Honda CEO confirms compact SUV, new fuel-cell vehicle, Acura RLX Sport Hybrid

Speaking today about the company’s global and regional business goals in a mid-year speech in Japan, Honda’s CEO Takanobu Ito today outlined a couple of interesting vehicles coming from the company.

Ito said that Honda will double its global sales goal to 6 million annually in the next five years. That’s nice… so what can we expect to see?

Honda Sub-Compact Vehicles:

• Honda will globally roll-out Fit, City and a new compact SUV model. Honda will begin producing Fit and a derivative model at the new plant in Mexico that will become operational in spring 2014.

New Fuel Cell Vehicle

• Honda will launch an all-new fuel cell electric model in the U.S., Japan and Europe starting in 2015.

Hybrid Technology

• Honda will further advance its ‘Earth Dreams Technology’ in the coming years, with the introduction of three new hybrid systems based on one-motor, two-motor and three-motor hybrid configurations.
• One-motor: a lightweight and compact one-motor hybrid system will deliver expanded EV driving range through the improvement of motor output and battery performance as well as the combination with a newly-developed transmission. Honda will strive to achieve number one fuel economy among all hybrid vehicles by improving the efficiency of regenerative energy recovery.
• Two-motor: following the U.S. introduction of the Accord Plug-in Hybrid Electric (PHEV) model in early 2013, a two-motor hybrid Accord will be introduced in the U.S., followed by Japan and other regions.
• Three-motor: as previously announced, the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system, a highly efficient and high-output three-motor hybrid system, will be applied to the Acura RLX Sport Hybrid model and the Acura NSX to realize both a high level of sporty handling and fuel economy.