JULY 19, 2017

(Honda images)
Editor-in-Chief's Note: In the face of the continued onslaught of crossovers and SUVs of every stripe that is overwhelming the industry, Honda reiterated last week that is still in the car business, thankfully. Honda unveiled its new, tenth-generation, "more stylish, sporty and premium 2018 Honda Accord" in Detroit, of all places. New in every way - as is Honda's wont - and better looking (Honda is trying real hard to make their cars look like something for a change), the new Accord is lighter, more rigid, has an advanced new chassis design, two all-new, high-torque direct-injected and turbocharged engines, the world's first 10-speed automatic transmission for a front-drive car and a new generation of Honda's two-motor hybrid technology, along with a bunch of other safety and nanny devices. Honda is absolutely convinced that investing in an all-new Accord sedan will pay off someday, as more competitors abandon the segment chasing crossover profits. A giant "we'll see" but I applaud the effort. It will arrive at U.S. dealers this fall. The 2018 Honda Fit pricing - arriving at dealers now - was announced as well with an MSRP starting at $16,190. The 2018 Honda Fit has two new colors - Helios Yellow and Orange Fury - and also adds a new Sport trim (shown below in an impressively ugly Honda PR photo), which features a basically useless front spoiler and rear diffuser, bright orange pin-striping, 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels with gloss-black finish, chrome exhaust-pipe finisher - wow - and side sill garnishes. Wait, "side sill garnishes?" WTF? Oh well. Carry on. -PMD

(Buick images)
The new 2018 Regal GS Sportback debuts with a new 3.6L direct-injected V-6 featuring 310HP and 282 lb-ft of torque; standard nine-speed automatic transmission and intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) with active twin clutch and five-link rear suspension; trick brakes, 19" wheels, unique body tweaks, sport tuned exhaust and second-generation Continuous Damping Control (CDC). Inside there are unique perforated GS-specific performance seats with integrated headrests and adjustable lumbar and thigh support bolsters. The seats are heated and ventilated and come standard with a massage function. The interior also features a standard heated flat-bottom sport steering wheel and GS-specific pedals and sill plates. Buick is aiming the car in the competitive set that includes the Acura TLX A-Spec or the Lexus IS350 F-Sport. Good luck with that.

(Jaguar images)
This is the all-new Jaguar E-PACE, which the company says "is a five-seat compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle." We're pretty tired of these companies calling these things sports cars, or saying they offer "sports car design and dynamics." Audi started it and it really sucks, by the way. The E-PACE and E-PACE R-Dynamic are selectively available in Standard, S, SE and HSE specifications with a choice of two 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ingenium gasoline turbocharged powertrains delivering 246HP and 296HP. The short story? It's Jaguar's competitor to the Porsche Macan and with prices beginning around $40,000, we're quite certain they're going to sell the shit out of 'em.