One of Honda’s N-Box kei cars will be showcased at the next Tokyo Auto Salon, this one done up to resemble the discontinued
Honda Element model. Keeping the large rectangular sliding doors and
highly functional interior, the N-Box + Element is, according to Honda,
designed for both casual outdoor and urban use. The rear hatch opens to
reveal a tall and spacious interior, which can be fitted with a variety
of accessories ranging from camping gear to bike racks.
Japanese auto giant, Honda has unleashed
the beast in the form of Civic to compete in 2014 World Touring Car
Championship (WTCC). The car has been revamped to perfection and leaves
the onlooker completely awe-struck with its dynamical designing. With an
enlarged set of wheels, upgraded wheel aches, superior level
aerodynamic equipment and massive rear spoiler, new Honda Civic WTCC is
ready to contend for the prestigious title.
Addressing
the media, William de Braekeleer, the Motorsport Manager of Honda was
quoted as saying, “The windtunnel testing is finished and we have frozen
the aero on the car. Also it’s not just about the exterior package as
the new Honda Civic WTCC would boast of increased horsepower in
accordance with the new regulations which should possibly make the car
faster anywhere between three to five seconds per lap. 2009 world
champion Gabriele Tarquini along with Tiago Monteiro would be putting
the new Civic to the paces at the 2014 Championship.”
The car reflects prerequisite changes
enlisted in WTCC 2014 regulations. World Motor Sport Council (WMSC)
stated on this regard that, “New Technical Regulations for 2014 Super
2000 cars were agreed in principle by the WMSC to provide for more
spectacular cars with bigger aerodynamic devices and greater performance
through weight reduction and power increase, while maintaining similar
costs. More technical freedom will be allowed in order to cancel the
current system of waivers and balance of performance. However a balance
of technology between front- and rear-wheel drive cars (balance of
technologies) will be maintained.”
Honda
is the current title holder of WTCC 2013, managing to finish 20 podiums
and winning 4 awards. However, the upcoming fiesta will witness 9 time
World Racing Champion Sebastian Loeb competing in the event with his
Citroen C-Elysee. Seemingly, experts believe that Honda will have to
plan accordingly and even reassess the team strategies if they have to
defend the championship.
The Japanese carmaker, Honda has announced its plans of introducing a
range of concepts at the Tokyo Auto Salon. The company will unveil Vezel
Modulo Concept, Vezel Mugen Concept, N-One Modulo Concept, N-Box +
Element concept and the Fit Special Customize at the show.
The Vezel Modulo concept, which further pursues a sense of high quality
and sportiness of the new VEZEL, which went on sale in Japan on December
20, 2013 as a new vehicle that belongs to a new category of automobiles
that fuses together multifaceted values at a high level. The vehicle
has been equipped with a sporty body kit and new alloys. It also
features a red leather seat, gloss black trim and metallic accents.
The Vezel Mugen concept comes equipped with a new front bumper, a
restyled grille and altered side skirts. It also gets new alloy wheels
and unique headlights.
The N-One Modulo concept sports a restyled bumpers, a mesh grille and
new alloys. Inside the cabin, it gets dual-tone sports seats and alloy
pedals. N-BOX + ELEMENT Concept, which was developed in the motif of
“trail shoes” which can be used actively in urban areas as well as in
casual outdoor activities.
The last model will be the FIT Special Customize model, which will come
with an aerodynamic exterior featuring restyled bumpers and a new
grille.
Flush with the success of its entry-level sedan Amaze launched in April,
Honda is developing a compact SUV based on the same platform, which is
likely to be launched in India in 2015.
The vehicle will be less than 4 metres in length, which will qualify
it for lower excise duties, and will be powered by the 1.5-litre diesel
engine of the Amaze. Honda had showcased a new SUV Vezel, based on the
bigger Jazz platform, at the Tokyo Motor Show last month, but it is
unlikely to be launched in India soon as that car is over 4 metres long,
which would make it costlier in India.
“The compact SUV segment in India is growing rapidly and now that we
have a suitable diesel engine, we would want to participate in it,” said
a senior Honda official in Japan. “Vezel will be an expensive vehicle
for India. I do not think its a vehicle on priority for that market.”
Honda has also developed a 7-seater multi utility vehicle Mobilio,
based on the small car Brio/Amaze sedan, which is due to be launched in
India in the middle of next year. The Amaze, which has Honda’s first
small diesel engine, has revived the company’s fortunes in India. In the
7 months since its launch, over 55,000 units have been sold, and it
still has a waiting period of up to three months.
