disc CD player installed in the trunk added to the AM/FM Stereo cassette player. The Carina ED introduced an acoustically balanced collection of ten speakers, labeled as "Super Live Sound System," with two-way speakers installed in

276-406: A 2-day week until the end of May as the manufacturer struggled to source supplies from Japan. It's thought around 22,500 cars were produced during this period. For the fiscal year 2018, Honda reported earnings of US$ 9.534 billion, with an annual revenue of US$ 138.250 billion, an increase of 6.2% over the previous fiscal cycle. Honda's shares traded at over $ 32 per share, and its market capitalization

368-408: A cabin air filter. TOM'S appearance items replaced the previous MOMO equipment, adding special alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and automatic transmission gear selector, while the manual transmission knob was stainless steel and vehicles equipped have a badge on the front fender below the all-new side turn signal indicator. The Carina ED was also offered with Full-time 4WD, but unlike

460-777: A developer studio are part of the Honda Innovations group, formed in Spring 2017 and based in Mountain View, California . Through Honda Mobilityland , Honda also operate the Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi racing tracks. Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Honda announced plans to halve production at its UK plants. The decision was made to put staff at the Swindon plant on

552-491: A different front end with a more formal grille, as well as a revised rear end with an Ascot specific rear tail light treatment, installing the rear license plate indented into the rear bumper. The styling approach was also duplicated on the smaller Honda Concerto , a platform shared with the Honda Civic of the same time period. The Ascot was launched on September 13, 1989, and the television commercials initially featured

644-698: A global recall of about 4.5 million vehicles, including 2.54 million in the U.S., over fuel pump failures, following earlier recalls in 2021 and 2020 for the same issue. Honda is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo , Japan. Their shares trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange , as well as exchanges in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Fukuoka , London , Paris, and Switzerland. The company has assembly plants around

736-495: A keyboard-type design shared across all Toyota products for easier use. Multi-port electronic fuel injection was standard on all engines offered as the 4S-FE replaced the 4S-Fi. In August 1990, the output of the lesser, narrow-valve 2.0-litre 3S-FE was increased simultaneously, from 125 to 140 PS (92 to 103 kW). Facelift was given in August 1991. From 1989 to 1993, Toyota sold 196,945 Carina ED and 163,881 Corona EXiV when

828-671: A mechanic at the Art Shokai garage, where he tuned cars and entered them in races. In 1937, with financing from his acquaintance Kato Shichirō, Honda founded Tōkai Seiki (Eastern Sea Precision Machine Company) to make piston rings working out of the Art Shokai garage. After initial failures, Tōkai Seiki won a contract to supply piston rings to Toyota , but lost the contract due to the poor quality of their products. After attending engineering school without graduating, and visiting factories around Japan to better understand Toyota's quality control processes known as " Five whys ", by 1941 Honda

920-628: A pillared hardtop and front wheel drive. The pillared hardtop approach was also used on the yet smaller Corolla/Sprinter platform, called the Corolla Ceres and the Sprinter Marino . Toyota wanted to establish that the Carina ED was "a fun to drive four-door Celica." To emphasize this, they installed the performance suspension, using the marketing terminology PEGASUS (Precision Engineered Geometrically Advanced SUSpension) introduced on

1012-575: A small 356 cc straight-4 gasoline engine, it was classified under the cheaper Kei car tax bracket. The second production car from Honda was the S500 sports car, which followed the T360 into production in October 1963. Its chain-driven rear wheels pointed to Honda's motorcycle origins. Over the next few decades, Honda worked to expand its product line, operations and exports to numerous countries around

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1104-525: Is a Japanese multinational conglomerate that manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, and battery-powered equipment, founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda and headquartered in Minato, Tokyo , Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a production of 400 million by 19 December 2019. It is also the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda became

1196-851: Is based in Alliston, Ontario . Honda has also created joint ventures around the world, such as Honda Siel Cars and Hero Honda Motorcycles in India, Guangzhou Honda and Dongfeng Honda in China, Boon Siew Honda in Malaysia and Honda Atlas in Pakistan. The company also runs a business innovation initiative called Honda Xcelerator , in order to build relationships with innovators, partner with Silicon Valley startups and entrepreneurs, and help other companies work on prototypes. Xcelerator had worked with reportedly 40 companies as of January 2019. Xcelerator and

