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Honda Motor Company, Limited (本田技研工業株式会社 Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha, Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limited^?) or simply called Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, engine manufacturer and engineering corporation.

The company manufactures automobiles and motorcycles, trucks, scooters, robots, jets and jet engines, ATV, water craft, electrical generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and aeronautical and other mobile technologies. Honda's line of luxury cars are branded Acura in North America and China. More recently they have ventured into mountain bikes.

Honda is the largest engine-maker in the world, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines built each year.

Honda is headquartered in 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. American Honda Motor Co. is based in Torrance, California. Honda Canada Inc. is headquartered in the Scarborough, Ontario district of Toronto, Ontario, and is building new corporate headquarters in Richmond Hill, Ontario, scheduled to relocate in 2008. Hero Honda, a joint venture between India's Hero Group and Honda, is the largest manufacturer of two wheelers in the world. Honda of Canada Manufacturing is based in Alliston, Ontario. Honda has also created joint ventures around the world, such as Honda Siel Cars India Ltd, Hero Honda Motorcycles India Ltd, Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company in China and Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan.

Honda FCX Clarity

The Honda FCX Clarity is a hydrogen fuel cell automobil manufactured by Honda.

Currently there are more than twenty 2002 prototype-based, leased vehicles in the hands of customers in three different American states, including the state of New York, city of Las Vegas, Chula Vista, San Francisco and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Limited marketing of a latest fuel cell vehicle based on the 2007 concept model is to begin in 2008 in Japan and the United States. Honda believes it could start mass producing vehicles based on the FCX concept by the year 2018.


FR-V

The Honda FR-V (Honda Edix in Japan) is a six-seater compact MPV introduced by Honda in 2004. Alongside the Fiat Multipla, it is currently the only compact minivan with a 3+3 seating configuration available on the European market.


Fit/Jazz

On 17 July 2007, Honda CEO, Takeo Fukui, announced during a press event that the next-generation Honda Fit/Jazz would make its debut in the fall of 2007 in Japan. Events leading up to the introduction of the second-generation Honda Fit slowly unveiled more information about the vehicle. On 28 August, 2007, manufacturer brochures were leaked and indicated that the second generation Honda Fit may feature three trim levels; G, L and RS. It is speculated the G and L trim levels will feature a new 1.3 L (79.3 cu in) i-VTEC engine that makes 100 hp (70 kW), while the 1.5 L (91.5 cu in) i-VTEC will be reserved for the Fit RS and will feature 120 hp (89 kW). On 20 September, 2007, images that appeared to be official promotion photography were leaked onto the internet of the 2009 Honda Fit. The new model has a pronounced one-box shape with a sleeker look than the current model. The photos also showed a panoramic glass roof.

On 20 August, 2007, Honda released official pictures and specifications of the new Fit. The vehicle was wider, longer, and with a longer wheelbase. Height was unchanged due to mechanic parking in Japan. ULTR magic seats were retained in the second generation, rear headrests were redesigned for better convenience when folding down the seats which now only takes two steps to fold down the whole back row. Growth in dimensions brought more space to the cabin, boot capacity increased from 12.7 to 14.2 cubic feet. There is also a hidden box under the floor. Although there is no increase in the height of the body, the interior height gained another .3 in, being benefited by the new layout of the platform.

Two engines will be offered in the new Fit. A 1.3 L (79.3 cu in) i-VTEC will produce 100 hp (70 kW) at 6000 rpm and 98 ft·lbf (133 N·m) at 4500 rpm. This engine will be offered in both European and Asian markets. A 1.5 L (91.5 cu in) i-VTEC engine will also be offered and have a maximum output of 118 hp (88 kW) at 6000 rpm and 107 ft·lbf (145 N·m) at 4800 rpm. This will be the only engine available in the American market. A 5-speed manual and CVT transmission are both available.

