Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Acura commences production of 2013 RDX]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/22/acura-commences-production-of-2013-rdx/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/22/acura-commences-production-of-2013-rdx/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/22/acura-commences-production-of-2013-rdx/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

2013 rdx

Acura has struggled lately, but Honda's luxury arm is looking to win back some buyers starting with the 2013 RDX. The luxury crossover has now officially started production at the automaker's East Liberty plant in Ohio, and the facility will be building versions of the RDX for both domestic and export sale.

The RDX will begin arriving in Acura dealerships in April with a starting price of $34,320 plus a destination fee of $885. The RDX drops the 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder for 2013 in favor of a tried and true 3.5-liter V6 that promises 273 horsepower and 28 miles per gallon on the highway (for front-wheel-drive models, anyway). The new RDX will also receive a technology upgrade that includes an available 60-gig hard drive, navigation with voice commands and AcuraLink satellite communication.

The launch of the RDX is part of a big kickoff for the East Liberty facility, which is undergoing a $166 million expansion. We'll be getting our first stint behind the wheel of the refreshed RDX later this week, so stay tuned for our full impressions. Acura's official press blast about the announcement is available for your perusal after the jump.

Continue reading Acura commences production of 2013 RDX

Acura commences production of 2013 RDX originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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honda logo

The second quarter was not a good one for Honda. Supply shortages as a result of the debilitating earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami resulted in a U.S. market share reduction from 10.6 percent to 9.3 percent. North American plants were impacted as well, as production dropped 26 percent from Q2, 2010.

While Honda's troubles have been severe, they're short term, and Honda has always been a forward-thinking company. That's why it should come as no surprise that the Japanese automaker is sinking $355 million into its Ohio facilities. The Detroit News reports that Honda will spring for $166 million in improvements to its East Liberty plant and another $64 million on a stamping press at the Marysville plant.

The automaker is also investing in its Raymond research and development center, with upgrades that include a new wind tunnel. Honda won't say exactly how much it is spending on the wind tunnel, but Frank Ohlemacher, a project manager at Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research, says tunnels range in cost from $25 million for a "half scale" model to over $100 million for a full-size tunnel.

The $355 million in upgrades doesn't include the $94 million Honda says it will spend modifying its Lincoln, Alabama plant and $800 million to build a small-car plant in Mexico.

Honda pouring $355M into Ohio plant upgrades originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Honda Accord Crosstour - Click above for image gallery

This week, Honda marked the thirtieth anniversary of the start of motorcycle production in the United States with a tree planting ceremony and a new production announcement. Legions of Facebook "fans" of the new Honda Accord Crosstour will surely be thrilled to learn that the company's new lifted hatchback thingy will be built at the East Liberty, OH assembly plant. East Liberty already builds Accord sedans and coupes, making it a natural to build the new bodystyle. As with other American-built Hondas, most of the major components are also locally sourced. Honda's nearby Anna, OH engine plant will ship over the V6 engines while the Russells Point facility will build the transmissions.

The Marysville plant that got motorcycle production started three decades ago is now being transformed into a consolidation center to feed parts and systems to the other nearby assembly plants. Honda has decided that it makes more sense for them to focus on building cars in America than bikes. Whether it makes sense to build this particular car anywhere, however, will be determined not on Facebook, but on dealer forecourts.


Gallery: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour


[Source: Facebook]

Continue reading Honda Accord Crosstour to be built at East Liberty, Ohio plant

Honda Accord Crosstour to be built at East Liberty, Ohio plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In spite of Honda's latest production cuts, the Japanese automaker reached a significant milestone this week. Twenty-seven years after opening its Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant, Honda has produced its 20 millionth vehicle in North America. The original U.S. plant is still open but it has been joined by assembly operations in East Liberty, Ohio; Lincoln, Alabama; and Greensburg, Indiana. The automaker also has assembly lines in Alliston, Ontario, and El Salto Jalisco, Mexico.

Many of the vehicles assembled in North America are destined for sale on our shores. According to the automaker, more than 77% of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2008 were produced in North America (representing a total of 1,421,427 units). The positive financial implications are obvious when you realize that Honda partners with more than 620 North American suppliers (545 in the U.S. alone) and purchased parts and materials worth more than $19.5 billion in 2008 alone. The automaker also points out that their cumulative North American engine production has topped 18.4 million units, and they have assembled more than 13 million automatic transmissions domestically. Check out the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading One in 20 Million: Honda celebrates U.S. production milestone

One in 20 Million: Honda celebrates U.S. production milestone originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently there are a lot more Civic-minded new car shoppers than Honda had anticipated. After reporting a 13 percent drop in U.S. sales of the cars last month, Honda Motor Co. is set to increase North American Civic production by as many as 60,000 units annually. Honda will be rearranging assembly-plant operations to make up the difference. A second Alliston, Ontario plant will be used for building Civics starting in April, Honda said Monday. The annual production volume will increase by 16 percent. Pilot SUV production at that plant will begin to be switched over from the Canadian factory to a Lincoln, Alabama plant in February.

"This underscores Honda's flexibility, that they can quickly shift production like this to meet demand," said Michael Robinet, an analyst at consulting firm CSM Worldwide Inc. in Farmington Hills. "They're more likely to see bottlenecks at parts suppliers than in-house capacity bottlenecks from this kind of move."

North American Civic production could hit 440,000 a year. The Civic is currently built in East Liberty, Ohio, as well as another Alliston plant. With the increase, Civics may outnumber Accords in North America, which have been the company's biggest seller in the U.S. for two decades. Honda produced 382,332 Accords in 2005. So far this year, the two are running neck-and-neck: 285,188 Accords versus 284,933 Civics. No word on how much these changes will cost, but Honda has also announced that it would build a $550 million plant in Greensburg, Ind., to make as many as 200,000 small cars a year when it opens in 2008.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Civic production in U.S. about to get boosted originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alliston, OntarioAlliston,OntarioCSM Worldwide Inc.CsmWorldwideInc.East LibertyEastLibertyGreensburg, Ind.Greensburg,Ind.Honda CivicHondaCivicMichael RobinetMichaelRobinetTue, 24 Oct 2006 20:03:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/690111/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/10/24/civic-production-in-u-s-about-to-get-boosted/690111/article-detail.xml 690111 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/10/civic_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/10/civic.jpg <![CDATA[Ohio and Indiana gunning for new Honda plant]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/22/ohio-and-indiana-gunning-for-new-honda-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/22/ohio-and-indiana-gunning-for-new-honda-plant/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/22/ohio-and-indiana-gunning-for-new-honda-plant/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Two states have emerged in the incentive-laden sweepstakes for Honda's next assembly plant in the U.S., Ohio and Indiana.

Ohio, of course, has enjoyed a long history with the automaker, including assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, along with a transmission plant in Russels Point and an engine facility in Anna... all within about 45 miles of each other. All-in, Honda employs about 16,000 workers in the state.

Indiana, for its part, would love to have a new $400 million facility within its borders, and Governor Mitch Daniels is hoping to land the project with aggressive incentives packages. Honda is looking at a handful of southeastern sites within around 100 miles of the company's aforementioned Anna engine plant, where drivetrain components will be sourced.

[Sources: The Associated Press via Chron.com; Bouwman.com]

Ohio and Indiana gunning for new Honda plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 May 2006 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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