1288-563: The " Take the A-Train " jazz standard A-train commercial . Later on, Honda decided to change the marketing image of the car, employing Eric Clapton to do the commercials . In August 1991, a rehashed Ascot was presented, allegedly "refined to better suit the Japanese taste". In March 1992, Honda presented an all-new Honda Ascot Innova (see below), while the regular Ascot was replaced by an all-new model in 1993. Launched on March 5, 1992,

1380-693: The ( Japanese : Ascot Innova ) was also based on the CB Accord underpinnings, but was given an all-new, modern-looking and rounded body, with styling similar to the Honda Prelude BB4 series (1992–1996). It was the result of a joint effort with the Rover Group that provided Rover with the 600 series, and an Accord that was unique to Europe. The Innova retained the original Ascot's six-light greenhouse layout and horizontal taillights, as well as long, sleek and low body proportions (as opposed to

1472-612: The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was commissioned by the UK government to write a report explaining why and how the British motorcycle industry had been out-competed by its Japanese competitors. The report concluded that the Japanese firms, including Honda, had sought a very high scale of production (they had made a large number of motorbikes) in order to benefit from economies of scale and learning curve effects. It blamed

1564-863: The Civic GX as the greenest car in America for seven consecutive years. Honda currently builds vehicles in factories located in Japan, the United States of America, Canada, China, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Turkey, Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Honda is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan and has been since it started production in 1955. At its peak in 1982, Honda manufactured almost three million motorcycles annually. By 2006, this figure had been reduced to around 550,000 but

1656-713: The Fit and Accord. Honda's first hybrid electric vehicle was the 1999 Insight . The Civic was first offered as a hybrid in 2001, and the Accord followed in 2004. In 2008, the company launched the Clarity , a fuel cell car . In 2008, Honda increased global production to meet the demand for small cars and hybrids in the U.S. and emerging markets. The company shuffled U.S. production to keep factories busy and boost car output while building fewer minivans and sport utility vehicles as light truck sales fell. Its first entrance into

1748-466: The Mark II , Chaser and Cresta but the Carina ED was offered at a lower price and reduced tax liability based on the vehicles size and engine displacement. The exclusivity of a genuine hardtop sedan set the Carina ED apart from other more expensive Toyota sedans, and sales reflected the effort. The Carina ED's appearance is similar to the 1986 Camry Prominent that appeared in August, which also used

1840-590: The Mazda Persona , Nissan Presea , and Honda Integra . "ED" is the initials of "Exciting" and "Dressy". When the Carina ED was discontinued, the Toyota Brevis appeared for the market segment served by the Carina ED. The first generation was a new design direction, emphasizing styling and comfort over practicality and economy. It was introduced in May 1985, and sales began in August. The Celica platform

1932-569: The hardtop sedan styling of large American and European sedans, resulting in a small, low cabin with longer front and rear ends. The Carina ED went on sale not long before the Plaza Accord was signed and the Japanese bubble economy took off. The lineup was canceled shortly after the bubble collapsed and the economy began to decline. The ED achieved huge sales in Japan, and other Japanese manufacturers followed with similar designs, including

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2024-656: The 2.0-liter engine, while four-wheel steering , labeled as 4WS on the trunk lid, was standard on the Type G-Limited and optional on the Type X and Type S with both engines offered. The speed-sensitive power steering was linked to the ECT-S automatic transmission and TEMS, so performance and handling could be changed for spirited driving. With the 4WS engaged, the turning circle was 4,700 mm (15.4 ft). Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes were available with ABS . Styling

2116-463: The 2.0-litre versions maintained the 1,695 mm (66.7 in) width which allowed them to remain in the favorable tax class , the 2.3-litre Innovas were 1,710 mm (67.3 in) wide, as the engine displacement didn't allow them to remain in the lower tax band, and buyers in Japan were also liable for a higher annual road tax bill also. A 4-wheel steering system like the one in the Prelude

2208-553: The Accord and Civic (with the exception of its USA-market 1993–97 Passport which was part of a vehicle exchange program with Isuzu (part of the Subaru-Isuzu joint venture)) have always employed Front-wheel drive powertrain implementation, which is currently a long-held Honda tradition. Honda also installed new technologies into their products, first as optional equipment, then later standard, like anti-lock brakes , speed-sensitive power steering , and multi-port fuel injection in

