Latest Update on Thai flood situation from Honda

The press release after the link is Honda's latest update on the flood situation in Thailand. The gist is that Honda have successfully cleared their facilities of flood water and is now in the painful and slow process of recovering the facility to operational status. It will probably take weeks before any of the facility can start again and months for them to recover to fully operational status.

The more important, good news is that Honda's Suzuka and Saitama plant in Japan will be restored to full capacity at the beginning of next week (Dec 5th) while the U.S. and Canada plants (6 in all affected) will restore fully capacity the day after tomorrow (Dec 1st). 

November 28, 2011 - Following is the most current information regarding the impact of the flooding in Thailand on Honda's operations. 

Flood water draining efforts were completed at Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC), the Honda automobile production subsidiary in Thailand (headquarter in the Rojana Industrial Park, Ayutthaya), and HATC today began its recovery efforts such as the cleaning of the facilities. Concerning the outlook for the resumption of production, HATC will continue its effort to confirm the overall impact to the facilities and carefully examine the situation. 

Suzuka Factory and Saitama Factory, Honda's automobile production plants in Japan, which had been making production adjustments since November 7, 2011 due to restricted parts supply from Thailand, will normalize production on December 5, 2011 as parts supply issues have been resolved to a certain level. 

Six automobile production plants in the U.S. and Canada, which had been making production adjustments since November 2, 2011, also due to restricted parts supply from Thailand, will normalize production on December 1, 2011 as parts supply issues have been resolved to a certain level. 

Concerning production plans from January 2012 onward, Honda will make decisions while carefully monitoring the parts supply situation.

Honda deeply regrets any inconvenience this may cause to our customers, and requests their understanding during these challenging times. Together with our suppliers, Honda is devoting all of our efforts to minimize the impact on our customers.

4Gen CR-V to debut in Japan Dec 2nd

Following the U.S launch, the new 4Gen CR-V will debut in the JDM end of this week, on December 2nd 2011. The JDM model features a 2.0l version in addition to the 2.4l version of the U.S. model. This new 2.0l  version comes in FWD and is mated to a CVT/MMT gearbox which is also equipped with a torque converter. For the JDM, the 2.4l version offers 10kW or 20ps higher power and comes with a 5AT.

For Asia, the JDM 2.0l version will form the basis for our model. However, its launch schedule is expected to be delayed and much depends on the progress Honda makes in recovering their research facility at Ayutthaya Thailand.

For more details of the JDM CR-V, read the article at Honda's worldwide website:

http://world.honda.com/news/2011/4111128All-New-CR-V/index.html

New NSX rumours from Autoten

The japanese website dedicated to 'scoop' information and photos of new cars, autoten.com, has published an article citing Honda CEO Ito-san as saying that the new NSX will be arriving in 2014. Furthermore, autoten.com is reporting that their Honda sources confirmed to them that the car will have a V6 engine delivering 400hp and will use SH-AWD.

For the full autoten article, go to the link below:

http://autoten.com/2011/10/29/honda-nsx-have-confirmed-by-2014here-is-all-rendering-we-can-find/

Case Study : How accurate are scoops ?

Scoops of information and especially photos of new to be launched cars are the 'in' thing amongst automotive media fighting to be recognized as 'The' media to go to for information nowadays. In Japan, there are even magazines dedicated to scoops only. Amongst these, Mag-X (of Japan) has from my experience been one of the most accurate in terms of rendering of new models. Their rendering of the original 2001 Honda City was so uncanny that my 'friend' told me he personally was shocked at the almost spot-on accuracy of the rendering except for the exaggerated height (which I found out during the actual launch to be true).  Later, Mag-X was also spot on for the previous 8Gen Civic. 

On March 5th this year (2010), japanese 'scoop' site Autoten.com published a post showing the then latest scoop rendering of the new 4Gen CR-V by Mag-X. The link to that article is http://autoten.com/2010/03/05/2011-new-honda-cr-v-codename-2ws-rendering-and-specification/.

Today of course this new 4Gen CR-V has just been launched at the Los Angeles Motor Show in the U.S. for the U.S. The CR-V is one of Honda's 'global' model, so what we see in the U.S. is virtually identical except for minor details, to elsewhere in the world. 

And so a thought occurred to me. This would be a good opportunity to compare the accuracy of scoop renderings by scoops specialist publications like Autoten and Mag-X. We have the rendering of the new 4Gen CR-V from March. We now have photos of the actual 4Gen CR-V. So how near or how far apart are they ? 

Below on the right is the photo of the Mag-X magazine taken from the Autoten website. On the left is an official photo of the 4Gen CR-V from the AHM photo-pack. I chose the photo with a viewing angle as close to the Mag-X rendering as possible. 

Comparing the two, it can be seen that the grill of the rendering is off compared to the grill on the actual car. But the shape and profile of the headlights and the side windows are nearly spot on. In fact, the overall rendering is quite accurate when compared to the actual car. So considering that the rendering was probably made from verbal descriptions from 'insiders' to Mag-X, we can actually see that it is quite a good representation of the car.

