Tag Archives: Honda

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Best-Selling Cars in the U.S. Market So Far in 2025

The year’s halfway over, which means two things: you’ve probably abandoned your New Year’s resolution, and America has once again decided what it really wants in a vehicle. Spoiler alert — it’s still a truck. In fact, it’s mostly trucks. And the ones that aren’t? They’re crossovers pretending to be adventurous.

Yes, the sales race for 2025 is well underway, and the leaderboard is looking as predictable as a Fast & Furious plotline. GM and Toyota are trading blows, Honda’s hanging in there, and Ford is… well, Ford. Let’s get into it.

5th Place – Ram Trucks: 174,320 Units Sold

Ram might have dropped the Hemi from the 1500 this year — prompting V8 purists to scream into their dipsticks — but it’s still moving metal. The split is 98,915 light-duty trucks and 75,405 heavy-duty bruisers. The HD 3500 will happily tow 36,610 pounds, which is more than some studio apartments weigh. Sales are down 3% from last year, but with the Hemi returning in 2026, expect the faithful to come back like it’s a family reunion with free brisket.

4th Place – Honda CR-V: 212,561 Units Sold

Proof that not all Americans need to tow a yacht, the CR-V sells because it’s safe, sensible, and about as controversial as beige wallpaper. You can have it with a 1.5-liter turbo or a hybrid that makes commuting painless. A facelifted 2026 model with a bigger screen and a faux-rugged TrailSport trim is coming, which should keep it comfortably wedged in the sales top five.

3rd Place – Toyota RAV4: 239,451 Units Sold

The CR-V’s sworn enemy is still the more popular kid in school, even though it’s been wearing the same clothes since 2019. Sure, Honda might make a nicer drive, but Toyota’s reputation for reliability is so bulletproof you could probably sell these things door-to-door in a hurricane. The all-new, hybrid-only RAV4 lands later this year, so expect this number to go even higher.

2nd Place – Chevrolet Silverado: 283,812 Units Sold

GM’s volume brute — both the Silverado 1500 and the heavy-duty models — keeps doing the heavy lifting for the brand. The HDs can tow 36,000 pounds, while the half-ton can manage 13,300 pounds. Fun fact: it actually tows 100 pounds more than its GMC Sierra twin because it weighs a smidge less. If Chevy and GMC ever merged their sales numbers, they’d dethrone the king. But they won’t, because… marketing.

1st Place – Ford F-Series: 399,819 Units Sold

The undisputed monarch of American driveways. Since 1977, the F-Series has been top dog, and in the first half of 2025 alone, Ford sold just shy of 400,000 units. That’s up 19% from last year — the sort of sales bump most automakers would sell a kidney for. The F-150 tows 13,500 pounds, while the Super Duty will happily drag 40,000. It’s not just a best-seller; it’s an institution. America’s automotive Mount Rushmore.

Six months in, and nothing’s really changed: America loves its trucks, flirts with crossovers, and lets sedans crash the party out of politeness. By December, expect this leaderboard to look about the same — unless, of course, we all suddenly decide the future is micro-EVs. But let’s be real… we won’t.

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Honda Updates the European Civic e:HEV for 2025

Honda may have bid farewell to the high-octane Civic Type R in Europe, but the Civic nameplate isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s getting a timely refresh for 2025, aimed at keeping the hybrid-only e:HEV version competitive in a segment still dominated by the Volkswagen Golf.

Rather than a full-scale redesign, this is a visual nip-and-tuck, one shaped largely by customer feedback. Up front, the changes are the most noticeable: the bumper has been reshaped, the upper grille revised, and the lower grille expanded significantly. Honda has also added body-color trim pieces between the grille and headlights, helping to visually unify the nose for a more cohesive, refined look.

Both the upper and lower grilles now wear a gloss black honeycomb mesh finish, a design choice Honda says gives the Civic a “more assertive” presence. In an interesting (and slightly controversial) move, the brand has eliminated the front fog lights altogether, insisting that the LED main beams are powerful enough to make them obsolete.

Trim levels also get their own wheel designs to distinguish them further. Top-tier Advance models receive new 18-inch, two-tone, diamond-cut alloy wheels. The mid-range Sport variant uses the same wheel design, but with a more understated all-black finish. A new exterior paint option — Seabed Blue — replaces the outgoing Premium Crystal Blue, though changes to the color palette are otherwise minimal.

Inside, the updates are subtle but potentially impactful for everyday comfort and perceived quality. All trim levels now feature a black headliner and matching A-pillars, a tweak intended to elevate the cabin ambiance. Matte chrome trim around the air vents adds a touch of understated sophistication, though it’s far from revolutionary.

More meaningful are the trim-specific upgrades. The Advance grade now comes with ambient footwell lighting, while the Sport gains a heated steering wheel — a welcome touch for colder climates. Even the entry-level Elegance trim doesn’t leave buyers out in the cold, offering a wireless charging pad as standard equipment for the first time.