2300-581: The Accord sedan, and the interior, including the dashboard, was shared with the Accord. The exterior sheetmetal was unique to the Ascot, with cosmetic differences provided for a different look, befitting the Ascot's upmarket role as the top-of-the-line model of Honda Primo , which sold small, entry-level products. The headlight units were borrowed from the Honda Inspire , adding to its luxurious appearance, as well as installing LED high mounted brake light in

2392-535: The Ascot only by different external trim details. Both models were replaced by the CF series Accord platform twin Honda Torneo in 1997. Honda#Japan Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ( Japanese : 本田技研工業株式会社 , Hepburn : Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki gaisha , lit.   ' Honda Institute of Technology and Industry Joint-Stock Company ' , IPA: [honda] ; / ˈ h ɒ n d ə / )

2484-629: The Celica and as a smaller companion to the Crown . The Corona was exclusive to Toyopet Store , and the Celica was exclusive to Toyota Corolla Store . The introduction of the Carina ED represented a renewed emphasis on solidifying the performance reputation of the Celica, once again as a four-door version but using a genuine hardtop body style that was discontinued in 1981 when the Carina and Celica hardtop coupes were no longer offered. To take advantage of

2576-650: The Civic is the second-longest continuously running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only its perennial rival, the Toyota Corolla , introduced in 1966, has been in production longer. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude , comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded. Having gone through several generational changes, the Civic has become larger and more upmarket , and it currently slots between

2668-528: The European Accord saloon continued until 1998, with a facelifted model in 1996. In 1998, it was replaced with an all-new model. The next-generation (CD) Accord grew in size considerably, mostly to satisfy North American market efforts, and thus became too wide to fit within the favorable Japanese tax class . Therefore, Honda needed a slightly smaller compact sedan to cater to the JDM market, and this duty

2760-482: The Japanese driver which annual road tax obligation they were willing to pay. The fuel economy for the top level engine was rated at 10.4 km/L (29 mpg ‑imp ; 24 mpg ‑US ) according to figures quoted in sales materials. Here's a Honda promotional video introducing the Ascot FBT-i. The Ascot had a six-light greenhouse compared to the regular Accord's four-light layout, and featured

2852-711: The North American version. The European Accord and the Ascot Innova differ only slightly, with the Euro-Accord being wider and featuring framed windows. Normally, this type of vehicle with a sports car influence would have been sold at Honda Verno , however because of its strong similarity to the Prelude, and Honda Verno already had a luxury sports sedan called the Honda Vigor , the Ascott Innova

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2944-450: The T180 series production ended. For this generation, the distinguishing genuine hardtop body style was discontinued and replaced with a B-pillar hardtop. Structural integrity was improved, and a crumple zone safety cage was offered for the passenger compartment. The Carina ED benefited from the sleek styling of the 1993 Toyota Supra A80 , including the interior, form-fitting seats, and

3036-503: The Toyota Soarer in 1983. The Carina ED came with MacPherson struts with an anti-sway bar and strut tower brace, while the rear employs MacPherson struts with a trailing link and twin lateral links per side, plus an anti-sway bar. The initial lineup offered two 1.8-liter engines, one twin-cam 16-valve 2.0, and five trim packages. The entry-level Type F and Type L came with the 1S-iLU and had throttle body fuel injection. In contrast,

3128-530: The Type X and Type S used the 1S-ELU with multi-point fuel injection, as did the top-of-the-line 3S-GELU on the top-level Type G and G-Limited. Power outputs were initially in JIS Gross, and the three engines were rated at 105, 115 and 160 PS (77, 85 and 118 kW). With the later net rating, power figures drop down to 89, 98 and 140 PS (65, 72 and 103 kW) respectively. Fog lamps were made standard August 1987. The 1S-ELU engine

3220-473: The U.S. market was a story of "miscalculation, serendipity, and organizational learning" – in other words, Honda's success was due to the adaptability and hard work of its staff, rather than any long-term strategy. For example, Honda's initial plan on entering the US market was to compete in large motorcycles, around 300 cc. Honda's motorcycles in this class suffered performance and reliability problems when ridden

3312-587: The US to suspend production in its factories. It resumed automobile, engine and transmission production at its US plants on 11 May 2020. Honda and General Motors announced in September 2020 a North American alliance to begin in 2021. According to The Detroit Free Press, "The proposed alliance will include sharing a range of vehicles, to be sold under each company's distinct brands, as well as cooperation in purchasing, research and development, and connected services." In 2021, Honda announced its intention to become