New CR-V launched in the U.S.

With apologies for the delay notification, we (TOV) have complete coverage of the launch of the new 4Gen CR-V at the Auto Angeles Motor Show in the U.S. Along with this launch, we have now published 3 articles which we have been putting on hold due to the embargo imposed by Honda before the launch.

Briefly, the new 4Gen CR-V is more of an evolution of the outgoing 3Gen model. The single engine variant continues to be the 2.4l K24 DOHC i-VTEC engine now giving 185hp and 163lbft (about 22.4kgm) of torque. This is 5hp higher than the old model. The transmission continues to be a 5AT only. The model comes with either FWD or real-time 4WD (called real time ALL Wheel Drive by AHM). 

Our coverage of this FMC is spread out over 4 articles, according to the links below:

1. Honda press release of the new 4Gen CR-V 

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=1014380

Embargo'ed articles now published includes:

2. Photo gallery of the new 4Gen CR-V

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=1014330

 

3. Exclusive ! TOV Video for the 'walkaround' and demonstration of new features

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=1014419

4. Exclusive ! TOV Video for 'First-Drive' impressions

http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=1014411

 

Photos of production CR-V

Famous scoopers Brenda Priddy & Co. has now caught photos of actual production version of the new 4Gen CR-V which the Autoblog website has purchased and published. The photos were taken during the pre-launch media drive event, which was also attended by TOV. However, details from that event are under embargo which is why TOV hasn't published anything about it. This new 4Gen CR-V will be launched in the U.S. next week at the L.A. Auto Show. As confirmed at the TOV forums earlier, it will go on sale on December this year. The photo above was taken from the autoblog website. For more photos and the autoblog story, the link to go to is : http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2012-honda-cr-v-spy-shots-2/med/#photo-4600879/

Update on Impact of flooding to Honda in Thailand

Honda has just provided an update on the situation in Thailand concerning the current flood situation. Read the official press release after the link.



November 14, 2011 - Following is the most current information regarding the impact of the flooding in Thailand on Honda's operations.

Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Thai Honda), Honda's motorcycle and power products production subsidiary in Thailand (headquarter in Bangkok), which has suspended its motorcycle production since October 11 and power products production since October 6 due to parts supply disruptions, today resumes production of some motorcycle and power products models with the resumption of the parts supply. Thai Honda does not have any flood water on its property.

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC), the Honda automobile production subsidiary in Thailand (headquarter in the Rojana Industrial Park, Ayutthaya), has suspended production since October 4, due to the parts supply disruptions. As of today, HATC does not have a clear outlook for when production will resume as flooding on its facilities has continued since October 8, 2011.

Concerning operations from today onward, Honda will make decisions while carefully monitoring the situation. Honda deeply regrets any inconvenience this may cause our customers, and requests their understanding during these challenging times. Honda and its suppliers are devoting all our efforts to minimize the impact on our customers.

Small Sports EV Concept car the new Honda Beat ?

Of the many concept vehicles Honda has announced will be at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, the 'Small Sports EV' concept car most caught my eye. In recent times there has been persistent rumours, especially from japanese car magazines, about Honda possibly reviving their iconic 'BEAT' convertible sporty coupe of the 90s. The Honda Beat was a small 2-seater is MR configuration and powered by a 60ps engine. The tiny 660cc engine screams to 8,500rpm ! 

The 'Small Sports EV' concept looks very much like an updated Beat. With quite a number of concept cars making its way to production in past Honda history (the S2000 and the CR-Z for e.g. both started life as a concept car), I wonder how good are the chances that this Small Sports EV concept will become a reality in the not too distant future.
 

As I won't be making my way to the Tokyo Motor Show, I hope that Jeff will be going and if so, that he might be able to dig out a little bit more info on this concept. If he do get it, I will be sure to post them here. In the meantime, Honda supplied three photos of the Small Sports EV concept in their media release for the TMS; three different angles of the car, which are below. Enjoy.

Honda Displays at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show

November 10, 2011 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced its lineup of production and concept-model automobiles, motorcycles, power products, and other highlights for its display at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011, which will take place at Tokyo Big Sight from Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 11, 2011.

At this motor show, with the booth concept of "What makes people feel good?" Honda will propose an exciting and thrilling mobility life of the future that it envisions as a company providing personal mobility to people all around the world. The display will include a lineup of the next-generation electromotive concept models including two-, three- and four-wheeled commuter vehicles designed for easy and fun mobility in future cities, mid-to-long distance commuters designed to enrich life and enhance the freedom and fun of mobility, and sporty models that pursue the joy of driving/riding.

