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Tokyo 2011 live: Fourth-generation Honda CR-V SUV

November 30, 2011 at 3:20 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Cars, Honda, International News

Here’s some live shots of the new 2012 Honda CR-V, the fourth-generation of Honda’s popular SUV. The new CR-V has just been launched in Japan in both 2.0 and 2.4 litre form.

As the CR-V is available in Malaysia in 2.0 litre guise only, let’s take a look at what’s changed. The R20A i-VTEC SOHC engine looks very similar to the 3rd-generation’s – the specs sheet shows that peak power remains the same at 150 PS, but torque is now 191 Nm compared to 190 Nm before. Honda has increased the compression ratio slightly from 10.5:1 to 10.6:1.

The biggest change is that in Japan, the 2.0 litre CR-V now uses a CVT gearbox as opposed to a 5-speed automatic, which the 2.4 litre model continues to use. The 2.4 litre model’s K24A engine produces 190 PS and 222 Nm of torque.

This is not the first time we’ve featured the new CR-V, so we won’t go into too much details – you can read Anthony’s previous story from this morning for more details. The live photo gallery will speak to you the exterior and interior changes – after all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

One thing that we found pretty cool is the new one-touch lever that folds the 60:40 split rear bench down – just pull it once and the rear bench folds down flat in a pretty neat way – the bottom seat folds forward and then the backrest folds down in its place. Watch the video below to see it work.


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Tokyo 2011: Honda Micro Commuter – like a comfy jacket!

November 30, 2011 at 1:10 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Cars, Honda, International News

It wouldn’t be the Tokyo show without wacky urban concepts, and here’s what Honda has come up with for this edition, the Micro Commuter Concept. Honda is describing the MCC as an “urban mobile power suit”, something that urbanites can casually wear like a comfortable jacket.

For this, try to remove yourself from our hot and humid weather and imagine Tokyo city (or jog your memory, if you’ve been here before), where no one leaves home for work without a jacket.

Honda compares the MCC with a jacket because the vehicle molds itself to match the needs of the driver from the second he or she steps in. For example, placing your smartphone in the front slot brings up personalised info on the multi-projection. When you select a destination, the MCC points out available restauarants or interesting venues.

And because your car is plugged into your social network, the screens show where your friends are checked in and/or doing. Smart phone is the key here.

The other unique thing about the MCC is its Man Maximum, Machine Minimum (M/M) concept featuring a 1+2 layout. The driver sits in the middle, flanked by two seats behind it. The empty space beside the driver can be for luggage or Honda’s Motor Compo, a two-wheeled EV concept. Two of those bike-like machines can fit, and they can even double up as arm rest or stereo!

This Li-ion battery powered EV also has customisable panels at the front, rear and sides. Once again, we have some pre-show event shots of the MCC in daylight. Here’s your jacket, sir!

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Tokyo 2011: Honda EV-STER previews electric powered, rear-wheel drive, two-seater convertible

November 30, 2011 at 11:46 am By Danny Tan Filed Under 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Cars, Honda, International News

Ohayou gozaimasu! We are reporting live from the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, which returns to Tokyo proper after 24 years. The venue for this year’s show is the Tokyo Big Sight, just across the Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba, a change from the familiar Makuhari Messe. The first stop for this writer was Honda’s packed press conference, where Honda president and CEO Takanobu Ito unveiled some interesting machines and missions.

The main car under wraps was this – the Honda EV-STER concept. As its name suggests, the EV-STER is an electric powered sports car, one that is also rear wheel driven, topless and a two seater.

If those points remind you of the S2000, that’s intentional. But today’s world is different from the one where the S2000 was born into – environmental concerns means that battery power is in, and high revving 9,000 rpm VTEC power is out.

The EV-STER is compact, measuring only 3,570 mm long and 1,500 mm wide. A large portion of the length is taken up by the 2,325 mm wheelbase, pushing the wheels far to each corner.

To give you an idea, the EV-STER is shorter than a Lotus Elise, but has an identical wheelbase with the iconic Brit. The adoption of carbon materials means that it should be lightweight too, although no figure is given.

Honda says that lightness also contributes to the car’s performance and approximate range of 160 km per charge in the JC08 mode. The electric motor is powered by a 10 kWh lithium ion battery with 58 kW of max output. This will be good enough for a 160 km/h top speed and 0-60 km/h acceleration in five seconds. Charging time is under three hours with 200V and under six hours for 100V.

