Honda unveils All New 4th Generation Honda City at a World Premiere in India

New Delhi, November 25, 2013: Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, today unveiled the all-new 4^th Generation Honda City at a World Premiere event in India. The world's first glimpse of the car also marked the introduction of 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine in the all-new City. Scheduled to be launched in January 2014, the pre-launch bookings of the model have begun across the country.

The all-new Honda City has been developed at Honda R&D centre located in Tochigi, Japan following extensive market surveys in India, ASEAN countries and other markets for people's driving needs and lifestyles. The development of all-new Honda City adopts Honda's new 'global operation reform' of concurrent development and implementation of locally optimized design drawings to realize the best vehicle specifications with speed, affordability and low CO₂ emissions for our customers. 

India, being a key strategic market for Honda in the Asia and Oceania region, has been specifically chosen to lead the global production for the All New Honda City with the 1.5L i-DTEC diesel engine which is already gaining popularity in the country. This makes India the first country to manufacture and sell the All New City, which will eventually be sold in 60 markets to help expand Honda's footprint in some of the fastest growing auto markets in the world. 

The grand concept for the all-new City is No 1 mid-size sedan impressing the whole world by being an Advanced Cool Stunner. "Stunner" is at the core of this concept and reflects sophistication and vigor while in motion and a striking presence when standing still.

The development concept focused on three aspects: Advanced Sporty Design, Best Comfort and Best Fuel Efficiency.

Advanced Sporty Design
The All New Honda City expresses Honda's new design concept "Exciting H Design" and will be the first model in India to adopt this new design concept promoting unique character and strong presence. This design concept boasts of a Solid Wing Face, Well Toned Athlete Form body and Finely Honed Surfacing on the exterior.

The new Sleek Cross-motion form exterior styling of the 4^th Generation Honda City represents a breakthrough amongst conventional sedan styling uniting powerful One Motion Styling and elegant Coupe Styling to create a new expression with sporty feeling appropriate to Honda. Advanced in every way, it is the perfect look for the benchmark mid sized sedan. The All New Honda City is sure to be the most stunning car on Indian roads.

Best Comfort
The packaging of the All New City delivers cleverly generated interior space that exceeds its class by further evolving Honda's "man maximum machine minimum" concept which aims at maximizing the space available for people and minimizing the space required for mechanical components. While maintaining compact dimensions and realizing longer wheelbase, efficient use of space has been made for both driver and occupants to create a spacious interior cabin with widest front seat space and rear seat space beyond its class. The All New City measures 4440 mm in length (same as its predecessor), 1695 mm in width (same as outgoing model), 1495 mm in height (10 mm more than the outgoing model) and 2600 mm as the wheelbase (extended by an additional 50 mm over outgoing model).

In the most spacious and comfortable City that has been possible ever, the sophisticated and futuristic Layered Floating Cockpit takes refinement and ease of driving to the next level. The cockpit's controls are concentrated for driver convenience and can be operated like a smartphone. For fun, comfortable driving, the cockpit's advanced interface gives the driver intuitive control and instant access to all important information.

Best Fuel Efficiency
The All New City adopts the best of Honda's powertrains to achieve best fuel efficiency performance. The Diesel variant of the City will be powered by the 1.5L 4 cylinder DOHC i-DTEC diesel engine. This engine has been developed exclusively for India considering Indian driving conditions and is based on the Honda's latest 'Earth Dreams Technology' realizing both excellent driving performance and offering matchless fuel economy. The Petrol variant of the City will be powered by an improved 1.5L 4 cylinder SOHC i-VTEC petrol engine designed to offer the best balance of engine performance and fuel economy.

Speaking at the occasion of its global unveiling, Mr. Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, Managing Officer, Honda Motor Company and Representative of Development, Purchasing and Production in Asia & Oceania Region said, "Honda City is currently sold in 55 countries across the world. City is the leading brand of Honda in Asia and Oceania region and with the 4^th generation Honda City, we aim to raise its popularity further and make it a significant future model in Honda's global portfolio which will be available in many more countries."