“We do not have a fixed plan for our future model line up to share at
this moment,” the Honda Cars India spokesperson in India said. “But we
will continue to consider any possibility to expand our lineup as per
customer demand.”
Honda Aircraft has received the Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) certificate for its HondaJet from the FAA, the company said Friday Dec. 20.
TIA approval means the new aircraft is ready for FAA
pilots to begin performing onboard flight tests required for
certification. During the final testing phase, nose-to-tail FAA review
will clear the jet for type certification in the U.S. allowing the
company to begin making the first deliveries to customers.
The agency also recently approved the HF120 turbofan, the engine that powers the HondaJet.
Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft, called the TIA approval a "tremendous milestone" for his company.
“We have been working closely with the FAA to finalize our
certification schedule for the HondaJet,” said Fujino. “Based on the
recent FAA type certification of the HF120 turbofan engine and this TIA
milestone achievement, we can expect aircraft type certification in the
first quarter of 2015 with deliveries following immediately after.”
With the Honda CR-Z HPD Street Performance concept,
the automaker is signaling its intention to offer factory performance
parts for its cars, something that despite the ubiquity of Honda tuning,
the company has never really done. Honda Performance Development (HPD)
is responsible for developing the parts that, for now, will be sold as
dealer- or customer-installed aftermarket parts, but the division known
for its racing success has bigger dreams than that.
"The overall goal, or I guess I should say the
dream, would be to have a factory assembled vehicle with the HPD
performance parts assembled on the line so the customer would be able to
tick off a box and have the features and options of the performance
version from the factory," said HPD's Manager of Street Performance,
Philip LaPointe.
"I think that's a stretch goal.""For the time being," he continued, "we're going
to focus on the dealer-installed parts. ... With the EPA, it's getting
more and more difficult with emissions and the fuel economy is getting
more and more difficult.
From the OEM side, we want to have really green
cars, very clean for the environment, and it's very difficult to
deliver performance at the same time. As a dealer-installed part, we
have some opportunities to give them some more performance."
That's precisely what HPD did with the CR-Z,
arguably the car in Honda's lineup that most needed their help. HPD's
supercharger kit not only takes an estimated two seconds off the
zero-to-60 mph time, but doesn't void your warranty like purely
aftermarket solutions might. The results are impressive, no doubt, but
when you're launching a new performance brand, why start with such a
niche product?
"We wanted this program because we wanted to
develop the systems and processes in place before we tackle the larger
project, like the Civic, because the Civic we want to guarantee success
of the program," LaPointe says.
"Tackling a smaller volume product like
this first allows us to develop those processes and skills to ready
ourselves."It didn't hurt, either, that the request for an
HPD CR-Z came from the top.
When Japan said no to a big engine,
non-hybrid CR-Z Si, the president of American Honda asked HPD to step
in.
"Throughout the project we've had executive
management support, which I think is very key, because there's been
maybe not as much support in the past, but we had full support for this
project," LaPointe said.As alluded, HPD's next project will be the far
more significant Civic. LaPointe wouldn't talk about specific plans, but
you can be sure it will be all about performance. The 2014 Honda Civic
coupe is shown above.
"We have a
philosophy, we don't have a few paragraphs defining it," LaPointe said.
"It's more or less stating that with our name Honda Performance
Development, we want to be able to focus on the performance side.
We
don't want to water down the brand by giving any faux performance. We
want to keep alliance of our motto of 'Track Proven, Street Reliable,'
HPD Performance. There'll always be pressure to put our brand name on
some item that's not performance-related, so we're going to have a
strategy of how to protect our name. Right now, our name is built-up
from IndyCar racing, we won LMP2 in Le Man two times, we've won the ALMS
championship. It's the same associates in the building that work on
these street performance parts, so we want to focus on true performance
and that comes down to accelerating, stopping and cornering. We'll have
to resist when someone wants to make a floormat with HPD on it, or you
see all these widgets and gidgets and gizmos that have nothing to do
with performance but are more of a branding exercise. We're trying our
best not to go down that route."This philosophy isn't exclusive to cars, either.
When asked if there are any cars HPD wouldn't touch, LaPointe said that
everything is on the table."We're definitely open to anything.
We have the
Ridgeline, and there's been some discussions with that team. They
reached out to us because right now, that vehicle doesn't have enough
performance options in the aftermarket.