3404-485: The US. Honda power equipment includes: Toyota Carina ED The Toyota Carina ED is a compact car manufactured by Japanese automaker Toyota in 1985 as a companion to the 1984 Carina sedan. It was positioned as the four-door Celica , with a similar focus on luxury found on larger Toyota pillared hardtop sedans, like the Toyota Crown and the Mark II / Cresta / Chaser . It was only sold in Japan and

3496-476: The United States and Canada due to an issue with seat belts in the car not latching correctly. Among the models recalled were the 2017-2020 CR-V, the 2018 and 2019 Accord, the 2018-2020 Odyssey, the 2019 Insight, and the Acura RDX from 2019 and 2020. According to the recall, the seat belts in the front seats would break open on impact increasing the risk of injury in a crash. On 21 December 2023, Honda announced

3588-459: The air-cooled N360, called the Honda Life , which was water-cooled. The Honda Life represented Honda's efforts in competing in the kei car segment, offering sedan, delivery van and small pick-up platforms on a shared chassis. The Life Step Van had a novel approach that, while not initially a commercial success, appeared to be an influence to vehicles with the front passengers sitting behind

3680-518: The air-cooled, four-cylinder, gasoline-powered Honda 1300 which was introduced in 1969. The Civic was a hatchback that gained wide popularity internationally, but it wasn't the first two-door hatchback built by Honda. That was the Honda N360 , a Kei car that was adapted for international sale as the N600. The Civic, which appeared in 1972 and replaced the N600 also had a smaller sibling that replaced

3772-596: The company. Honda also aided the war effort by assisting other companies in automating the production of military aircraft propellers. The relationships Honda cultivated with personnel at Toyota, Nakajima Aircraft Company and the Imperial Japanese Navy would be instrumental in the postwar period. A US B-29 bomber attack destroyed Tōkai Seiki's Yamashita plant in 1944, and the Itawa plant collapsed on 13 January 1945 Mikawa earthquake . Soichiro Honda sold

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3864-515: The decline of the British motorcycle industry on the failure of British managers to invest enough in their businesses to profit from economies of scale and scope . The second explanation was offered in 1984 by Richard Pascale, who had interviewed the Honda executives responsible for the firm's entry into the U.S. market. As opposed to the tightly focused strategy of low cost and high scale that BCG accredited to Honda, Pascale found that their entry into

3956-681: The desire to create a more environmentally friendly company image. The Honda Aircraft Company as established in 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary to manufacture and sell the HondaJet family of aircraft. The first deliveries to customers began in December 2015. On 23 February 2015, Honda announced that CEO and President Takanobu Ito would step down and be replaced by Takahiro Hachigo in June of that year; additional retirements by senior managers and directors were expected. In October 2019, Honda

4048-517: The early 1980s. This desire to be the first to try new approaches is evident with the creation of the first Japanese luxury chain Acura , and was also evident with the all-aluminum, mid-engined sports car, the Honda NSX , which also introduced variable valve timing technology, which Honda calls VTEC . The Civic family is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America,

4140-445: The engine, a large cargo area with a flat roof and a liftgate installed in back, and utilizing a transversely installed engine with a front-wheel-drive powertrain. As Honda entered into automobile manufacturing in the late 1960s where Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota and Nissan had been making cars since before WWII, Honda instilled a sense of doing things a little differently than its Japanese competitors. Its mainstay products like

4232-668: The engines ran out, Honda began building their own copy of the Tohatsu engine, and supplying these to customers to attach to their bicycles. This was the Honda A-Type, nicknamed the Bata Bata for the sound the engine made. In 1949, the Honda Technical Research Institute was liquidated for ¥ 1,000,000, or about US$ 5,000 today; these funds were used to incorporate Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At about

4324-725: The establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet , which began production in 2012. Honda has two joint-ventures in China: Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda . In 2013, Honda invested about 5.7% (US$ 6.8 billion) of its revenues into research and development. Also in 2013, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to be a net exporter from the United States, exporting 108,705 Honda and Acura models, while importing only 88,357. Throughout his life, Honda's founder, Soichiro Honda (1906–1991), had an interest in automobiles. He worked as

4416-558: The first Ascot's role as a premium entry-level formal sedan. It was fitted with the 5-cylinder inline Honda G engine , also employed by the Inspire and Vigor, in two displacement versions - 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre, with the gearbox slotted behind it. The wheelbase of the Ascot was shorter than the slightly longer Inspire and Vigor, which measured at 2,805 mm (110.4 in), a difference of 35 mm (1.4 in), which didn't leave much room for rear seat passengers. Furthermore, due to

