Honda unveils the new "HondaLink"

New Cloud Based HondaLink for the 2013 Honda Accord......

 

Honda today unveiled HondaLink™, a new in-vehicle connectivity system that will debut this fall on the all-new, ninth-generation 2013 Honda Accord. Featuring the first automotive OEM application of Aha™ by Harman, HondaLink will provide a personalized experience connecting drivers to thousands of cloud-based news,information and media feeds from around the world, using an intuitive, audio-system based interface.
"HondaLink will enable customers to put away their phone and still stay connected to the people, music and media they love," said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president of product planning for American Honda. "By creating an intuitive and customizable user interface, HondaLink allows drivers to access digital content as easily as choosing a radio station."
Honda's intuitive new HondaLink smartphone application allows owners to preset content on their phone. Once in the car, consumers can enjoy personalized content accessible via voice recognition, steering-wheel mounted controls and in-dash audio system controls. With a tethered smartphone serving as a conduit to a wealth of cloud-based media, HondaLink creates a unique, connected driving experience.
"Honda's strategy is about leveraging the cloud to bring a wealth of new information and services to Honda owners," said Charles Koch, American Honda manager of new business development. "This is the next evolution of the connected car and the connected customer."
Through the Aha service, for example, HondaLink users can listen to Facebook and Twitter audio newsfeeds, podcasts from NPR, location-based personalized restaurant listings from Yelp!, and access internet music services such as Slacker. The service is free and instantly accessible from the cloud.
Aha delivers a user-friendly experience requiring infrequent smartphone software updates, with in-vehicle content and channel access updating simply and automatically throughout the vehicle life. And content available from HondaLink will grow as the system continues to expand its services for Honda owners. HondaLink will also incorporate Pandora internet radio and voice-to-text SMS text services with pre-programmed responses, which Honda introduced on the 2012 CR-V.
HondaLink EV
The HondaLink family also includes HondaLink EV, specifically designed for the all-new Fit EV all-electric vehicle and the upcoming Accord Plug-In Hybrid. Owners of these electric vehicles will have access to unique applications designed specifically to maintain connectivity to their vehicle. The HondaLink EV application will allow the user to remotely view the state of charge, initiate charging, and activate the air conditioning and heater to pre-condition the vehicle while connected to the grid to maximize battery range on start-up. HondaLink EV will launch with the Fit EV, which will be available for lease in California and Oregon beginning on July 20, 2012.
About Honda
American Honda offers a complete lineup of Honda cars, trucks and service through a network of 1,037 Honda dealerships within the United States. In 2012, Honda will mark 30 years of producing automobiles in North America, beginning with production¹ of the Accord in Marysville, Ohio, in November 1982. Having produced over 23 million vehicles in North America, Honda currently operates seven automotive manufacturing facilities in the region, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles.

2013 Honda Accord Features

We are pleased to introduce the all new Accord sedan. For 2013 Models the following trims will be available with these standard features.

LX 2013 Accord L4 Sedan Features

LX includes:

• rearview camera
• 8in MID TFT scrren
• Pandora
• SMS text messaging capability
• 16in Alloy Wheels
• Body color door mirrors
• Chrome door handles
• Bluetooth HandsFreeLink
• USB
• Dual Zone Auto AC
• Auto on/off headlights
• Security Alarm

New Sport adds:

• 18in Alloy Wheels
• 8-way power seat
• Fog Lights
• Dual Exhaust
• Decklid Spoiler
• Paddle Shifters

EX adds or replaces on Sport:

• Honda LaneWatch (Blind Spot display)
• Side mirrors with turn signal indicators
• 17in Alloy Wheels
• Power Moonroof

EX-L add or replaces features on EX:

• Leather trimmed seats
• Audio with touch screen
• Multi-angle rearview camera
• Forward Collision Warning
• Lane Departure Warning
• XM radio
• Heated front seats
• Leather steering wheel
• Navigation option

Accord V6 Sedan Features

EX-L adds to L4 EX-L:

• LED Daytime Running Lights
• Homelink
• Dual Exhaust

NEW Touring:

• Includes all the aforementioned EX-L features and some additional luxury car features.

2013 Honda Fit is Go

Changes are minor to the Honda Fit for the 2013 model year, as the only update will be a new exterior color—Midnight Plum Pearl. On the other hand, the Fit remains a major value, especially because its starting price also remains unchanged for the 2013 model year. On sale now, the 2013 Honda Fit starts at $15,325, and while the vehicle itself has stayed the same, it is worth pointing out that the Fit’s trophy case has been modified; it had to get a lot bigger to hold last year’s awards, which included:
Top Safety Pick recognition from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Overall victory in the Cars.com/USA TODAY/MotorWeek “$16,000 Subcompact Shootout”
A sixth consecutive spot on Car and Driver’s “10 Best Cars” list
Kudos for best-in-class residual value from ALG
A second-place showing in J.D. Power and Associates’ 2012 Initial Quality Study
Recognition as a “greener choice” in its segment by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
And technically speaking, the Fit does bring one other enhancement for the new model year: An all-electric powertrain. The 2013 Honda Fit EV boasts a record-breaking EPA line of 132 MPGe city/105 MPGe highway/118 MPGe combined. The car can deliver an EPA-certified driving range of 82 miles, too, and can be charged in as little as three hours when using a 240-volt charging unit.
Currently offered with leasing terms of $389 per month for 36 months—the equivalent, says Honda, of a $36,625 MSRP—the all-electric Fit is now available in select markets in Oregon and California.