Focusing on the role and importance of Honda City for HCIL's business, Mr Hironori Kanayama, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd said, "With the unveiling of the all new City, we enter a new era of Honda's dominance in premium cars. City brand has been the face of Honda in India, enjoying strong leadership and popularity in its segment ever since its launch. India has been the focus market for Honda City, thus it was befitting to have the global unveiling of the All New Honda City in India." "There has been very high anticipation amongst the Honda loyalists who have been eagerly waiting for the 4^th Generation City and introduction of Diesel in the model. We are sure that the car will further strengthen the bond with our esteemed customers," he added.

Honda City has been one of the most successful car brands in India with very high brand equity. First introduced in India in January 1998 and later launched as 2^nd generation in November 2003 and 3^rd Generation in September 2008, Honda City has received a tremendous loyalty with over 4.3 lakh happy customers across the country. It is Honda's most awarded car winning 12 J.D. Power Initial Quality Awards amongst many other accolades and recognitions.

About Honda Cars India Ltd

Honda Cars India Ltd., (HCIL) leading manufacturer of passenger cars in India was established in December 1995 with a commitment to provide Honda's latest passenger car models and technologies, to the Indian customers.

HCIL has two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Greater Noida, U.P and Tapukara, Distt. Alwar, Rajasthan.

The company's product range includes Honda Brio, Honda Amaze, Honda City, Honda Accord and Honda CR-V which are produced and assembled at the Greater Noida facility. Honda's models are strongly associated with advanced design and technology, apart from its established qualities of durability, reliability and fuel-efficiency.

The company has a strong sales and distribution network of 157 facilities in 100 cities and is further strengthening its after sales network in Tier II and III cities to 162 outlets in 102 cities during 2013 - 14.

KLIMS 2013 Short Overall Show Coverage

The KLIMS, currently running at the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC), will be finishing this weekend, with tomorrow Sunday Nov 24th being the last day. If you have not visited it, this weekend will be a good time to do so. Like any typical motor show, this year's KLIMS features a mixture of concept cars and 'real-world' road cars. Most manufacturers participating in this show are also taking the opportunity to launch new models and variants of existing models as well as pre-launch of new models (unveiling a new model which will be launched in the near future).

The exhibits in KLIMS is spread out over several halls and 4 distinct locations, like all previous shows. So there will be a certain amount of walking needed to get from hall to hall. The manufacturers exhibiting in this year's KLIMS are as follow:

Japanese marques

1. Honda

2. Toyota

3. Lexus

4. Nissan

5. Infiniti

6. Subaru

7. Daihatsu (they have a very small booth showing trucks)

8. Isuzu

Korean marques

1. Hyundai

Local marques

1. Perodua

2. Leading Edge (a Malaysian consultant firm designing and manufacturing niche market cars)

European marques

1. Peugeot

2. Citroen

3. Ford

Conspicious with their absence are KLIMS stalwarts and local manufacturers Proton and Naza. Proton is citing the lack of a suitable venue as the reason for their absence. The 'big four' European manufacturers too are again absent, for two consecutive motor shows or more now. They are of course Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi and Volvo. Also absent are the two smaller japanese car makers Mazda and Suzuki. 

For car nuts and motorsports enthusiasts, a few manufacturers are displaying their racing cars. Honda is showing off their HMRT Racing Jazz, Ford their Focus Race car and Infiniti their Red-Bull Renault F-1 car which they call the 'Infiniti Q100' in their booth. There are also a number of aftermarket displays ranging from window tints to 'toys' like air-fuel sensors. 

There are two small 'auto-salon' sections featuring modified cars on Hall 3 where the Peugeot, Citroen and Perodua booths are. These two sections are tucked into one corners each. One 'auto-salon' is focussed on supercars, heavily modified and includes a Nissan R35 GTR, an Audi TT, a Lamborghini, amongst others. The other 'auto-salon' display features modified normal road cars and are mostly Peroduas, a couple of Toyota Vios'es and a BMW. Look for a really over-the-top (yet interesting nonetheless) Perodua Kenari featuring a lavish gun-based theme.