Inspire

The first Inspire debuted in 1990 as the Accord Inspire, a sister nameplate to the Honda Vigor, then exported to the US as the Acura Vigor. They were the same car headed for different retail channels in Japan. This Vigor was a departure in itself; whereas 1980s Vigors were badge-engineered Accords, from this generation on the Vigor moved upmarket and received its own platform, in which the engine sits longitudinally like the Generation II Acura Legend. In Japan there would be four sedans between the Civic and the Legend: the Honda Accord and Honda Ascot with 4-cylinder engines mounted transversely, and the Vigor and Inspire with 5-cylinder engines mounted longitudinally.

In 1995 the Inspire was replaced by a new model, exported to the US as the Acura TL, while the Vigor nameplate was dropped altogether. The longitudinal engine layout remained, but a 3.2-liter V6 became available for the first time.

In 1999 these cars were replaced by a new TL that was based on the Accord platform, and largely designed and engineered in the US by Honda R&D Americas, InC. in Raymond, Ohio. Manufactured in the US, these were imported into Japan as the new Inspire and Saber.

Integra

The fourth generation Integra, produced from 2002 to 2006, was renamed the Acura RSX for the United States, Canada and Hong Kong in accordance with Acura's new alphabetical naming scheme. It also had an entirely new engine, the K-series. The RSX was still sold as a Honda Integra in Japan and Australia, markets where Acura did not exist.

2006 marked the final model year for the RSX, and in May 2006, Honda discontinued the RSX. As of May 2007, the Honda Integra is still offered for sale in Japan, but was discontinued for sale in Australia, its other market.


Legend

The Acura Legend, sold as the Honda Legend outside the U.S., Canada, and parts of China, was a sporty luxury vehicle sold from 1986 to 1995 as both a sedan and a coupe. It was one of the first vehicles sold under the Acura nameplate, and was the top-spec sedan under the Acura nameplate until being replaced in 1996 by the Acura RL (officially badged as the Acura 3.5RL). The 3.5RL was a rebadged version of the third generation Honda Legend.

Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey is a minivan / large MPV produced by the Japanese automaker Honda since 1995. Since model year 1999, the name was used on two related but distinct vehicles, with the larger Odyssey sold in North America market, while the smaller Odyssey sold in Japan and other world markets.

The larger North American Odyssey was sold in Japan as Honda LaGreat between 1999 and 2004. However, Honda has no plan to sell the smaller Odyssey in North America, despite its popularity when it was first introduced in 2003 Tokyo Auto Show.

Pilot

The Honda Pilot is Honda's second SUV fully built and designed by Honda, released in the summer of 2002 for the 2003 model year. The Honda Pilot is built in Lincoln, Alabama and was built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada up until April 2007. The Pilot is now built exclusively at the Lincoln, Alabama plant. Honda's initial SUV offering for many years was the Passport, which was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo. Where the Passport was truck-based, it replaced the extended-wheelbase EX trim of the Passport. The Pilot shares underpinnings and the powertrain with the Acura MDX, which has a lineage which can be traced to the Honda Odyssey minivan. The Pilot’s unibody construction, however, is fortified with integrated perimeter frame rails, which helps it withstand light off-road use.

The Pilot was designed to fill a large American demand for SUVs. Prior to the introduction of the Pilot, Honda only had the smaller CR-V based on the Civic, and the aforementioned Passport. However, the CR-V lacked in features many American consumers looked for in an SUV, which are overall size, passenger space, and towing capacity. The Pilot is at most designed to withstand light-duty off-roading. The Pilot has been a best-seller for Honda, with Honda selling over 100,000 Pilots in 2004, an increase of almost 20% over 2003. The Pilot is sold in North America, while Japan and Australia get its relative, the Honda MDX instead. In the Middle East, the Pilot is sold as the Honda MR-V.

For 2006, the Pilot received new front and rear fascias, a redesigned interior, and various standard safety features.

Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size crossover vehicle produced by the Japanese automaker Honda. The Ridgeline is Honda's intended first foray into the North American pickup truck market. The Ridgeline is built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada alongside the Acura MDX, Honda Civic, Honda Civic Si, and Acura CSX and was released in March 2005 as a 2006 model. The Ridgeline was awarded Motor Trend's Truck of the Year for 2006.

S2000

The Honda S2000 is a roadster manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. Launched in April 1999, the car was created to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary and continues the tradition of the company's previous lightweight roadster "S" cars, the S500, S600 and S800. Prices in the United States start at US$34,300.

Stream

The Honda Stream is a compact MPV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda since 2000. For Japan it gets gasoline direct injection 1.7 L and 2.0 L engines with improved fuel efficiency. It was facelifted in January 2004.

Its shape is a mix of a compact MPV and a station wagon; its height (1.55 m) makes it hard to classify it precisely. Handling characteristics are more like a "hot"-hatchback than any other comparable compact MPV.

A second generation 2007 model has been officially presented on the 13th July 2006.

Airwave

The Honda Airwave is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese automaker Honda since 2005. It is a five-door station wagon version of the City / Fit Aria and Fit/Jazz, which are a sedan and a hatchback respectively. The Airwave is built on the Global Small Car platform; however, unlike the City and Fit, the Airwave is unique to the Japanese market. Honda announced the debut of the Airwave on April 7, 2005.

Accord

The Honda Accord is an automobile manufactured by Honda since 1976, debuting as a compact hatchback and evolving into a intermediate vehicle. The Honda Accord has been sold in most automotive markets throughout the world. It has achieved considerable success, especially in the USA, where it was the best-selling Japanese car for 15 years (1982-97), and became the first Japanese-branded vehicle to be manufactured in the U.S. in 1982. Over the years, Honda has offered many different body styles and versions of the Accord, and often vehicles marketed under the Accord nameplate concurrently in different markets differ quite substantially.

With the advent of the most recent Accord for 2008, Honda again has chosen to move the model further upscale and increase in its size. This increase in size pushed Accord from upper limit of a mid-size car by EPA standard for a 2007 model to just above the lower limit of a full-size car, with the coupe still rated as a compact car.


Civic

The Honda Civic is a compact car manufactured by Honda. It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a three-door hatchback version that September. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive, like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.

• Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, rudimentary heater, foam cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers, and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. The current Civic has become much more luxurious with satellite-linked navigation, a six-speed manual transmission, power locks and power windows available.

The Civic evolved from having an 1170 cc engine (1973) to having engines with larger capacities and more creature comforts (air conditioning, power windows, etc.) through the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s.

In the United States of America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer.


CR-V

The Honda CR-V is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda since 1996. It was loosely derived from the Honda Civic to satisfy a public demand for a sport-utility vehicle from Honda. There are discrepancies as to what "CR-V" stands for, with Honda sources in different markets citing different meanings. Though Honda sales literature in UK reportedly makes references to "Compact Recreational Vehicle", other Honda references (including the official Honda Japan CR-V Fact Book and Honda Worldwide ) cite "Comfortable Runabout Vehicle". It is available in both all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, although in many markets such as the United Kingdom, only all-wheel drive is offered due to lack of demand for lower specification vehicles and higher consumer expectations.

Honda produces CR-Vs in the United Kingdom and Japan for worldwide markets, and as of 2007, North American CR-Vs are produced in East Liberty, Ohio. The CR-V is produced for the Chinese market by the Dongfeng Honda Automobill Company, a joint venture with Honda. Starting in fall 2007, North American CR-Vs will also be produced in Jalisco, Mexico in addition to the US, Japan, and Britain due to high demand. Honda executives considered making the CR-V as one of the first vehicles to be produced at Honda's new facility currently under construction in Greensburg, Indiana that will open in fall 2008; however, the facility will initially exclusively produce the Civic, which may free up space in East Liberty for CR-V production from the 2009 model year onward. Elsewhere, the CR-V is Honda's smallest SUV other than the related Element sold in the United States and Canada, and the HR-V sold in Europe. In size, the CR-V slots between the Element and Pilot.