Fit starting at $15,325.00
Fit Sport starting at $17,060.00
Fit Sport with Navigation starting at $19,690.00
Standard destination fee of $790.00

2013 Honda Fit Delivers Unmatched Combination of Versatility, Efficiency and Fun

The award-winning Honda Fit returns for 2013 with a new exterior color and a host of awards and accolades that reinforce its leadership position in the competitive subcompact-car segment. After receiving extensive updates for 2012 - including an upgraded interior and additional new standard and available features - for 2013 the Fit returns with the introduction of the vibrant new Midnight Plum Pearl exterior paint, replacing the previous Orange Burst Metallic. Starting at only $15,325¹, pricing for the Honda Fit is unchanged for 2013.

A multiple award-winner due to its class-leading safety scores, fuel economy, versatility, residual value and overall excellence, the Honda Fit has built a loyal following over six years and two generations. Now it enters the 2013 model year with more honors, including winning the "$16,000 Subcompact Shootout" competition by Cars.com, USA Today and MotorWeek that evaluated gas mileage, practicality, and user features and comfort.

The 2012 Honda Fit also earned a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), received a 2012 Residual Value Award from ALG, topped J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Study℠ (IQS) for 2011 in its segment, and is a six-time Car and Driver magazine "10Best Cars" award winner.

Powertrain
The 1.5-liter, i-VTEC® four-cylinder engine produces 117 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm, and is tuned to deliver an engaging combination of responsiveness and fuel efficiency. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters on Fit Sport models equipped with the available automatic transmission allow for manual gear selection.

When equipped with the available automatic transmission, the Fit has an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 28/35/31 miles per gallon². The Fit Sport with the available automatic transmission has an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/30 miles per gallon². All manual transmission-equipped models have an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/29 miles per gallon².

Body
A windswept body design, body-color exterior mirrors and racy five-spoke wheel covers (Fit) or 16-inch alloy wheels (Fit Sport) give the Fit an upscale appearance. But it is the Fit's compact size and tight turning diameter (34.4 feet, curb-to-curb) that help it conveniently navigate space-confined urban areas and fit in small parking spaces.
Chassis
A sporty, refined and dynamic driving experience is provided by the front MacPherson strut suspension and an H-shaped torsion beam rear suspension. Fifteen- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport, respectively) feature 175/65 R15 84S (Fit) and 185/55 R16 83H (Fit Sport) tires. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) uses 10.3-inch ventilated discs in the front and 7.9-inch drums in the rear.
Interior
Though the Fit has an overall exterior length of just 161.6 inches, a surprisingly roomy and versatile interior provides an impressive 90.8 cubic feet of passenger volume. There's comfortable seating for up to five passengers, and behind the rear seats, there's 20.6 cubic feet of storage space - much more than you'd find in a typical sedan.
For enhanced versatility, the exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat® offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations. With its one-motion dive-down functionality, it can fold flat into the floor to provide a maximum 57.3 cu-ft. of rear cargo volume. Compared to any other vehicle in the subcompact class, the five-passenger Fit provides the lowest, flattest cargo floor and the most cargo volume. The Fit's interior thus can easily be converted to tall-object mode or long-object mode based on the shape of the cargo.
Standard comfort and convenience features include air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, a USB audio interface³, an auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, and a security system.
Safety
All Fit models are equipped with a wide range of standard safety equipment including Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, anti-lock brakes and more. Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), and side-curtain airbags are also standard equipment for 2013.
Fit Sport
The top-of-the-line Fit Sport adds a host of useful features and amenities, including fog lights, "machined surface" 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-colored underbody kit and rear roofline spoiler, and a chromed exhaust finisher for a high-energy look. A rear stabilizer bar and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters (on automatic transmission-equipped models) widen the performance envelope, while a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers and illuminated steering wheel-mounted audio controls get the tunes pumping. Other Fit Sport interior enhancements include upgraded seat fabric, dark metallic dashboard components, chrome accents around the instrument displays, console ambient lighting and floor mats.
The Fit Sport is also available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition⁴, which features a 6.5-inch screen, more than seven-million points of interest and 16 GB of flash memory. Like other Honda navigation systems, this system allows simple, intuitive operation and has an extensive on-board database. When equipped with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition, the Fit Sport also includes Bluetooth®⁵ HandsFreeLink® to help make hands-free telephone calls more convenient. The Navigation System also features Bluetooth® Audio capability with compatible phones and devices.
Manufacturing and Warranty
The Fit is manufactured at Honda's plant in Suzuka, Japan. It is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile Limited Vehicle Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, and a 5-year/unlimited-mile Corrosion Limited Warranty.