Furthermore, at the automobile section, N Concept, a new mini-vehicle series that emphasizes the creation of ample space, will be showcased, including introduction of the first production model in the series, N BOX. At the motorcycle section, a variety of models will be on display, including planned production models such as NC700S, INTEGRA and NC700X, which will be equipped with Honda's newly-developed global 700cc motorcycle engine. Also on display will be the planned production model of the CRF250L which offers both an ease of use in everyday life and the fun of off-road riding. Covering the largest floor area of any single brand at the show, the Honda booth will showcase a diverse lineup of products unique to Honda.

As a part of "SMART MOBILITY CITY 2011", a themed project the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA) will hold at the motor show venue, Honda will showcase the FCX Clarity advanced fuel cell electric vehicle, EV-neo electric scooter, EV-MONPAL electric cart, as well as the Honda Smart Home System which features several Honda-developed energy production technologies, including a gas engine cogeneration unit and a solar powered system to reduce household and mobility CO₂ emissions. The progress Honda has been making in testing program of these technologies also will be showcased.

Since the establishment of the company, Honda's goal has been to make people happy through its technologies and through the creation of products that are useful in people's daily lives. Driven by these dreams and passion, Honda has been committed to the research and development of mobility which focuses on people. With a passion to create and deliver mobility filled with fun and good feelings for people, Honda's challenge as a manufacturer of mobility products will continue into the future.

[Automobiles]

・AC-X

A next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicle which offers a more comfortable and enjoyable time in the vehicle during all driving situations, from urban to long-distance driving. With the choices of an "engine drive mode" for more aggressive driving or an "automatic drive mode" for more relaxed driving, the vehicle broadens the joy of mobility.

・MICRO COMMUTER CONCEPT

A micro-sized, futuristic, electric city commuter which will become a highly accessible form of mobility for more people. This vehicle will offer the joy of a new type of communications between people and mobility and an exterior that the owner can enjoy customizing more casually. The collaboration of Honda's motorcycle and automobile R&D centers made it possible to load the MOTOR COMPO two-wheel EV commuter in this vehicle.

・SMALL SPORTS EV CONCEPT (tentative name)

A next-generation EV sports model which maximizes the fun of driving while achieving excellent environmental performance.

[Motorcycles]

・MOTOR COMPO

A compact EV commuter which offers the casual and convenient mobility of a two-wheeler, but also strives to be useful even when it is not being ridden. This model can be loaded in the MICRO COMMUTER CONCEPT, with the battery that drives this commuter detachable and designed to be used as a power source in everyday life.

・E-CANOPY

A quiet and comfortable next-generation commuter developed by installing an EV system on Honda's unique three-wheeled scooter. In addition to personal use, this vehicle can be utilized for business use such as a delivery service by adopting a rear trunk which can be built-in.

・RC-E

An EV version of a super sports bike that pursues the joy of riding. A powerful and smooth ride unique to an EV model is achieved with the 250cc-class compact body.

[Power products]

・TOWNWALKER

Urban mobility which pursues simplicity and nimbleness that enables anyone to enjoy mobility in urban areas more casually. It can easily be loaded on a car by folding away the steering and seat.

<Overview of exhibits>
	Exhibition model    Production model    World Premiere    Japan Premiere

[Automobiles]

	Concept Models
		AC-X<>	MICRO COMMUTER CONCEPT<>
		SMALL SPORTS EV CONCEPT (tentative name)<>
		N CONCEPT<>

Planned Production Models
	N BOX<>	Fit EV<>	CR-V<>

Production Models
	FCX Clarity	Fit Hybrid / Fit Shuttle Hybrid
	Odyssey	Step WGN Spada
	Accord	Freed Hybrid / Freed Spike Hybrid
	Insight	CR-Z

[Motorcycles]

	Concept Models
		MOTOR COMPO<>	E-CANOPY<>	RC-E<>

Planned Production Models
	NC700S<>	INTEGRA<>	NC700X<>
	CRF250L<>	CBR1000RR<>

Production Models
	Goldwing	VFR1200F Dual Clutch Transmission
	CB1300 Super Bol d'Or	CB400 Super Four
	Dio110	PCX	EV-neo

Custom Concept Models
	NC700S Custom Concept<>	Integra Custom Concept<>
	NC700X Custom Concept<>	CRF250L Custom Concept<>
	CRF450R Custom Concept<>	CB1100 Custom Concept
	CBR250R Custom Concept	Benly 110 Custom Concept

Others (Models sold outside of Japan, etc.)
	Crosstourer<>	VFR800X Mugen
	CB1000R	CBR600F

Commemorative Vehicles (racing machines)
	RC212V (ridden by 2011 Road Race World Championship MotoGP Class champion Casey Stoner)
	CRF450R (ridden in IA1 Class, 2011 All Japan Motocross Championship)
	Montesa COTA 4RT (ridden by the World Trial Championship Series 2011 champion Tony Bou)
	NSF250R (newly developed racer for 2012 Moto 3 class in the Road Race World Championship and for J-GP3 class in All Japan Road Race Championship)

[Power products]

	Concept Model
		TOWNWALKER<>