Honda at the Paris Motor show
Honda reveals the new European CR-V at the Paris Motor Show 2012 with the announcement that the new CR-V will be offered with Honda’s new 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine. The new smaller diesel engine is the first in a series of engines to be introduced in Europe under the name of Earth Dreams Technology. The 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine will be available on the Civic later this year and the CR-V from September 2013 with production at Honda’s UK factory in Swindon.
The application of new high-strength material in the cylinder head has enabled Honda to deliver the world's lightest aluminium open deck 1.6-litre diesel engine. These lightweight characteristics support an agile handling of the car, along with the compact high-efficiency turbocharger, enhance responsiveness and ensure the car will offer a class-leading balance of fuel economy and performance.
The 2013 CR-Z hybrid makes its debut at Paris Motor Show. Subtle revisions to the exterior and interior enhance the styling of the car whilst the power of both the petrol engine and electric motor has been increased without comprising fuel economy or increasing exhaust emissions. The car also features a Lithium Ion battery for the first time. The revised CR-Z will go on sale in January 2013.
The production launch of the new European CR-V took place at the beginning of September and was celebrated as part of a new £267 million investment programme into new models and engines at Honda’s manufacturing plant in Swindon, UK. The new investment which will take Honda’s total spend at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) to over £1.5 billion supports the production launch of the new Civic (December 2011), the new CR-V (September 2012) and the new 1.6-litre diesel engine (December 2012). 500 new Associates have already been recruited and trained to manufacture the new products, taking the total workforce to 3,500.
This year, Honda celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Civic which was first introduced in 1972. Since then sales have exceeded 20 million units worldwide. Popular for being affordable, comfortable and fun to drive, the Civic has always been at the forefront of engine development showcasing engineering breakthroughs such as Honda’s Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) engine in 1972 and the DOHC VTEC, introduced in 1987, which was the first engine in the world to electronically control both valve timing and lift. Honda is marking this anniversary by displaying an original first generation Civic at the Paris Motor Show alongside the latest generation Civic.
The Civic WTCC race car is displayed on Honda’s stand at the Paris Motor Show following the announcement that Honda will compete in the full 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship. Driving for Honda will be Italian Gabriele Tarquini and Portuguese Tiago Monteiro.
The Civic WTCC car utilises the HR412E engine which is a completely bespoke 1.6-litre 4 cylinder direct injection turbo-charged petrol engine, fully conforming to FIA regulations for the WTCC. The engine was developed at Honda’s R&D centre in Tochigi, Japan and heralds a new generation of high performance racing engines from Honda.
More details on individual models will be published in their own separate posts,
