New Honda Odyssey and NSX shown at the Bangkok Motor Show

02 December 2013 Bangkok 

 

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. introduced the all-new Honda Odyssey for the first time in Thailand and showcased the Honda NSX, a super sport hybrid concept car, along with a lineup of 14 Honda models, at the 30^th Motor Expo 2013.  This year, Honda’s booth is based on the concept “Shining Through the Next Era” to reflect how Honda has reinforced its leadership in innovative automobiles. Honda has also rolled out the “Honda For You As Always” campaign with special offers for Honda customers.

Mr. Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Executive Vice President, Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd., “The Honda booth this year is under the concept of ‘Shining Through the Next Era’ to reflect how Honda continues to strive to reinforce our leadership in innovative, high-performance and environmentally-friendly automobiles. For the 2013 Motor Expo, Honda is presenting the Thailand debut of the all-new Honda Odyssey, a premium minivan that offers first-class comfort; the Honda NSX, a super sport hybrid concept car; and a wide range of 14 models of vehicles including alternative energy automobiles such as E85, CNG, and hybrid models to satisfy all customer needs and lifestyles.”
 
The all-new Honda Odyssey, a premium minivan, shows an outstanding character in all dimensions, plus luxury and elegance.  The roomier interior embraces modernity, sophistication and perfect functionality to provide the ultimate relaxation for all passengers.  The cradle seats in the second row offer first-class comfort with 10-way adjustments to suit all passenger requirements, including leg rests, articulated backrests and adjustable nape rests for the ultimate comfort during a journey. The seating is independently split into left and right with a walk-through feature. Power left- and right-side sliding rear doors provide convenient entry and exit of the cabin.
 
The new-generation Honda Odyssey comes equipped with an advanced touch audio system and tri-zone air-conditioning operated by a touch control panel. Other highlights are the 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC^® Earth Dreams Technology engine that produces 175 horsepower and a CVT, resulting in powerful acceleration and best-in-class fuel economy, as well as supporting E20 gasoline.   To enhance visibility during driving with clear and complete views, safety features include a Multi-View Camera System, Honda Smart Parking System, Blind Spot Information System, Cross Traffic Monitor and many other striking safety solutions. 
 
The all-new Honda Odyssey is available in two variants including the 2.4E priced at 2,750,000 baht and the 2.4EL priced at 2,950,000 baht.  The all-new Honda Odyssey comes in four colors including Premium Twinkle Black (Pearl), Super Platinum Silver (Metallic), White Orchid (Pearl) with a black interior and Crystal Black (Pearl) with a beige interior.
 
Another highlight showcased at the Honda booth during the 2013 Motor Expo is the Honda NSX, a next-generation super sport hybrid concept car. Powered by a Direct Injection V6 VTEC engine, along with Honda's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive), the Honda NSX delivers breakthrough high-speed performance while being fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.  With its unique design and featuring the Human Support Cockpit, the Honda NSX is truly a whole new level of experience for the joy of driving. In addition, the lightweight aluminum body of the Honda NSX is recyclable without generating waste.  With the integration of breakthrough technology, the Honda NSX truly marks the new definition of Honda's next generation automobiles.
 
Also on display at the Motor Expo is the Honda Freed concept car, based upon the award- winning creative idea in the “Freed Your Mind Design Contest”, in which students submitted their designs for a Honda Freed to be modified for business purposes.  The winning team, Pinky Pig, is comprised of students from the Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University, with their idea of the Freedom Cup Cake Café, based on a concept of sharing joy with others that reflects the personality of the Honda Freed, which offers diverse utility and best suits modern lifestyles.
 
Honda is also highlighting the new “Honda For You As Always” campaign with special offers to thank all customers for their kind support. Customers who make a reservation for any Honda model at the motor show will be eligible to win one of three prizes of Honda STEPWGN SPADA Limited Editions or 100 prizes of golden necklaces, with all prizes worth a total value of more than 10 million baht.

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.