Element

The Honda Element is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda and released in the United States, Canada and Japan in 2003. Although the Element is based on the CR-V, its dimensions are significantly different. The length is a foot (300 mm) shorter, the wheelbase has been trimmed 1.7 in (43 mm), the roofline is 7.8 in (198 mm) higher, the front track 1.7 in (43 mm) narrower, and the floor about an inch (25 mm) lower. This model was designed to slot below the CR-V, and compete against compact SUVs, such as the Ford Escape and Hyundai Tucson, and tall hatchbacks like the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Toyota Matrix.

Powering the Element is Honda's 2.4 L K24A4 i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that also sees duty in the Accord and CR-V. For the Element's purposes, it produces 156 hp (119 kW) at 5500 rpm and 160 ft·lbf (218 N·m) of torque at 4500 rpm.

The Element rides on a highly modified CR-V chassis, and because it has no visible B-pillars, it sports reinforced joints, strengthened lower side sills, larger cross members, enlarged rocker panels, and five bulkheads per side. The Element is available with front-wheel drive or Honda's optional "Real Time" four-wheel drive system. This is a hydraulically-actuated system that operates only when front wheel slippage occurs. It was discontinued in Japan with the 2006 model. The Element is currently built in East Liberty, Ohio.

That's

The Honda That's is a kei car manufactured since 2002 by Honda for the Japanese market only. The vehicle has a 5-door "tall wagon" hatchback body, with considerable height given its limited length and width, limited by kei car regulations limits. That's is based on the third-generation Honda Life kei car platform, and comes in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, and it shares the Life's E07Z 3-cylinder inline, 656 cc engine, available in either naturally-aspirated (38 kW) or turbocharged (47 kW) versions (the latter was dropped in 2006 with the arrival of the turbocharged Honda Zest). All versions only come with a 3-speed automatic transmission.

The That's went on sale in Japan on February 8, 2002 with prices starting at ¥ 1,034,000. On October 15, 2004, Honda released a special version, slashing the price to ¥ 900,000, which resulted in 200% increase in sales. A minor facelift took place in 2006, with the facelifted That's debuting on March 22 - at the same time, the turbocharged version was dropped.


ZEST

The Honda ZEST is a kei car, released in 2006, with a turbo charged engine, 4 cylinders, and 4 doors.


Crossroad

The Honda Crossroad is a new crossover SUV to be released for the Japanese market in February 2007 for the 2008 model year. The Crossroad features three rows of seats capable of accommodating up to 7 passengers.

Under the hood, the Crossroad sports one of two 4-cylinder engines of 1.8 and 2.0L in displacement. Both will be mated to the only available transmission: a 5-speed automatic. Honda's Real-Time AWD system has been thoroughly revised for the Crossroad. It now works in conjunction with stability and traction control as well as ABS brakes. For the first time in a Honda, the Crossroad will be equipped with Hill-Start Assist which temporarily maintains brake pressure after the brake pedal is released when starting on a hill. Under normal driving conditions, the Crossroad behaves as a FWD vehicle.

According to AutoWeek, Honda said it won't import the Crossroad to North America, since their similarly-sized Element takes its place. Honda's crossover SUV lineup in the United States and Canada already has the smaller Element, the mid-priced CR-V and the larger Pilot, as all three models are made in North America.


Stepwagon

The Honda Stepwagon/Stepwgn, is a great mid-size people-carrier which made its debut on the Japanese market in 1996. All are petrol engined automatics, and almost all are 8-seaters. There was a five-seat N Type available from 1999 to 2001, but not many were built. Originally powered by a 2 litre engine, it was thought a little underpowered, and since June 2004 a 2.4 litre engine has been available as an option.