Up in Hall 4 however is the very interesting 'American Classic Cars' display with such notable cars an an original Corvette Stingray and a Ford Model T. These cars have mostly been maintained by AutoGlym car-care. There are also four ex-F1 cars on display in the Classic Cars hall. Oh yes, speaking about Ford, do not miss the Ford booth where they have a Ford Shelby Cobra supercar. 

Time permitting, I plan to briefly cover some of the other manufacturer's booth at the KLIMS over the next couple of days.

PGM-Fi GDI DOHC VTEC TURBO INTERCOOLER !

TOKYO, Japan, November 19, 2013

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that it has newly developed VTEC TURBO, a direct injection gasoline turbo engine most suitable for small-to-medium-sized vehicles. The VTEC TURBO is a new addition to the Earth Dreams Technology, the next-generation powertrain technologies which achieve both the fun of driving and excellent fuel economy at a high level.

With the application of variable valve motion technology such as Honda's unique VTEC along with direct injection turbocharging with highly-fluidized combustion and a thorough reduction in engine friction, this engine achieves class-leading output and environmental performance, while downsizing engine displacement.

Along with existing hybrid technology and diesel engine, the VTEC TURBO that features displacement size variation of 2.0 L, 1.5 L and 1.0 L will be adopted by Honda's future global models in accordance with characteristics of each model and needs of local customers.

Lineup of direct injection gasoline turbo engines

■2.0 L 4-cylinder direct injection gasoline turbo engine
High output and high response were achieved by VTEC, a high-output turbocharger, direct injection technology, and a high-performance cooling system. This is an innovative high-performance engine that realizes the maximum output of more than 280 HP as well as high environmental performance that complies with the EURO 6, European emission standards which will become effective in 2014.

1.5l VTEC-TURBO                                                1.0l VTEC- TURBO

■1.5 L 4-cylinder direct injection gasoline turbo engine / 1.0 L 3-cylinder direct injection gasoline turbo engine
These are next-generation compact engines that combine a base engine with a newly designed framework, the VTEC variable valve train system with thoroughly reduced friction, a turbocharger with a low moment of inertia and high responsiveness, and direct injection technology to achieve good balance between high output and torque, above those of conventional naturally-aspirated engines, along with excellent fuel economy.

NOTE from TOVA : According to some sources, the 2.0 VTEC TURBO will be powering the new Civic Type-R in its effort to re-establish the Type-R legend. It will be over 300ps, thus making the specific output of the new engine at over 150ps/L ! Meanwhile, the 1.0l 3-cylinder engine is said to be powering the export variant of Honda's soon to be announced S660 convertible sports car. As for the accuracy of these sources, YMMV of course !

VIDEO : Honda Malaysia's presentation at the KLIMS 2013

This is the video of Honda Malaysia's presentation at the KLIMS 2013 during their media presentation on Nov 14th 2013 which is the preview and media day of the event. The video starts a little bit after the beginning where the formalities are and covers all the displays at the Honda Malaysia booth plus the presentation for the launch of the new 5G Honda Odyssey for Malaysia.

2013 KLIMS Coverage : Honda Malaysia Booth

Finally I have the time to begin my coverage of the 2013 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show which began yesterday (Nov 15th 2013) at the Putra World Trade Center and will run for another 8 days until November 24th. As expected, I begin my coverage by looking at the Honda Malaysia booth.

The photo above is a panoramic shot of the Honda booth. For this show, Honda's official press release says that they are showcasing their latest 'Advanced, Everyday, Efficient' technologies. A total of 5 vehicles are on display at the spacious booth so there will be plenty of space to move around. The 5 vehicles covers a nice mixture of niche and mainstream - new models, enthusiasts, motorsports, future technologies.

The centerpiece of the show is the new EV-STER concept car, a slightly larger than K-car sports convertible, a modern day Honda Beat. Hardcore Honda fans will know by now that this concept car has now grown to become the new S660 sports convertible which Honda will launch in the near future (it is being shown at this year's Tokyo Motor Show). The EV-STER provides a nice glimpse into an enthusiast-centric, future model from Honda. 