4508-453: The first Honda to go by the name Dream. In 1961, Honda achieved its first Grand Prix victories and World Championships in the 125 cc and 250 cc categories. Honda Motor Company grew in a short time to become the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964. The first production automobile from Honda was the T360 mini pick-up truck, which went on sale in August 1963. Powered by

4600-401: The first-generation Odyssey and the CR-V , and a refocusing away from some of the numerous sedans and coupes that were popular with the company's engineers but not with the buying public. The most shocking change to Honda came when Kawamoto ended the company's successful participation in Formula One after the 1992 season, citing costs in light of the takeover threat from Mitsubishi as well as

4692-436: The front doors, speakers in the lower half of the dashboard facing front passengers, and two-way speakers in the parcel shelf behind the rear seats, including sub-woofers. The total power output was 220 watts. The CD player offered four times oversampling and digital filtering. Diversity antennae were integrated into the rear window with the electric defroster included. TEMS was offered on the G-Limited, Type S, and Type X with

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4784-400: The globe. These plants are located in China, the United States, Pakistan, Canada, England, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, México, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Taiwan, Perú and Argentina. As of July 2010, 89% of Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the United States were built in North American plants, up from 82.2% a year earlier. This shields profits from

4876-427: The lack of a B-pillar attached to the roof, the front shoulder seat belt could be detached from the roof support and rested on the front passenger shoulders, and the roof support could then be swung up and clipped to the ceiling, giving the rear passengers an unobstructed view. The hardtop sedan appearance was offered to consumers who wanted the luxurious approach offered by the pillared hardtop sedan Crown , as well as

4968-414: The lengthwise installation of the five-cylinder engine, and the requirement that the overall length of the car comply with Japanese government regulations concerning cars classified as "compact", compromises were made with regards to rear passenger accommodations, and sales suffered as a result. The Ascot also spawned a sister car, the Honda Rafaga , which was sold at Honda Verno stores, which differed from

5060-543: The models TRX 90X, TRX 250X, TRX 400x, TRX 450R and TRX 700. Power equipment production started in 1953 with H-type engine (prior to motorcycles). Honda power equipment reached record sales in 2007 with 6.4 million units sold annually. By 2010 ( Fiscal year ended 31 March) this figure had decreased to 4.7 million units. Cumulative production of power products has exceeded 85 million units annually (as of September 2008). In September 2023, Honda ceased sales of gasoline lawn mowers and some other power equipment in

5152-440: The more elaborate and expensive TEMS and offered limited slip differential for front wheel drive vehicles. A facelift was released in August 1995. The line up was now consisted of the 1.8 V, 2.0 X, 2.0 X 4WS, 2.0 GT, and 2.0 GT 4WD. Optional "Exciting Version" package was available for all models. This optional package includes trunk spoiler, upgraded sound system, and wireless door remote control for all grades, alloy wheels for

5244-1207: The pickup segment, the light-duty Ridgeline, won Truck of the Year from Motor Trend magazine in 2006. Also in 2006, the redesigned Civic won Car of the Year from the magazine, giving Honda a rare double win of Motor Trend honors. It is reported that Honda plans to increase hybrid sales in Japan to more than 20% of its total sales in the fiscal year 2011, from 14.8% in the previous year. Five of United States Environmental Protection Agency 's top ten most fuel-efficient cars from 1984 to 2010 come from Honda, more than any other automakers. The five models are: 2000–2006 Honda Insight (53 mpg ‑US or 4.4 L/100 km or 64 mpg ‑imp combined), 1986–1987 Honda Civic Coupe HF (46 mpg ‑US or 5.1 L/100 km or 55 mpg ‑imp combined), 1994–1995 Honda Civic hatchback VX (43 mpg ‑US or 5.5 L/100 km or 52 mpg ‑imp combined), 2006– Honda Civic Hybrid (42 mpg ‑US or 5.6 L/100 km or 50 mpg ‑imp combined), and 2010– Honda Insight (41 mpg ‑US or 5.7 L/100 km or 49 mpg ‑imp combined). The ACEEE has also rated

