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2016 Honda Pilot, Acura RDX confirmed for Chicago Auto Show debut

The Chicago Auto Show this year is going to be chock-full of Honda crossovers. Not only has Japanese automaker announced that it will be revealing the all-new Pilot at the Windy City expo, but that it will also preview the styling of the next Ridgeline pickup, while its luxury counterpart Acura takes the wraps off the new RDX.

Developed and built in America, the new Pilot will be entering its third generation, after the first arrived in 2002 and the second in 2008. The new model previewed in the teaser image above will include eight seats across three rows, "with new technology, advanced safety, class-leading fuel economy and enhanced family utility and versatility," all wrapped in what Honda promises will be a "dramatic shift in design." The arrival of the third-generation model follows the recent introductions of the new CR-V and HR-V that slot below the Pilot.

Honda's not saying much about the Ridgeline at this point, but given its close association with the Pilot, it's not surprising to see the automaker grouping the two together. The four-door, short-bed pickup was introduced in 2005 and was discontinued with the end of last year. The second-generation model is expected to reach production in 2016.

While it's at it, Honda's luxury division will reveal the new 2016 Acura RDX at the Chicago show. Not to be confused with the Pilot-based MDX, the RDX is the smaller model based on the CR-V and introduced in 2006. The second-gen RDX was just introduced in 2013, but an updated version is already being rolled out, promising to deliver "a long list of styling and performance improvements plus desirable new luxury and safety features" and encompassing "important improvements to performance, dynamics, comfort and NVH."

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ALL-NEW 2016 HONDA PILOT SUV TO MAKE GLOBAL DEBUT AT 2015 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW
Honda to fortify light-truck leadership on Feb. 12 by debuting all-new Pilot three-row SUV, and revealing the styling direction for future Ridgeline pickup


Jan 21, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- A completely reengineered and redesigned Honda Pilot SUV will make its world debut at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show on February 12 at 9:30 a.m. The all-new, eight-passenger Pilot SUV – completely designed, developed and manufactured in America -- will raise the stakes in the mainstream three-row SUV segment with new technology, advanced safety, class-leading fuel economy and enhanced family utility and versatility.

The new Pilot represents a dramatic shift in design, while showcasing new standout technologies, versatility, and dynamics currently unavailable in the mainstream SUV segment. Further, the Pilot remains as family-friendly as ever, proving once again that driving the family truckster can be a joy.

The redesigned Pilot SUV, launching at Honda dealerships nationwide this summer, will further augment a Honda light truck lineup that includes the recently redesigned Honda CR-V – 2014 Motor Trend SUV of the Year and the best-selling SUV in America – and the all-new Honda HR-V crossover, launching this spring. In addition to showcasing the completely redesigned Honda Pilot SUV, the company also will reveal details and styling direction for its forthcoming Ridgeline truck at the Chicago Auto Show.

"Honda continues to fortify its light-truck lineup in 2015, this time turning our eye to the fast-growing family SUV segment," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "The new Pilot will raise the bar in a segment it helped to create, with more innovation, style, premium features and family utility than ever before."

The original Honda Pilot was introduced in 2002 as the first mainstream eight-passenger SUV to feature car-like unitized body construction, delivering more refined driving dynamics, better fuel economy and superior cabin space in a family-oriented sport-utility vehicle. The second-generation Pilot was launched in 2008. All three generations of the Pilot have been designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Los Angeles and Ohio. The Pilot and its engine are now produced at the company's Lincoln, Alabama plant.

The Honda brand's U.S. light-truck sales were up 10.6% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 154,480 SUVs, pickups and minivans, including an 8.6% gain for Pilot, to 28,610 units, in the fourth quarter.

About Honda
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive automobiles for American car buyers through approximately 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Accord, Crosstour, Civic, Fit, and CR-Z along with the Pilot, and CR-V sport-utility vehicles and the Odyssey minivan.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 30 years and currently operates 16 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2014, 98 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.


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HOT WINTER WIND: 2016 ACURA RDX TO BOW AT 2015 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW
Quick, luxurious, fun and practical new RDX to bring even stronger package to red-hot segment


Jan 21, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- Coming off a record sales year as one of the best-selling SUVs in its segment, Acura's RDX is set to move its already lofty bar even higher when the new 2016 model bows at the Chicago Auto Show on February 12. The new RDX sports a long list of styling and performance improvements plus desirable new luxury and safety features designed to further solidify its leadership in the compact luxury SUV segment.

The 2016 RDX artfully blends numerous fresh exterior and interior design elements to further enrich its sport and luxury qualities, all with a cohesiveness that speaks to its new capabilities. Already one of the quickest and most fuel-efficient V6-powered entry-luxury SUVs, the 2016 RDX takes the position a step further, adding important improvements to performance, dynamics, comfort and NVH.

Don't miss the debut of the newest Acura RDX at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. CST in the Acura booth.

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