Entries Tagged 'honda' ↓

Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. unveiled the Honda New Small Concept, a concept model for a new small-sized vehicle, at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi. HSCI also announced plans to begin sales of a new model in 2011 based on this concept model.

For the Honda New Small Concept, a wide platform with a stable center of gravity was adopted to create a highly efficient compact size with seating for five people. With the “Efficient Energetic Exterior” design, the dynamic design of the Honda New Small Concept with front forward fenders highlight the presence of the vehicle.

Honda is planning to introduce a new model based on the Honda New Small Concept in 2011, in India and also in Thailand.

Honda will strive to provide a new small-sized vehicle that is beyond the expectations of customers in rapidly growing markets and offer it at an affordable price by leveraging Honda’s global parts sourcing network.

Source : Autocarindia

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the introduction of the all-new Step WGN. With the largest interior space in its class*1 and first in class*1 under-floor storage for third-row seats the all-new Step WGN offers more convenience than ever before and best-in-class fuel economy*1. The new Step WGN and Step WGN special-needs vehicle*2 go on sale in Japan today, with the Step WGN Spada and Step WGN Spada special-needs vehicle*2 to debut in Japan on Friday, October 23.

This all-new fourth generation Step WGN, featuring Honda’s original low-floor, low-center-of-gravity platform, was developed around the concept of comfort for everyone and is designed to be the ultimate in comfortable minivan transportation for the entire family.

With the combination of a 2.0-liter i-VTEC engine and torque converter-equipped CVT*3 both smooth driving and outstanding, class-leading*1 fuel economy of 14.2km/L*4 are achieved. Making further contributions to fuel economy are features such as ECON mode, which regulates the engine and transmission to help conserve fuel, and Eco Assist, with multiple functions that encourage fuel-efficient driving including a guidance function that gives the driver real-time feedback on the fuel-efficiency of his or her driving practices.

*1 8-passenger, 2,000cc class vehicles with an overall height of 1,800mm or greater (Honda calculations)
*2 Side lift-up seat-equipped and passenger lift-up seat-equipped vehicles will be released on the same day.
*3 Step WGN (FWD vehicle)
*4 Step WGN (FWD vehicle). Fuel economy when driven in 10-15 mode (Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism test specification)

Monthly sales target (Japan): 6,000 units
・ The exterior design features a dynamic square form that expresses spaciousness and comfort.
・

Built on a low-floor, low-center-of-gravity package, the new Step WGN’s overall length has been increased by 50mm*5 and overall height by 45mm to achieve the roomiest cabin interior in its class*1, with a cabin height of 1,395mm*6.
・

To create an enhanced feeling of freedom and spaciousness, the window area has been increased all around. The window area of the sky roof*7 is among the largest of any production vehicle in the world*8.

・ The interior design offers enhanced driving ease and ease of use for various purposes.
・ Third-row seats can be stored under the floor with a simple operation requiring a minimum of strength -a class*1 first- to help occupants make the most of the spacious interior.
・ A newly developed side-view support mirror shows road surface conditions to the front-left of the vehicle, aiding the driver when parallel parking and navigating narrow roads.

・ The all-new Step WGN features outstanding, best in class*1 fuel economy of 14.2km/L*4.
・ FWD models exceed Japanese government fuel economy standards for 2010 by 25%, while 4WD models exceed them by 20%. All types are eligible for Japan’s new preferential tax scheme for environmentally responsible vehicles (reduced automobile acquisition tax and automobile weight tax) and subsidy for environmentally responsible vehicles, introduced in April 2009.

*5 Compared to previous model (Spada not included)
*6 Non-factory-option-equipped vehicle
*7 Factory option on the G L Package, L, and Spada S and Z types
*8 Honda calculations

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2010 Honda Accord Crosstour Interior Offers Innovation in Space Utilization
V-6 engine standard, four-wheel drive available

The all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour will feature a versatile, upscale 5-passenger interior with an innovative rear storage area, a standard 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine and available four-wheel drive when it goes on sale in November, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

“Honda has a longstanding reputation for maximizing interior space and utility in its vehicles,” said Erik Berkman, vice president of corporate planning and logistics for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Like the award-winning Honda Fit, the Accord Crosstour uses a versatile design to create an interior that functions with the practicality of a larger vehicle.”

The rear storage area features an innovative 8-inch deep under-floor Hidden Removable Utility Box with a reversible lid, featuring both plush-carpeted and durable-plastic sides. Levers near the interior fender wells, conveniently accessible from the tailgate opening, allow for one-touch conversion of the seats into the floor for additional cargo space.

