CVTs, new engine family will reshape Honda line

Honda's new Earth Dreams engine family will debut in the redesigned Accord this fall and then trickle through the rest of the lineup.

The new engines have direct injection and double-overhead cams. They will produce at least a 10 percent fuel economy advantage over Honda's current four-cylinders.

Earth Dreams engines will be added as each vehicle is redesigned, and in some cases will be available for mid-cycle revisions. Even the base four-cylinder will have a twin-cam profile setup, variable valve timing and direct injection. And there also is talk of bringing a 1.6-liter diesel with 220 pounds-feet of torque to the United States.

Honda also is putting heavy emphasis on continuously variable transmissions. While performance models and off-road vehicles will retain geared transmissions, mainstream cars will have CVTs.

With the introduction of Honda's large-car hybrid powertrain system next year, more vehicles in the lineup will have a hybrid option.

Here's a look at Honda's product plans:

Fit: Europe gets a hybrid version, but Honda has canceled plans for a Fit hybrid in North America.

A redesign of the Fit comes in summer of 2014. Because Honda will have a dedicated plant in Mexico to handle Fit production for the United States, expect some local market design cues and features that won't appear in the Japanese or European models. But Honda might not wait until then to install the Earth Dreams 1.5-liter inline-four with 127 hp and 111 pounds-feet of torque, as well as a CVT.

Fit EV: The electric version of the Fit went on sale this summer with an EPA-rated equivalent of 118 mpg. But its range is just 82 miles. Packaging the battery pack was difficult, so expect the next Fit to have a different suspension module for the hybrid and EV versions.

Insight: No word on whether the nickel-metal hydride battery pack will swap out for lithium ion before the 2015-model redesign.

Civic: Terrible reviews of the Civic's interior plastics have prompted a major freshening for this fall, just 18 months after launch. Expect a big improvement in the tactile feel of the instrument panel. A 1.8-liter inline-four Earth Dreams engine with 148 hp and 133 pounds-feet of torque, mated to a CVT, could be installed in the spring 2014 midcycle change.

CR-Z: A higher-performance CR-Z supposedly was on the way. But with the punishing yen exchange rate jacking up the price, that version may not reach the United States.

S2000: Honda hasn't had a proper sports car since the S2000 went away in 2009. The early success of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ have American Honda product planners angling for a competitive model. But it is not a priority in Japan.

Accord: A redesign for the sedan and coupe comes this fall. The current Accord was considered too large, so expect a slightly narrower version that's about two or three inches shorter. The wheelbase may stay the same.

This will be the first Honda model with Earth Dreams engines. The base engine is a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder with 181 hp, 177 pounds-feet of torque and much-improved fuel economy. The Accord will have a CVT as its only four-cylinder automatic offering. The V-6 Accord will have a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

Honda is placing a major emphasis on crash safety, as well as such devices as a lane-departure warning system. The Accord also will be the first vehicle with Honda's new large-car hybrid system. Engineers say the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid will have a 2.0-liter engine teamed with a lithium ion battery pack and will easily beat the Toyota Camry Hybrid's 41 mpg.

Crosstour: A midcycle change in the 2013 model year will bring a six-speed automatic transmission but not an Earth Dreams engine.

FCX Clarity: Honda's hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle is trickling into Southern California garages as part of a test for an eventual launch in 2018.

CR-V: Redesigned for the 2013 model year.

Fit Crossover: According to Japanese press reports, Honda is studying a compact crossover that would slot below the CR-V. Honda's top U.S. manufacturing executive has said the plant in Mexico that will produce the Fit will have flexibility to build multiple variants for the North American market when it opens in 2014. Given Honda's typical factory ramp-up timing, that probably means a smaller, entry-level crossover will arrive in the United States in the spring of 2015 as a 2016 model.

Pilot: A full redesign on the shared Odyssey platform comes in fall of 2014, and sheet metal will move away from the "angry robot" look. It likely will get a 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V-6 with around 310 hp and 265 pounds-feet of torque. Expect the front-wheel-drive version to have a CVT and the all-wheel-drive version to get a six-speed automatic transmission.

Odyssey: The minivan was redesigned in fall 2010 on a six-year cycle. That means the 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V-6 probably will be incorporated during the 2014 model year.

Ridgeline: Honda's pickup will keep the Ridgeline name but won't look or feel the same when it is redesigned in 2014. Honda wants to keep the handling dynamics and packaging, but the styling, fuel economy and sticker price are weaknesses.