The cozy two-seat cabin (driver’s seat is “highlighted”) doesn’t have a steering wheel, but experimental twin-lever steering, joystick style. Don’t take that too seriously, or the high tech displays, for this is more of a design exercise that shows Honda’s intent to reintroduce sporty into the mix, after solely focusing on green for quite some time.

Our gallery also includes exclusive pics from a pre-show briefing where we got to see a clay model of the EV-STER, which will give you a better 360-degree view of the car. Don’t write it off as a flight of fancy, as some did with the CR-Z concept car of 2009 – this could well be “the new S2000″!

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Honda CR-V – 4th-gen to begin selling in Japan on Dec 2

November 30, 2011 at 7:01 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Honda, International News

Honda will begin selling its new CR-V in Japan from December 2. The fourth-generation SUV, which made its global debut in LA earlier in the month, will be available domestically in 2.4 litre and 2.0 litre forms. The 2.4 litre version – in 24G guise – comes with four-wheel-drive, while the 20G 2.0 litre variant is a front-wheel drive offering.

Honda says the 2.4 litre i-VTEC model – which works with a five-speed automatic transmission – offers 20 PS higher output than the outgoing equivalent, thanks to a higher compression ratio and other enhancements. Presumably, the output for the 2.4 version should be similar to the US model’s 185 hp and 221 Nm.

Meanwhile, the 2.0 litre i-VTEC-equipped model will offer powerful torque characteristics from the low rpm range upward and exceptional fuel economy, though there is no mention of specific output numbers – Paul and Danny are in Tokyo to cover the show, so we should be able to get the figures as it goes along, working on the assumption the vehicle is part of the showcase.

Notably, the 2.0 litre features a CVT with torque converter for its drivetrain choice. In combination with the mill, the company says that the model offers the same off-the-line acceleration and overall acceleration performance as the 2.4 L model, while at the same time offering a best-in-class fuel economy of 14.4 km per litre.

In all, Honda is looking to shift a combined 1,500 units of the new CR-V – which has a 225 mm longer interior and 65 litres more cargo area than the outgoing model – domestically every month.

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GALLERY: Landmark models at Honda Collection Hall, Twin Ring Motegi – 65 pics of cars, bikes and robots!

November 28, 2011 at 11:41 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Feature Stories, Honda

Greetings from cold cold Japan! We’re here to bring you coverage of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, which will open for the press the day after tomorrow. But before we see the typically wacky Tokyo concepts that could be the cars of the future, we paid a visit to Honda Collection Hall at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit for a look at the good old days.

Twin Ring Motegi should be no strange track to Gran Turismo fans, and the Honda owned circuit in Tochigi prefecture houses two “rings” – an American style oval and a road course – hence the name.

Surrounded by natural forests, Motegi has other interesting stuff for auto fans as well, including a Gran Turismo cafe and Honda Collection Hall. The latter is a must visit for all, and Honda fans in particular should pay a “pilgrimage” in their lifetime!

The left side of the three-floor building is dedicated to bikes, while the right is for cars. The ground floor houses a gift shop (tempting but expensive!) and what looks like a “library”, plus a section for Honda’s clever Asimo robot and its ancestors. First floor is for landmark production cars and bikes (no time for the latter, unfortunately) and the second floor is for Honda’s famous racing machines.

For the road cars, the more famous classics such as the N360 minicar from 1967, S600 Coupe and topless S800 mix with commercial vehicles and the P800 pick up truck (yes, Honda used to make those things!). Moving on, there’s a cute first gen Civic RS in the corner. The tiny 705 kg car had 76 PS and metal studded seats. Also, did you know that RS stands for Road Sailing?

One can also see the classy first Prelude and the original CR-X here, all in beautiful mint condition. Curiously, the prettier second gen CR-X was nowhere to be seen. The loop ends with two famous midship cars on opposite ends of the scale – the big NSX-R and little Beat.

Going up, Honda shows off the race cars that it powered to victories, like the RA300 of Surtees. F1 fans will have plenty of “wah, check that out” moments with the old racers – they used to have mega wings and octopus exhausts! Moving on, famous Honda powered F1 cars include the John Player Special car, the “Canon” Williams Honda of Nelson Piquet, the “Camel” Lotus 99T of Satoru Nakajima and Aryton Senna’s iconic McLaren Honda MP4/7.