5336-482: The relatively long distances of the US highways. When the team found that the scooters they were using to get themselves around their U.S. base of San Francisco attracted positive interest from consumers they fell back on selling the Super Cub instead. The most recent school of thought on Honda's strategy was put forward by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad in 1989. Creating the concept of core competencies with Honda as an example, they argued that Honda's success

5428-417: The release of the first EVs scheduled for 2026 in the US under the "Afeela" brand. On 2 February 2023, Honda announced a deal with American car company General Motors to produce cars using a new hydrogen fuel system. The aim is to ramp up the hydrogen powered cells in their Electric vehicles as well as trucks, construction machinery, and power stations. On 15 March 2023, Honda recalled 500,000 vehicles in

5520-403: The salvageable remains of the company to Toyota after the war for ¥450,000 and used the proceeds to found the Honda Technical Research Institute in October 1946. With a staff of 12 men working in a 16 m (170 sq ft) shack, they built and sold improvised motorized bicycles , using a supply of 500 two-stroke 50 cc Tohatsu war surplus radio generator engines . When

5612-402: The same time Honda hired engineer Kihachiro Kawashima, and Takeo Fujisawa who provided indispensable business and marketing expertise to complement Soichiro Honda's technical bent. The close partnership between Soichiro Honda and Fujisawa lasted until they stepped down together in October 1973. The first complete motorcycle with both the frame and engine made by Honda was the 1949 D-Type ,

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5704-439: The second generation. A driver-side airbag, as were speed-sensitive door locks, an in-dash CD player, a MiniDisc player, a retractable four-inch television screen installed below the mid-level AM/FM stereo cassette that was dealer installed, and climate-controlled air conditioning were optional. A passenger-side airbag appeared optionally in June 1996. Other options included remote keyless entry, front and rear parking sensors, and

5796-406: The second-generation Ascot's upright stance and more Accord CF-like rear end). The Innova was fitted with frameless side glazing to provide for the "pillared hardtop " look, thus being Honda's answer to cars like the Toyota Carina ED / Toyota Corona EXiV , Nissan Bluebird ARX and Mitsubishi Emeraude . The Ascot Innova was sold in conjunction to the Ascot, and did not replace it. The Ascot Innova

5888-606: The second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer in 2001. In 2015, Honda was the eighth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura , on 27 March 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft , power generators, and other products. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with

5980-429: The shift points for economy or power performance. The luxury features included with the Celica 2000GT-R were also offered on the Carina ED Type X, including the digital dashboard, automatic climate control, cruise control, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with lumbar support and side bolsters, four-way adjustable steering wheel, and the AM/FM stereo cassette with a built-in equalizer. The restyled second generation

6072-409: The slogan " You meet the nicest people on a Honda ." In contrast to the prevailing negative stereotypes of motorcyclists in America as tough, antisocial rebels, this campaign suggested that Honda motorcycles were made for the everyman. The campaign was hugely successful; the ads ran for three years, and by the end of 1963 alone, Honda had sold 90,000 motorcycles. Taking Honda's story as an archetype of

6164-417: The smaller manufacturer entering a new market already occupied by highly dominant competitors, the story of their market entry, and their subsequent huge success in the U.S. and around the world has been the subject of some academic controversy. Competing explanations have been advanced to explain Honda's strategy and the reasons for their success. The first of these explanations was put forward when, in 1975,

6256-406: The successful establishment of Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. in Marysville, Ohio . Irimajiri and Kawamoto shared a friendly rivalry within Honda; owing to health issues, Irimajiri would resign in 1992. Following the death of Soichiro Honda and the departure of Irimajiri, Honda found itself quickly being outpaced in product development by other Japanese automakers and was caught off-guard by

6348-400: The top-of-the-line Honda Legend . With the arrival of the fourth-generation Honda Accord (CB) its sales were assigned solely to Honda Clio . That meant, however, that the Honda Primo network needed an Accord-based compact sedan for the dealership channel. Honda adopted a rather simple solution of creating a " sister car " to Accord, the Honda Ascot. Technically, the Ascot was identical to

6440-537: The truck and sport utility vehicle boom of the 1990s, all which took a toll on the profitability of the company. Japanese media reported in 1992 and 1993 that Honda was at serious risk of an unwanted and hostile takeover by Mitsubishi Motors , which at the time was a larger automaker by volume and was flush with profits from its successful Pajero and Diamante models. Kawamoto acted quickly to change Honda's corporate culture, rushing through market-driven product development that resulted in recreational vehicles such as