Mechanically, the Civic remains unchanged. It continues to rely on Honda’s unique e:HEV full-hybrid powertrain, which combines a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle petrol engine with two electric motors to deliver 181 hp (184 PS). The system prioritizes electric drive for urban conditions and blends in the petrol engine as needed — all without a plug. It’s a clever, efficient setup that delivers surprisingly brisk performance, though it’ll no doubt leave some enthusiasts yearning for the now-retired Type R.

And with the American-market Civic’s 150 hp (152 PS) powertrain never having crossed the Atlantic, the e:HEV hybrid is now the only Civic drivetrain available to European buyers. Like it or not, this is the new normal.

While the 2025 Civic e:HEV refresh won’t make headlines for radical changes, it’s a calculated evolution of a well-balanced hatchback. Honda has doubled down on refinement and visual clarity, fine-tuning a formula that’s already strong. For drivers in search of practical hybrid power wrapped in a sharper suit, the Civic still makes a compelling case — even without the red-badged fire-breather.

Source: Honda

News

2026 Honda Prelude Marks a New Chapter for the Iconic Coupe

After more than two decades in hibernation, the Honda Prelude is making its long-anticipated return—not as a nostalgic tribute, but as a bold, forward-thinking hybrid coupe engineered for the modern enthusiast. Nearly two years after the sixth-generation Prelude first broke cover as a concept at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, the production model is finally ready to hit the streets. Its market debut is set for September in Japan, with European and U.S. launches scheduled for 2026.

A New Identity for a Familiar Name

At first glance, the 2026 Prelude shares little in common with its predecessors beyond the badge. This is a clean-sheet design with minimal retro cues, signaling a definitive departure from its 20th-century lineage. Up front, sleek, horizontal LED headlights stretch across a thin light bar, while black side mirrors and a sloping roofline evoke cues from the Porsche 911 and Hyundai Ioniq 6. The rear features a black lip spoiler, LED taillight bar, and a sporty black bumper—visuals that reinforce its GT character.

Inside, Honda has remained tight-lipped about the full cabin reveal, though early peeks show a two-tone front section with a noticeably darker treatment for the rear seats—a subtle hint at cost control. Despite its coupe form, the Prelude brings a measure of practicality, offering split-folding rear seats, underfloor storage, and a liftgate for everyday usability.

Under the Skin: Civic Type R DNA with a Hybrid Twist

While the new Prelude won’t be a track-hardened scalpel like the Civic Type R, it borrows more than a few critical components from Honda’s hot hatch hero. The dual-axis front suspension—originally developed to combat torque steer in high-output front-drivers—makes its first appearance in a non-Type R vehicle, paired with wide front and rear tracks and Brembo front brakes.

Power comes from Honda’s award-winning two-motor hybrid-electric system, shared with the Civic Hybrid. In its current form, the setup delivers 200 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque from a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine and twin electric motors. However, given the Prelude’s sportier brief, there’s reason to believe the coupe could receive a higher state of tune.

Transmission-wise, don’t expect a traditional manual gearbox. Instead, the Prelude debuts Honda’s new S+ Shift system, a drive mode that enhances the brand’s Linear Shift Control to simulate gear changes through paddle shifters. While it lacks a third pedal, the promise is of an engaging drive that combines hybrid efficiency with dynamic flair—without the artificial feel of a CVT.

A Grand Touring Hybrid for the Global Stage

Honda is positioning the Prelude not as a corner-carving track weapon but as a globally harmonized grand touring coupe—one that’s fun-to-drive, refined, and efficient. As Hans de Jaeger, Senior Vice President of Honda Motor Europe, puts it:

“Not only will it deliver excellent efficiency, but it will also offer the fun-to-drive performance that this model is known for.”

The design also serves a broader purpose. Honda sees the Prelude as a design and engineering preview of future electrified performance models. “It was built to uncover the latent demand for the ideal sports car,” according to development lead Tomoyuki Yamagami. That “ideal” appears to strike a balance between performance and livability—a hybrid sports coupe with practicality baked in.

And while the standard Prelude isn’t aimed at circuit driving, rumors already hint at hotter Type S and Type R variants brewing in the background. If those plans materialize, they will likely arrive much later in the product cycle.

Pricing and Expectations

Pricing is still under wraps, but Honda is expected to position the Prelude above the 2026 Civic Hybrid Hatchback, which starts at $31,645 in the U.S. That could place the Prelude in the mid-$30K to low-$40K range depending on trim and market—a competitive slot for a stylish, tech-forward hybrid coupe with performance aspirations.

The 2026 Honda Prelude may wear a familiar badge, but this is no retro retread. It’s a bold reinvention—a stylish, practical hybrid coupe infused with Type R DNA and engineered for the new age of electrified performance. With global ambitions and a smart blend of design, technology, and driving fun, the Prelude might just redefine what a sporty daily driver can be in a world that’s rapidly transitioning to hybrid and electric power.

Source: Honda