Not much time left, but I had to jump over to the bike side just to see the Rothmans Honda 500cc bikes of Gardner, Okada and of course, Mick Doohan! Max Biaggi’s 250cc No.1 Marlboro bike was there, too.

Here are the souvenirs from Motegi, enjoy!

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Free parking for hybrid cars purchased in Petaling Jaya

November 24, 2011 at 1:24 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Lexus, Local News, Toyota

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will be giving three months free parking to hybrid cars purchased in the city next year, according to a Star report. PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said this was one of the green initiatives that MBPJ was implementing.

“Hybrid-car buyers will be given free parking passes for three months to park anywhere in Petaling Jaya. We are extending the scheme to people who are not Petaling Jaya residents, as long as they have bought their car from a car dealer in Petaling Jaya,” the mayor explained.

While it’s a welcome, albeit temporary, benefit for would be owners of the Honda Insight, CR-Z, Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid models, I’m sure many PJ residents and workers would agree that finding a parking spot in the first place is the more painful task.

In Budget 2012, PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that incentives given to hybrid cars have been extended till 31 December 2013. The incentives in question are full import duty and excise duty exemption for hybrid and electric cars and motorcycles.

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Honda-Hot Import Nights KL 2011 happens next month in Shah Alam – promises hot girls, modded cars and Awie

November 23, 2011 at 5:11 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News

There will be a new car show in town, billed as a mini SEMA or Tokyo Auto Salon of sorts. It’s called Honda-Hot Import Nights Kuala Lumpur 2011, and it will happen from 17-18 December at Shah Alam’s Malawati Stadium. It’s gonna be a fully indoor event that will go on rain or shine, and the entry fee will be RM20 per day. Organisers are expecting a crowd in excess of 25,000 for both days combined.

Calling themselves the “world’s largest touring automotive lifestyle show” Hot Import Nights (HIN) was founded in 1996 in Australia by a group of uni students. It has grown since then, and Jakarta, Indonesia held its first HIN in 2001. Today, HIN is an annual event in USA, Australia, Indonesia, and if it takes off, Malaysia. Honda Malaysia is the title sponsor for the HIN KL 2011.

There will be plenty of sexy ladies and modded cars of all sorts (HIN is expecting over 100 show cars), and the cars will vie for the many trophies up for grabs. Among the titles are Too Damn Low, Best Custom Bodykit, The Killer Colour, Hottest Engine Bay, Best JDM Look, Best VIP, Hottest ICE, Cinema on Wheels and “Best” titles for various brands, from Audi to Proton. There will be three King Nominees that will fight for the main award – The King.

Also, there will be a Dynowars contest, which will have trophies (top 3) for the most powerful RWD, FWD, AWD, NA, Turbo, VTEC, 4G63 and Campro, among other categories. For the ICE fans, there are a couple of awards, too.

The judges are experienced blokes. For the modded cars, HIN has secured Randy Ly, Tommy Ha and Mitchell Mark, all ex-NCCA judges from America. The man in charge of Dynowars is Todd Lewis from Mainline Dynamometer Australia.

I’ve been to some of these events before, and there are more photographers mobbing the (lady) models than those who actually appreciate the cars, so if you belong to that category, HIN KL will be organising a Car & Model Autophotography contest. The ladies you’re shooting are also competing, but for the Miss Honda-Hot Import Nights KL 2011 title. RC and PS3 fans will have contests of their own. Finally, some international DJs are performing and there’s a concert by rocker Awie on 18 Dec.

For Honda owners, Honda Malaysia will be picking four cars to be displayed in their booth at HIN KL. If you think you have the ride to impress, email a pic of your car and details to hondahin@honda.com.my.

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Honda CR-V – fourth-gen SUV makes its debut in LA

November 17, 2011 at 4:52 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Feature Stories, Honda, International News

The fourth-generation Honda CR-V has made its debut – the SUV was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and will begin selling in the US on December 15.

The CR-V remains a five-seater, but Honda says the debutant introduces an upscale styling direction, improved interior comfort, a smoother and quieter ride, greater fuel efficiency and added features and functionality over the outgoing model.

Leading the changes are a more efficient engine design with improved horsepower and torque, along with an all-new Real Time All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) with Intelligent Control System. All the North American CR-V variants are powered by a 2.4 litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine offering 185 hp and 221 Nm of torque, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission.

