Honda opens new R&D proving ground in Thailand

Honda opens new R&D proving ground in Thailand

Honda has announced the opening of its R&D Asia Pacific Prachinburi proving ground in Thailand, its first outside Japan and the United States. Located at Rojana Industrial Park, Prachinburi province, the comprehensive vehicle test course has been specially designed to cater for development work in the Asia & Oceania region.

The 800,000 sq metre facility has eight test courses to simulate various road conditions and terrains, offering the capability to run handling, stability and overall performance tests for both automobiles and motorcycles.

The various courses have a total combined length of around eight km, and include a 2.18 km-long oval, a 1.38 km-long winding road course incorporating 17 turns with varying elevation points and blind spots as well as a vehicle dynamic evaluation area. The other test areas offer wet surface testing, ride performance evaluation on different road surfaces and slope/straight courses.

The company says that the Prachinburi proving ground, developed at a cost of 1.7 billion baht (RM217.5 million), is also expected to be used to test models for other regions in the future. Even its lawns will be put to good use, being called on to test Honda’s lawn care products.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Just following P2. Bumper & bodykit R&D oso need proving ground?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
    • karam singh on Jul 21, 2017 at 5:15 pm

      Honda sensing tech ? u forgot about that

      Why Honda City stop almost the same as Vios while using only rear brake drum. only 1-2inches diff.

      RnD in this region much needed for the Hot,Rainy weather.
      That is why lots of conti cars doesn’t last that long here, for example yellowish headlamp.

      Bodykits on Honda, on the Type R it is good & proven.
      It beat some supercars around the Nurburgring that have more power & lighter yet only FWD car.

      Audi R8 V10 , SLS AMG , Zonda S & many more got beaten by the extreme bodykits of the Civic Type R.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 6
      • City? Develop in overlordland
        CRV? same above
        Jazz? same above
        Civic? Develop in trumpland
        Accord? same above
        BRV? Develop in kariland
        So what model does tomyam develop?

        And components r mainly develop by suppliers with partnership with carmakers. Dun need big big test track. What for?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 11
        • meejawa on Jul 21, 2017 at 6:48 pm

          Hmmm wondering why DRB cant get Honda to build here.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1
          • Periasamy on Jul 21, 2017 at 8:10 pm

            How to ask? Even existing CKD also Honda Japan wants to close shop and move to Thailand.

            Even Toyota Japan also want to close shop here and move fully to Thailand

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
          • DRB cannot offer nice weather, nice food, nice “ladies”, nice pre-retirement life, unless they build weather machine to make MY weather more bearable and bangkok weather like desert.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 6
      • Jeffrey Ng on Jul 22, 2017 at 1:04 pm

        My last Honda had yellowish headlight lens too..

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Periasamy on Jul 21, 2017 at 6:01 pm

      All investments now going to Thailand. Every month we hear billions of USD going to Thailand. Pity nobody wants to invest in Msia anymore.

      Car companies fed up wih Msia for not honouring AFTA. They want to sell cheaper cars but MITI say cannot, going against AFTA. Rakyat susah

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 4
  • Ceejay on Jul 21, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    Thailand got their own Asia Pacific RnD center. If not mistaken Australia is the one who have Ford and Honda too.

    Msia got what? Bunch of CKD that are slowly retreating to Indonesia and back to thailand.
    And let’s not forgot that actually CKD is a way to cut cost, to let those manufacturer able to sell their car here at a cheaper price. It’s no difference to “manufacturer them at thrid world county”, just a method to cut cost. Those that bring real innovation is RnD center that stay on the edge of technology and lead the market.

    RnD center also able to boost the overall standard, include parts dealer, University that joined the research, etc.

    Let’s stay corrupt as it is, so called national pride eventually defeated by corruption and as nice as proton iriz be still don’t gain enough resources to make it able to sell at Europe due to Euro 4 standard emission.

    Don’t tell me bout perodua axia bezza those grandpa grandma story. Those vehicle is designed to earn money only. Nothing much. Designed in Malaysia, but almost none of it is new and research by Malaysian and ESC is not even standard. Krikkrik

    Satu Malaysia! Jom Kopi!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 1
    • We dun need big proving ground just for bumper & bodykit R&D. Waste of money and chopping down so many trees creates more pollution. If tomyam wanna do it, its their problem.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
      • P2macai on Jul 21, 2017 at 5:32 pm

        Proton commissioned new R&D test track, Waste of money….

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
        • Do u have source for that?

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 7
          • Spoonfeedings katak tempurung. Test track is a necessity in Tanjung Malim huge waste of money….

            https://paultan.org/2017/06/23/proton-geely-fsp-deal-in-detail-what-drb-hicom-geely-and-the-malaysian-government-will-be-getting/

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
          • Ur link, nowhere does it says building new test track. Pls read b4 quote source.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
          • Doesnt says in the article that P1 building new test track. Try again.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
      • Ceejay on Jul 21, 2017 at 5:41 pm

        Just for your information, mr john, Those Rnd center also did their job on Suspension setup, maintenance schedule planning , etc.

        For example, the all new honda jazz and city hybrid.

        What you’re saying is actually what P1 and P2 (mostly P2) do all the time, introduce new colour and new bumper.

        Of coz P1 and P2 got their own RnD center but it’s wayyyyyyyy old school compared to this tom yam.

        You’re welcomed to keep your mind in the cave. Maybe people will go batu caves worship your brain one day.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 4
        • Suspension setup? Oh, u mean like what u pipu said about Lotus ride & handling & P1 suspension setup, huh?

          And maintenance schedule planning is done by nippon, not tomyam decide. Or do u mean all this while, them jepunis car maintenance schedule planning is hocus pocus meant to con us in continuing use their servis ctrs?

          Even if u say endurance testing, normally will go for most extreme weather environs, not nice weather tomyam. Hmm, maybe thats the reason why they setup in tomyam; nice weather, nice food, nice “ladies”, nice pre-retirement life…

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 6
          • Ceejay on Jul 21, 2017 at 8:24 pm

            You know what, John, get a life….

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
          • Lolz. All ur theories have been dismantled with ease and thats all that u can come back? Try again.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • common sensor on Jul 21, 2017 at 5:22 pm

    Thailand should thank Malaysia for having a brilliant NAP and EEV program/incentive

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 3
  • Kuinosan on Jul 21, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    I suspect the main reason why the Honda RnD centre is located in the land of Kakunkup. It is obvious that work force and the work force’s attitude being the main reason!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • wish can buy CBU from honda thailand…bet the quality is waaaaay better than honda malaysia

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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