6532-471: The trunk rear spoiler. It came in five trim levels; the FB and the FBX came with the 1.8 litre engine, with the 2.0Si, 2.0FBX-i as the mid-level package, with the top level 2.0FBT-i included four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, traction control, a viscous coupling differential, mechanical four-wheel steering, and four-wheel double wishbone suspension, with the 2.0 Liter PGM-FI fuel injection engine. Two different engine displacement choices were given so as to allow

6624-453: The turbocharged Toyota Celica GT-Four , the Carina ED 2.0 GT was powered by the normally-aspirated 3S-GE engine. The All-Trac four-wheel drive system was optional and was borrowed from the and four-wheel steering continued from previous generations coupled with ABS . To take advantage of the all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering, Toyota also installed a modified MacPherson strut for the front wheels called Super Strut instead of installing

6716-483: The weight of the engine aligned and behind the front axle and improving vehicle weight distribution between the front and rear axles . In Japan, the smaller G20A engine used regular grade fuel, while the larger G25A engine used premium grade fuel. The new Ascot had a sloping appearance resembling a coupé , rendering the vehicle shorter and taller than both the CD Accord, Ascot Innova and the Inspire, thus continuing

6808-484: The world's first carmaker to sell a vehicle with level 3 self-driving technology. In March 2022, Honda announced it would develop and build electric vehicles in a joint venture with electronics giant Sony . The latter is set to provide its imaging, sensing, network and other technologies while Honda would be responsible for the car manufacturing processes. The Sony Honda Mobility company was officially announced on 13 October 2022 with pre-orders said to open in 2025 and

6900-507: The world. In 1986, Honda introduced the successful Acura brand to the American market in an attempt to gain ground in the luxury vehicle market. The year 1991 saw the introduction of the Honda NSX supercar, the first all-aluminum monocoque vehicle that incorporated a mid-engine V6 with variable-valve timing . In 1990, CEO Tadashi Kume was succeeded by Nobuhiko Kawamoto . Kawamoto was selected over Shoichiro Irimajiri , who oversaw

6992-443: The wrap-around dashboard. The "Super Live Sound System," previously introduced, added Digital Sound Processing that allowed playback to simulate four environments: private club, cathedral, stadium, or natural, without any modification. Initially the trim level designations were the base 1.8 F followed by the 1.8 X, 2.0 S-Limited, 2.0 X, and the top-of-the line 2.0 G-Limited. As a result of styling changes, sales improved compared to

7084-593: The yen's advance to a 15-year high against the dollar. American Honda Motor Company is based in Torrance, California . Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is Honda's motorsport division. Honda Canada Inc. is headquartered in Markham, Ontario , it was originally planned to be located in Richmond Hill, Ontario , but delays led them to look elsewhere. Their manufacturing division, Honda of Canada Manufacturing ,

7176-522: Was able to mass-produce piston rings acceptable to Toyota, using an automated process that could employ even unskilled wartime laborers. Tōkai Seiki was placed under the control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (called the Ministry of Munitions after 1943) at the start of World War II, and Soichiro Honda was demoted from president to senior managing director after Toyota took a 40% stake in

7268-720: Was assigned to Honda Primo instead, as Honda Clio had the Honda Legend . The European Accord was in turn the base for the Rover 600 saloon, developed under Honda's long-standing relationship with the British Rover Group . The Rover 600 and the Swindon Accord also shared two engine options not available for the Ascot Innova - Honda's F18A 1.8-litre unit and Rover's 2.0-litre L-series turbo-diesel . The Ascot Innova remained in production until 1996, while

7360-490: Was assigned to the new Ascot Rather than being directly based on the now larger Accord, the new Ascot was given its own platform, with the codenames CE4/5, which was a platform improvement of the previous generation. Like the Inspire, Vigor and the even larger Honda Legend , the CE Ascot had its engines mounted longitudinally , contrary to the Accord and most other FWD cars, employing the transverse setup , thereby placing

7452-504: Was available in three four-cylinder engine choices: the 2.0-litre F20A unit , producing 135 PS (99 kW; 133 bhp) in the less expensive 2.0iC and 2.0i versions with SOHC , 150 PS (148 bhp; 110 kW) in the 2.0Si trim with DOHC, and the H-series 2.3-litre H23A engine fitted in the export versions of the Prelude, producing 165 bhp (167 PS; 123 kW) (the 2.3-litre versions were designated 2.3Si-Z). While