The interior design is intended to enhance the feeling of width and space in the passenger cabin while creating a premium and accommodating atmosphere. The inset sculpting of the instrument panel along with a wide center console increases the sense of roominess. Intuitively grouped controls for the audio, climate and available navigation system are designed to operate with solidity and precision.

The exterior styling evolves the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) concept by integrating a sleek and aerodynamic shape that blends sporty, low-profile contours with versatile CUV functionality.

The Accord Crosstour will be positioned at the top of the Accord family when it goes on sale in November. Additional details will be announced later in the year. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com/future-cars. Additional media information regarding all Honda products is available at www.hondanews.com.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced its lineup of production and concept-model automobiles, motorcycles, power products and other highlights for its display at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009. Organized by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the event will take place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, from October 24 to November 4.

Covering the largest floor area of any single brand at the show, Honda booth combines automobiles, motorcycles, power products and other highlights to present the distinctive world of Honda mobility. Driven by dreams and passion, and with the booth concept of “Creating the never before!” Honda strived to propose attractive products that please and amaze its customers.

Honda’s automobile exhibit will present a variety of environmentally responsible approaches to mobility, including hybrid vehicles, a fuel cell electric vehicle and a battery electric vehicle. The display will also highlight models with innovative packaging and enhanced driving performance that communicate the enjoyment an automobile can provide.

With the motorcycle display, Honda proposes products which are filled with creativity and dreams and create new value to further broaden the potential of motorcycles.The motorcycles on display range from large-displacement sports bikes that offer new riding pleasure to compact commuter models powered by electricity.

Also on display are butane gas canister-powered power products, as well as a new personal mobility device which was developed based on the concept of “harmony with people.”

The special display zone named “HELLO!” (Honda Electric mobility Loop) will feature a comprehensive display of electricity-based products, including products that supply electricity, vehicles that run on electricity and products with innovative electronic technologies.

♦ Outline of the exhibition at the Honda booth

The HELLO! (Honda Electric mobility Loop) Zone will provide a comprehensive display of Honda’s electromotive technologies, including automobiles, motorcycles, power products, and more-everything from products that supply electricity to products that incorporate electronic technologies. By linking solar panels that supply electricity with battery electric vehicles that emit zero CO2 in use, Honda envisions the low-carbon society of the near future. In addition, each HELLO! vehicle features interactive communication technologies that showcase the fun ways in which mobility devices can interact with people and society. On display will be the FCX CLARITY, a fuel cell electric vehicle that runs on the electricity it produces from hydrogen; the EV-N battery electric vehicle; the EV-Cub electric motorcycle; the EV-MONPAL electric personal mobility device; the new U3-X, a one-wheel personal mobility device that uses balance control technology that was developed through the ASIMO bipedal humanoid robot; and LOOP, a portable communication tool that allows people and mobility devices to communicate with each other.

The automobile display will focus on hybrid vehicles, which Honda believes offer one of the most practical means of addressing environmental concerns at the present time. Joining the Insight, which has been very well received since its release in Japan in February 2009, will be the CR-Z Concept 2009, a hybrid with a new sense and feel, making its world premiere.Underhood will be a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated up to Honda’s proprietary Integrated Motor Assist technology. Also on the menu will be a six-speed manual gearbox that will surely be a more entertaining partner for driving enthusiasts than the CVT automatic transmission used in the Insight hatchback.

While Honda is still calling the Tokyo-bound CR-Z a concept, don’t expect the attractive sheetmetal to be altered before the car hits the showroom floor. That’s fine by us – the car’s wedge-shaped lines are very attractive and call to mind the seminal CRX from the early 1980s, though with a modern flavor reminiscent of the current Insight. See for yourself in our gallery below.

, and the SKYDECK, an innovative six-passenger, multi-purpose hybrid vehicle. Other models on display are the all-new STEP WGN and STEP WGN SPADA (both scheduled for introduction in Japan in October 2009), which feature innovative packaging to expand the joy of using automobiles, and the all-new CIVIC TYPE R EURO (scheduled for introduction in Japan in November 2009), which captures the joy of driving, discovered and refined on European roads.

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Honda Develops New Personal Mobility Device With the Goal of Co-existing in Harmony with People — World’s first drive system that enables movement in all directions –

TOKYO, Japan, September 24, 2009 – Pursuing the concept of “harmony with people” Honda has developed a new personal mobility technology and unveiled U3-X, a compact experimental device that fits comfortably between the rider’s legs, to provide free movement in all directions just as in human walking – forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. Honda will continue research and development of the device including experiments in a real-world environment to verify the practicality of the device.