A new feature called Eco Assist indicates to the driver when the vehicle is being operated in an efficient style via “green” visual cues surrounding the speedometer, and a selectable ECON Mode alters operating characteristics of the vehicle to support an efficient driving style.

Inside, the interior features a roomy new centre console and an overall lower cargo floor height for easy loading and unloading, among others. New to the vehicle is an Easy Fold-Down 60/40 Split Rear Seat, which offers easier access to utilising the cargo area – each side of the rear seat can fold nearly flat into the front of the cargo area using one of the release levers located near the tailgate, or a pull-strap positioned on the seat side.

Tech features include a Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface, a full-colour intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) and a multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines. As a first for Honda, the fourth-gen CR-V includes an SMS text messaging function, which can read received texts from compatible cell phones aloud over the audio system. Another first is the introduction of a Pandora Internet Radio interface3, which works with the vehicle’s audio controls and i-MID.

Safety equipment includes VSA, ABS as well as front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags.

For North America, depending on the model (there’s the LX, EX and top-of-the-line EX-L), available kit ranges from a 160 watt, four-speaker audio system to power moonroof and 17-inch alloy wheels to a leather-trimmed interior, automatic dual-zone climate control and a 328 watt seven-speaker audio system.



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Honda Fit EV makes global debut in LA

November 17, 2011 at 3:28 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Honda, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

The Honda Fit EV has made its global debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show – the all-electric vehicle, based on the Fit hatchback, offers a 198 km highway driving and a 122 km combined city/highway operating range, based on US EPA city cycle test methods.

The five-seater Fit EV, which will be introduced to US consumers via leasing programs beginning next summer, will be powered by a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 92 kW coaxial high-density electric motor which is derived from the motor used in the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle.

A 6.6 kW, onboard 32 amp charger allows for convenient recharging of the vehicle; with a 240-volt charger, the Fit EV can fully recharge in as little as three hours. It will feature a 3-mode electric drive system, adapted from the CR-Z Sport Hybrid – the system allows the driver to select between Econ, Normal and Sport modes.

Externally, the Fit EV is identical to the gasoline-powered Fit, though it offers a higher hip point to accommodate the under floor placement of the 20 kWh battery. It will only come in a single, exclusive color, this being Reflection Blue Pearl, and will also have the familiar chrome front fascia similar to other Honda eco-friendly vehicles such as the Insight hybrid

Additionally, the car gets EV badges on the rear hatch and decals on the side of the vehicle to help distinguish it from its gasoline counterpart, and it will wear distinct five-spoke alloy wheels and an aerodynamic rear spoiler. Inside, the seating surfaces are covered with bio-fabric.

Tech features include a standard telematics system that allows the driver to stay connected through a smartphone, PC or interactive remote. Through the Fit EV smartphone and computer applications, the driver can remotely view the vehicle’s state of charge, initiate charging and activate the air-conditioning or heater, to pre-condition the vehicle while connected to the grid, to maximise battery range on start-up.

The mobile application and website also offers the ability to set charging notifications and alerts to optimise charging times based on varying utility rates. The Fit EV will also come equipped with a standard Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System to locate public charging stations and frequently updated traffic information.

Meanwhile, the interactive remote – operable up to 30 metres from the vehicle – allows the driver to monitor the vehicle’s state of charge and cabin temperature, initiate and terminate charging and remotely turn on the air-conditioning via it.

Honda will begin leasing the Fit EV to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer, and will expand to six East Coast markets in early 2013. The company expects volume at this early stage of production to be approximately 1,100 Fit EV’s over the next three years.

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European Honda Civic to get new 1.6 litre turbodiesel

November 17, 2011 at 12:34 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda

As hinted earlier, Honda will soon debut a new small 1.6 litre diesel engine, which is currently slated for use in the Honda Civic in Europe. We also expect the same diesel to be installed in Honda models in India, especially the Honda City.

Honda currently has only one diesel engine to slot into its cars – a big 2.2 litre 4-cylinder, an oddity in Europe where pretty much half of the cars of the Civic’s size that are sold come with a smaller diesel of about 1.6 litres in displacement.

Honda needs to push the new Civic hatchback in Europe and expects the new 1.6 litre Honda Civic i-CTDi to account for 65% of Civic sales. A 1.6 litre Civic diesel was offered in the past with a previous generation model, but that Civic diesel used an Isuzu engine.

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