However, the 'star' of the Honda Booth is the new 5th generation Odyssey which Honda Malaysia is launching here, barely two weeks after it's world premier launch in Japan. This is of course what is hidden behind the curtains at the center of the panoramic shot above (of course the display structure itself is already a giveaway). We will provide details of the new Malaysian market 5th Gen Odyssey in another article later.

In between the EV-STER and the Odyssey is the Mugen CR-Z RR (or Honda CR-Z Mugen RR as Honda Malaysia prefers it to be called). This is the actual vehicle from Mugen (M-TEC) in Japan, shipped down specially for this show. I had tried to take close up photos of the car thinking to prepare a nice article about it but was rejected when I asked to open the bonnet/hood. Reason given was that the car was on loan from Mugen/M-TEC and if they gave me the preference to open the bonnet/hood, then everyone will want to do that. So, sorry, no special coverage of this well known car. However, towards the closing of the show, I happened to try the doors of the car and found they were unlocked so I did take a few photos of it close up. The photos will be published later.

On the other side of the Odyssey booth is the HMRT (Honda Malaysia Racing Team) Honda Jazz (Fit) that competed in the S1K or the Malaysian Sepang 1000km endurance race, Honda Malaysia's exhibit for the motorsports arena. HMRT originally built two cars for the competition, using standard chassis from the factory. The actual builders of the cars were a mixture of a local tuning shop and Honda Malaysia staff. The engines powering both cars are surprisingly the original '1st Gen' L15A, i.e. using the 12V-16V SOHC i-VTEC system. Why chose this over the (very) slightly more performance oriented '2nd Gen' L15A which is full 16V with a normal and hot cam profile on the intake side ? Thanks to the fact that one of the tuners is a friend, I was told that the 2nd gen L15A is less 'tuneable' due to its integrated header (i.e. header is built into the cylinder head with provision for the attachment of the catalytic converter directly onto it) whilst the 1st gen L15A can be fitted with a specially designed race header. So there is more avenue for tuning with the 1st gen. I understand the valve train was modified and the 12V-16V system was (as expected) no longer used. ECU used is Mugen and tuned by Mugen engineers, fine-tuned on the Sepang race track itself.

One engine was built by Mugen and the other built by the local tuning shop. In absolute terms, seasoned Honda fans will know that the power potential of the LSeries engine is rather limited when in NA mode. Still the car delivered reasonable results in its first outing at the S1K last year. However I do not know the details of this year's entries as I did not participate in any of the PR events from HMRT.

The final vehicle on display is the full electric Honda Accord PHEV, the new 9Gen plug-in electric Accord. For Honda, this car represents the future as we move away from total dependence on fossil fuel to 'renewable' sources of energy. To complement this futuristic display, Honda also has their 'Honda Smart Home System' (HSHS) which is Honda's vision of a comprehensive energy management system for the future household. 

In follow-up articles, we will provide first an overview of KLIMS itself, followed by coverage of selected booths from other manufacturers. In the meantime, more photos of Honda's exhibits will be gradually uploaded to our TOVA Facebook page over the next few days.

2013-2014 Japan Car of the Year Hall of Fame Awards

Fit HYBRID · F package (FF)

TOVA is pleased to share the news that the Fit hybrid has won the 2013-2014 Japan Car of the Year Hall of Fame award. The announcement was made by NPO Japan Automobile Hall of Fame. 

3 key points were highlighted for the Fit to win the award. 

1. Inheritance of design concepts from concept models 

2. Evolution of hybrid technology 

3. Design that goes beyond enhancing convenience and excellent interior space.

Accord Hybrid EX

The Sport Hybrid i-MMD in the "Accord Hybrid" also won the 2013-2014 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car Technology of the Year. 

N360

In addition, Honda's first "N360", which is the first commercially available mini-car in 1967, was awarded the 2013 Japan Automobile Hall of Fame history car.

Click the link below for Honda's press release on the line-up of Honda's Sport Hybrid Systems
http://world.honda.com/news/2012/4121113SPORT-HYBRID-Intelligent-Dual-Clutch-Drive/index.html