2012 Honda CR-V Video Roundup: First Test Drives and Commercial

Being that's only a matter of weeks before the new CR-V arrives in Honda's showrooms across the United States, it doesn't come to much of a surprise that the media has already had some time behind the wheel of the Japanese maker's crossover model.

Today, we found two first test drive videos of the 2012 Honda CR-V from Motor Trend magazine and Consumer Reports, both of which, more or less state the same: that the crossover model has been refined in an evolutionary manner building on the qualities of its predecessor.

You can watch both tests along with Honda's first web-commercial on the new CR-V right after the break.

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2012 Honda CR-V: Live Photos from the LA Show plus New Videos

About four months after Honda confirmed that an all-new 2012 CR-V would go on sale in America this December, the next generation of the popular crossover model finally made its debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday.

More than an evolution of the outgoing model than a revolution of the crossover theme, the new CR-V has been softly redesigned inside and out while it also sports a slightly more powerful and frugal version of Honda's 2.4-liter i-VTEC that produces 185-ponies and returns up to 31mpg (highway, FWD).

In this post, we bring you a new batch of photos from the L.A. Auto Show floors as well as three new official videos including the first driving footage and on a much less interesting note, a clip that shows several "Mommy Bloggers" and one "Daddy Blogger" talking about their experience driving Honda's new SUV – we know; you can't hide your excitement…

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2013 Honda Fit EV gets up to 123 miles, Priced at $36,625 but will be Available only for Lease [Video]

The brand-new 2012 CR-V may be the talk of the day at Honda's Los Angeles Auto Show booth, but the Japanese carmaker also presented the production version of the Fit EV and announced plans to begin leasing the pure electric subcompact from next year.

Honda said that the Fit EV's MSRP is $36,625 with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month. It will initially be offered for lease to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer, followed by six East Coast markets in early 2013.

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Honda CR-Z Mugen: All you Need to Know about Honda’s Hottest Hybrid Yet

We’ve already shared initial information and a video on the Mugen-fettled CR-Z that Honda is about to launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but today, the Japanese carmaker came out with all the juicy details, as well as more photos of the sporty hybrid concept.

According to company’s European division, the CR-Z Mugen sets out to prove that hybrid cars can be exciting to drive, with the one-off special producing “Civic Type R-like performance” while also remaining true to the original, eco-friendly character of the run-of-the-mill CR-Z.

Colin Whittamore from Mugen Euro explains the philosophy behind the creation of the CR-Z Mugen:

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Mugen’s Supercharged Honda CR-Z Hybrid Prototype Debuts on Film

With development of the new Honda CR-Z Mugen concept nearing its end, the Japanese automaker decided it’s time to release the first video of the supercharged hybrid model on the road before its world premiere at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

The prototype CR-Z is the collaborative work of Honda UK and its in-house tuning shop Mugen Euro. The hotted-up hybrid sports car feature modifications to the 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine with the addition of a supercharger as well as to the Honda IMA system.

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Hilarious Honda Malaysia Ad Mocks Independent Service Centers

As car owners, most of us have had bad experiences with auto service stations, either official or independent. Of course, carmakers don't like competition from independent units, so here's what Honda of Malaysia thinks of these stations. In a commercial for the local market, Honda mocks an independent garage called “HONDI” which, as you may have already assumed, offers bad service for big bucks.

A beautiful young woman, owner of a Honda Civic, is shown taking her car to the Hondi service center, where all sorts of strange things happen, with the personnel doing a crappy job while singing their own version of the famous “YMCA” song. If only service stations were such a blast... Follow the jump to watch the ad.

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Honda CR-Z and Peugeot RCZ in Diesel vs Hybrid Duel [with Video]

In Europe, Honda's CR-Z hybrid hot hatch isn't the only eco-friendly sports car available to buyers of average means. One of the most recent arrivals in the category is Peugeot's striking RCZ sports coupe that is offered with a frugal 2.0-liter diesel engine.

Two cars, two different approaches on the same topic. But which one is better? To answer this question, British magazine Auto Express took both sports cars and tested them to see which one comes on top in typical everyday use.

If you read between the lines - or in this case, the tester's words, the RCZ is a better car picking up the title in fuel economy, performance, interior styling and quality, as well as exterior looks. But -there's always a but, isn't there?- the entry-level RCZ Diesel costs £5,251 [about US$7,900 or €6,500] more than the basic CR-Z, which ultimately makes the comparison unjust.

Video and some quick facts we gathered on both cars after the jump.

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Former Top Gear Host [sic] Stars in New Honda CR-Z Film

For a total of 53 episodes from 2000 to 2001, Jason Barlow was one of the co-hosts of BBC's Top Gear TV series. Now, aside from being an editor-at-large for BBC Top Gear magazine, a contributing editor to Britain's GQ magazine and a columnist for The Sunday Times, Barlow has also undertaken the role of the host of Honda's new promotional film CR-Z hybrid wannabe sports coupe.

"Jason Barlow, former Top Gear presenter [that's the attention grabber...], takes the new Honda CR-Z on a journey of discovery through Japan," Honda Europe notes in the video release. Watch the film and tell us what you think about it after the jump.

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VIDEO: Honda's 'Win a ride with Mario Andretti' Commercial

In its latest promotion for new customers, Honda is giving U.S. buyers a chance to win a ride with Mario Andretti in a two-seater IndyCar at the Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. According to the Japanese automaker, the winner will ride in the IZOD IndyCar during the parade laps, and be on course for the start of the race.

To create a bit of a buzz around the contest, Honda released this commercial with Mario Andreti. Sounds interesting, but it isn't. See why in the video after the jump.

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Honda CR-Z Guerrilla Marketing gets Extremely Spicy in Paris...

At least in Europe, Honda is following some pretty unconventional methods to promote its new CR-Z hybrid sports coupe. In fact, unless you're the artsy type or have a vivid imagination, you'll have a pretty hard time trying to figure out how Honda, the CR-Z or any car for that matter, fit in the "Live Every Litre" film project.

But just so you can get an idea, the "Live Every Litre" is supposed to be a documentary-style road movie in which numerous members of the public have been nominated by the project's online community to realize their dream in the new Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe.

In this case, Agent Lynch, aka Kate Rawlinson (originally from Newcastle), wanted to perform the world's first guerrilla burlesque routine in the streets of Monmartre in Paris.

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