Daily Car
·06/11/2025
Honda builds a new midsize frame. The next generation Civic, CR-V, Accord besides Prelude will all rest on it. A fifth generation hybrid system joins the frame. Sales of the new models start during 2027.
The heart is a fresh 2.0 liter engine, a small transmission and a strong motor. Honda calls the whole setup the fifth generation hybrid. It runs quieter burns less fuel plus the lithium battery - nested under the back seat - adds roughly ten percent more range. An engineer told us turbo engines will disappear from Honda passenger cars before 2030 because of emission rules.
Yes. The prototype leaps forward without fuss. The system swaps among EV, hybrid and engine power with no jerk. A new S+ Shift feature - first revealed on the Prelude - plays recorded shift sounds but also a light kick when you speed up or slow down. Steering feels direct - the car obeys small wrist motions. Pitch control now teams with Honda's Motion Management System helping the nose stay level and the tires stay planted in bends.
The new skeleton drops about two hundred pounds while its joints stiffen. Less weight as well as a stronger frame hush road noise and shake. The engineers allow the center of the chassis to flex a hair in corners - that subtle twist keeps all four tires pressed to the pavement - the car feels planted. Redesigned suspension parts block more pavement drone from reaching the cabin.
Honda targets the highest crash test medals. A cushion airbag will sit low in the seat - Honda's first - to guard the pelvis in a head on hit. A next level self-driving system is due in 2027. Even the shifter has moved - it now sprouts from the steering column, not the console.