7544-578: Was built around the slogan "Hardtop Innovation" and featured the American actress Geena Davis . The Ascot Innova itself remained a JDM-only model, and a Honda Primo exclusive, with no JDM sister cars. It was the result of shared efforts with British partner Rover Group , and the car was sold as the European Accord , which was made in Swindon , UK and marketed in Europe as Honda Accord instead of

7636-523: Was due to its focus on leadership in the technology of internal combustion engines. For example, the high power-to-weight ratio engines Honda produced for its racing bikes provided technology and expertise which was transferable into mopeds. Honda's entry into the U.S. motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a case study for teaching introductory strategy at business schools worldwide. Honda builds utility ATVs under models Recon, Rubicon, Rancher, Foreman and Rincon. Honda also builds sports ATVs under

7728-602: Was exclusive to Toyota Japan dealerships called Toyota Store locations and sold next to the Carina. The Carina ED shared the same Toyota "T" platform as the Celica , while the Celica was exclusive to Toyota Corolla Store locations. Unlike the larger sedans, the Carina ED, and later the Corona EXiV, were genuine four-door hardtops without a B-pillar connecting the rear door support to the roof. Its design sought to emulate

7820-409: Was introduced in September 1989, and luxury equipment content increased. Some changes were made to the availability of engines, while the transmissions and the front and rear suspension carried over from the previous generation. The trim levels started with the base model 1.8 F, followed by the 1.8 S, 1.8 X, 2.0 S-Limited, 2.0 X, and top-of-the-line 2.0 G-Limited. Some of the optional features included

7912-627: Was made available for the 2.0i, 2.0Si, and 2.3Si-Z versions. Apart from the cheapest 2.0iC version, which came with a 5-speed manual transmission , all Ascot Innovas came with a 4-speed automatic . The Ascot Innova range started at ¥ 1,558,000 for the 2.0iC in the Tokyo sales area, while the most expensive 2.3Si-Z fetched ¥2,992,000 in Sapporo area, not including extra charges for options such as 4-wheel steering , moonroof , passenger airbag , cornering lamps or ABS . The television advertising campaign

8004-418: Was replaced by the 2.0-liter 3S-FE, producing 120 PS (88 kW) JIS net. In May 1988 the 1S-iLU was replaced by the 1.8-liter 4S-Fi, with 105 PS (77 kW) JIS net; this meant that the engine lineup now consisted entirely twin cams. The transmissions offered were the same as found in the Celica, with the four-speed automatic offered with ECT-S technology, offering overdrive and the ability to change

8096-490: Was reported to be in talks with Hitachi to merge the two companies' car parts businesses, creating a components supplier with almost $ 17 billion in annual sales. In January 2020, Honda announced that it would be withdrawing employees working in the city of Wuhan , Hubei , China due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On 23 March 2020 due to the global spread of the virus, Honda became the first major automaker with operations in

8188-452: Was still higher than its three domestic competitors. In 2017, India became the largest motorcycle market for Honda. In India, Honda is leading in the scooters segment, with 59% market share. During the 1960s when it was a small manufacturer, Honda broke out of the Japanese motorcycle market and began exporting to the United States. Working with the advertising agency Grey Advertising , Honda created an innovative marketing campaign, using

8280-624: Was updated and shared a corporate appearance with the Toyota Corona and Toyota Carina , along with the Japan-only Toyota Camry V30 "narrow-body" and the "wide-body" Toyota Scepter . With the success of the previous generation, the Toyota Corona EXiV was introduced at Toyopet Store locations as a hardtop sedan alternative to the longer Toyota Mark II X80 sedan. The climate controls were upgraded to

8372-401: Was used, and attention was placed on handling, style and performance. When the Carina ED became available, the series T160 sold 264,566 before production concluded in August 1989. When the first Carina was introduced in 1970, it was identified as a four-door Celica but sold at a different Toyota Japan dealership called Toyota Store as a Corona-sized sedan with a performance-enhanced image of

8464-654: Was valued at US$ 50.4 billion in October 2018. Honda's automotive manufacturing ambitions can be traced back to 1963, with the Honda T360 , a Kei truck built for the Japanese market. This was followed by the two-door roadster , the Honda S500 also introduced in 1963. In 1965, Honda built a two-door commercial delivery van, named the Honda L700 . Honda's first four-door sedan was not the Honda Accord , but

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