The strength of the Yen is forcing many Japanese automakers to consider building cars for export markets outside their home country. Honda is no different, and has confirmed that it will build the Fit hatchback at itsnew plant in Mexico starting in the spring of 2014.

The plant in Mexico is not the only location where Honda will build the Fit, but it will be used to supply the small hatchback to the large United States, Mexican and Canadian markets. Honda expects to build up to 200,000 subcompact vehicles per year at its plant near Celaya, Guanajuato.

Honda already builds a huge number of vehicles in North America. In fact, as pointed out in the press releaseafter the break, more than 85 percent of the Honda and Acura models sold in America were built in the United States, Canada or Mexico. What’s more, the addition of the Fit to the Accord, Civic, and CR-V means that all four of Honda’s global nameplates will be produced in North America.

It’s no secret that the 2012 Honda Civic has been the subject of harsh criticism since its launch earlier this year. It’s also no secret that Honda is rushing to redesign the Civic, and while we originally reported that the new car would be coming sometime in 2013 or 2014, a memo to the automaker’s dealer network states that the reworked Civic will arrive before the end of 2012.

We use the term “redesign” lightly, of course. As much as Honda wants to improve upon its new Civic, the truth is that the updates to the car will almost assuredly be the standard mid-cycle refresh kit. Our best guess is that the interior will benefit from more soft-touch materials and added sound deadening and there could be new paint and wheel design options. According to The Associated Press, American Honda President Tetsuo Iwamura stated that the automaker will “improve the Civic’s drivability,” meaning a slight suspension and driveline tuning could be in store, as well.

Still, any improvements will indeed be welcomed. Iwamura told AP that the Civic is still the “leader in compact cars,” but lackluster sales and a failure to earn a Consumer Reports Recommended rating – a first for the Civic – say otherwise.

When you get more, you usually expect to pay more. But that’s hardly the case with the latest Honda CR-V. Despite representing a comprehensive revision of the previous model and packing more features, American Honda has only increased the popular CUV’s base price by an average of $181. Models equipped with the navigation system have actually dropped by $300, on average.

In the grander scheme of things, the base CR-V LX 2WD starts at $22,295 (*not including $810 for destination), while the top-of-the-line EX-L AWD model with navigation comes within spitting distance of the $30k mark. Follow the jump for the press release to view the full breakdown through the various trim levels.

Combining electric propulsion with a performance orientation is a delicate balance. Tesla managed to pull it off to some success. Audi has toyed with the idea with its E-Tron concepts. And some have been experimenting with bringing F1′s KERS regenerative braking system to road-going sports cars.

Honda, for its part, tried to nail it down with the CR-Z, which was supposed to be a hybrid sport-hatch, but like the Lexus CT 200h, it ended up lacking in the “sport” part of the equation. Which is why this latest development has caught our attention.

Just a few weeks ago at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda showed off a tempting little package called the EV-STER. The concept spoke of a zippy little ride around town, all on electric power. Now, reports are indicating that, based on positive feedback from the show, Honda has already decided to green-light the project and put it into production. Sources suggest it will be ready sometime in the new year ahead, and could offer a more conventional gasoline engine in addition to the electric powertrain.

Of course none of this is to say that Honda would bring the production EV-STER to the North American market, but we’ll be excited if it gets built at all.

Let’s face it, nobody pays MSRP anymore. In fact, the most savvy car buyers among us don’t even pay invoice price. Thanks to Internet pricing sites like TrueCar.com, it doesn’t take negotiating skills or friends in the business to get dealers to sell you cars at deep discount. And that fact has Honda ticked off.

According to Automotive News, Honda has issued an ultimatum to its dealers: Stop selling cars below invoice price through these websites, or lose the per-car marketing spiffs that the factory gives dealers. Since Honda corporate turned the screws on its dealers in October, TrueCar says Honda sales through its service are down.

While many dealers do opt to play ball with TrueCar, offering guaranteed discounted prices up front and hoping to make more money on other aspects of their business, some are not thrilled with TrueCar.