This new personal mobility device makes it possible to adjust speed and move, turn and stop in all directions when the rider leans the upper body to shift body weight. This was achieved through application of advanced technologies including Honda’s balance control technology, which was developed through the robotics research of ASIMO, Honda’s bipedal humanoid robot, and the world’s first* omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System, or HOT Drive System), which enables movement in all directions, including not only forward and backward, but also directly to the right and left and diagonally. In addition, this compact size and one-wheel-drive personal mobility device was designed to be friendly to the user and people around it by making it easier for the rider to reach the ground from the footrest and placing the rider on roughly the same eye level as other people or pedestrians.

Honda is planning to showcase the U3-X at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009 (sponsored by JAMA) which will begin on October 24, 2009 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Striving to propose the next-generation mobility which expands the joy and fun of mobility, Honda has been conducting robotics research since 1986, including ASIMO, walking assist devices and U3-X, at the Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Fundamental Technology Research Center in Wako, Saitama, Japan.

* Based on Honda’s internal research

Key features of U3-X

1. Device control featuring application of balance control technology cultivated through ASIMO research:
The incline sensor detects the incline of the device based on the weight shift of the rider and determines the rider’s intention in terms of the direction and speed. Based on the data, precise control is applied to return the device to an upright position, which achieves smooth and agile movements and simple operation by weight shift only.

2. HOT Drive System (Omni-directional driving wheel system):
Honda developed the world’s first wheel structure which enables movement in all directions including forward, backward, side-to-side and diagonally. Multiple small-diameter motor-controlled wheels were connected in-line to form one large-diameter wheel. By moving the large-diameter wheel, the device moves forward and backward, and by moving small-diameter wheels, the device moves side-to-side. By combining these movements the device moves diagonally.

3. Compact and innovative package:
The combination of the balance control technology and the HOT Drive System enabled the one-wheel style compact and innovative package of the device. In addition, the device adopts a light-weight monocoque body in which the foldable seat, footrests and body cover that also function as the frame are stored in the body of the device, achieving highly portable convenience.

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Honda Begins Production and Sales of All-new Scooter PCX in Thailand
– New strategic global model to be exported from Thailand to Japan, Europe and the U.S. beginning in 2010 –

BANGKOK, Thailand, September 14, 2009 – Honda will begin sales of a new scooter model, PCX, in Thailand in November of this year through A. P. Honda Co., Ltd., a Honda affiliate responsible for distributing Honda motorcycle products in Thailand. Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Thai Honda), a Honda subsidiary that manufactures motorcycles, power products, and components in Thailand, will serve as the global manufacturing base for PCX and is planning to begin exports of PCX in early 2010, to other countries in the ASEAN region as well as other regions including Japan, Europe and the U.S.

With the global market in mind, PCX was designed to provide both the ease-of-use customers expect from a scooter and innovative styling. In addition, the basic design of key components such as the frame and engine are common for each market to achieve a significant increase in production efficiency.

Thai Honda began motorcycle production in 1967 for the Thai market, and currently supplies motorcycles and motorcycle components primarily to the ASEAN region. Thai Honda will supply PCX to the global market while leveraging its superior cost competitiveness, quality and supplier network which the company has cultivated during its more than 40-year history.

The PCX is equipped with a newly developed low-friction, water-cooled, 4-stroke, single-cylinder 125 cc engine, achieving excellent fuel economy of approximately 50km/liter (ECE 40 MODE). The “idling stop system,” which automatically stops the engine when the motorcycle comes to a temporary stop, was adopted to improve fuel economy (except for the U.S. model.) In addition, PCX conforms with Thailand’s Emission Standards at level 6 as well as the current exhaust emission standards in Japan, Europe and the U.S. with Honda’s electronic fuel injection system (PGM-FI*1) and a catalyst device (catalyzer) installed in the muffler.

Moreover, PCX will be the world’s first*2 125 cc model which will be equipped with the ACG starter which combines a cell motor and alternating current generator and helps achieve the compact engine size and significant reduction of starting noise.

Finally, all PCX models will be equipped with the CBS (Combined Brake System for the front and rear wheels) which helps achieve stable braking performance.

With PCX, Honda will strive to create a new market in ASEAN countries for a high value-added and high-end model. At the same time, Honda is planning to introduce PCX to Japan, Europe and the U.S. as an affordable small-size commuter model which accomplished an excellent balance of various features including environmental performance, user comfort and quality.
*1 PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel Injection) is a registered Honda trademark
*2 Based on Honda research