Honda to Terminate Element Crossover Next Year, No Direct Successor Planned

The quirky-looking Honda Element will soon cease to be as the Japanese automaker has decided to retire the boxy crossover model with the funky rear suicide-style doors after the 2011MY, due to declining sales. There's no direct successor planned, though Honda may develop a new derivative of the CR-V to fill the gap in the near future.

First introduced in concept form as the Honda Model X at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Element made its production debut at the end of 2002. Providing a multi-functional cargo area, versatile seating and a dirt-friendly interior with washable floors, the Element received several upgrades though the years, the most recent being a subtle facelift in late 2008.
"The Element proved that ultimate functionality can often come from thinking inside the box," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "It made boxy vehicle designs cool, and Element owners continue to enjoy its unique styling and unmatched versatility."
Sales of the Element peaked in its first full year of production in 2003 when Honda sold close to 70,000 units, but dropped to under 15,000 last year. Overall, more than 325,000 Elements have been sold in the United States since its introduction in December 2002.

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Honda to Debut CR-Z TS-1X Concept at this week's Tokyo Auto Salon

With the conclusion of the press days of the 2011 Detroit Motor Show, the automotive world is now shifting its focus on the Tokyo Auto Salon 2011, which will be held from Friday, January 14, to Sunday, January 16, at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.
At this year's event, Honda will be presenting several vehicles including the TS-1X concept study based on the CR-Z hybrid. The prototype model is the work of Honda Access Corporation, the Japanese carmaker's in-house aftermarket division.

Honda has not revealed any information on the concept model, but from the single photo it did release, we can see that the TS-1X is finished in a matt black paintjob and is fitted with a full body kit comprising of front and rear bumpers, beefy side skirts and a large rear wing that appears to extend on the CR-Z's sides.
Other Honda products to be displayed at Honda's stand include a variety of customized vehicles such as the Sports Modulo NSX, Freed Spike caravan car, the Acty Truck and the Enepo generator special coloring editions, plus several racing models like the HSV-010 GT, which won both the driver and team titles for the Super GT Series GT500-class races.
Our man Phil has already landed in Japan and will be covering the show live so stay tuned on Carscoop for more news on the Tokyo Auto Salon.

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Honda Recalling 2010MY Accord and CR-V Models in the States for Engine Stalling Problems

Honda has issued a new recall for certain 4-cylinder Accords and CR-Vs from the 2010 model year to check a potential failure with the engine wiring harness connector, as it may cause intermittent spark firing or the engine to stall.

"The wire harness coupler could have been damaged during vehicle assembly, which can lead to engine stalling over time," the Japanese automaker said in a statement, adding that it identified this problem through warranty repairs, and that no related accidents or injuries have been reported to date.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects 2,277 vehicles in the States.

Under the recall, the firm's dealers will inspect and replace the ignition wiring harness connector free of charge. Notification to customers is expected to begin in early February, 2011.

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2012 Honda Civic Concepts: Videos and Live Photos from the Detroit Motor Show

The Civic Sedan and Civic Si Coupe concepts are the stars of Honda's Detroit Auto Show stand. The two concept models are essentially pre-production studies of the actual ninth-generation Civic that will be introduced to the North American market this Spring. Bear in mind that the Detroit show Civics do not preview the upcoming three- and five-door hatchback models for the European market.

On the outside, Honda's designers opted for a more evolutionary styling rather than a radical step in design, blending the current model's shape with styling details from some of the firm's latest models such as the CR-Z hybrid and the North American Accord.

The two concept models do not appear to feature an interior or a powertrain. However, Honda said that the 2012 Civic range will continue to include a sporty "Si" performance version, as well as hybrid and natural-gas variants. If you follow the jump, you can check out our live gallery of photos and HD videos of the two cars from the Detroit Show.

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