It's a unique truck because of
its monocoque construction and independent suspension, so it's a little
more of a challenge if you want to put all-terrain tires and a lift kit
on it. A project like that is something we would tackle.
"Our core-competency in the building, though, is
cars and road course performance. There's some other expertise, like we
did support a Pilot Baja project over the last couple of years that won
its class with an HPD engine, so that's something I can see us working
on in the future. It comes down to what the customer wants, what the
dealers say, what the press is saying, so we're trying to listen and
make improvements.
We want to be flexible."That flexibility extends beyond the Honda brand
as well. LaPointe confirmed that HPD is looking into performance parts
for Acura models, too.
"[Our plan] does include Acura and there's been
some discussion if we're going to actually use the HPD brand or not," he
said. "It's not decided yet."
If the plan includes Acura, then does that mean it includes the new NSX as well?
"We're very interested in working on that
project," LaPointe said. "I'm not sure what we'll be doing with it, but
I'm sure there will eventually be a racecar version of it.
We're helping
them with possibly some street performance versions as well."
By Edward A. Sanchez of www.trucktrend.com
The current Honda Ridgeline is winding
down its model cycle, a bold experiment in the midsize truck class on a
vehicle that defied easy categorization, and gave a hint at what the
future of the segment might look like. But perhaps it was a little too
unconventional for mass-market acceptance. Almost nothing about the
Ridgeline is remotely like its peers from Nissan, Toyota, or any of the
other contenders that have come and gone in the last few years,
including the Dodge Dakota.
The fact that General Motors is debuting brand-new midsize trucks
sticking with the proven body-on-frame, longitudinal powertrain,
rear-leaf formula casts a shadow on the future of Honda's bold unibody,
transverse truck experiment. With sales hovering barely over 1000 units
per month for most of the past several years, it looked like the
Ridgeline would go down as one of those promising concepts that seemed
like it worked in theory, but fell short of its potential in the real
world. Yet despite the criticism and the calls for Honda to cut its
losses on the Ridgeline, it has committed to a second-generation model,
but not before a two-year hiatus to regroup, and to focus on
higher-volume, higher-profit models in the meantime such as the Acura
MDX, Honda Odyssey Minivan, and a next-generation Pilot SUV.
Doing Its Own Thing
For the truck traditionalists, the Ridgeline will always be an
oddball, and short of it adopting a body-on-frame, longitudinal,
rear/four-wheel-drive layout, may never find the same level of
mass-market acceptance as the Toyota Tacoma, or even the upcoming
Colorado or Canyon. But for those not asking their midsize trucks to
constantly carry a heavy payload or pull a trailer, the Ridgeline's
packaging and features make it a compelling choice for weekend warriors.
The transverse powertrain layout pays major dividends in interior
room, with the Ridgeline having a low, flat floor, and minimal intrusion
from the transmission in the center tunnel. Although the front row has
only two seats, the Ridgeline's column-mounted shifter could allow for
three-across seating, if the center stack was slightly redesigned to
accommodate legs and feet in the middle position. As it is, there's
generous space for a handbag, briefcase, laptop case, or whatever you
wish to place there, as well as ample center console storage. The rear
seat is likewise significantly more spacious than the crew cab variants
of either than the Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier, and subjectively,
feels far more spacious than the rear seat of the new Chevrolet
Colorado.
But in exchange for its relatively short, 206.9-inch length and
roomy back seat, the bed is a short 60 inches (5 feet exactly) and does
not have a midgate like the recently departed Chevrolet Avalanche to
expand the load floor into the cabin. Payload capacity of around 1500
pounds is about on par with the Tacoma and Frontier, and its towing
capacity of 5000 pounds splits the difference between the four-cylinder
and V-6 models of the Toyota and Nissan.
Fuelish Dreams
You would think with a slightly smaller-displacement engine, and a
hypothetically lighter weight design, that the Ridgeline would take the
Tacoma and Frontier to school when it comes to fuel economy.
Unfortunately, the Ridgeline shows no real advantage in this regard,
with exactly the same 15/21 EPA rating as the Nissan Frontier V-6 4x4,
with the Tacoma actually getting 1 mpg better in the city at 16 mpg. In
terms of weight, the Ridgeline is approximately 300 pounds heavier than a
comparably configured Tacoma, and about the same weight as a comparable
Frontier.
At least unloaded, the 250-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 has no problem pulling
around the Ridgeline's 4529 pounds, although a little more low-end
torque would help. The engine makes an enthusiastic growl when pushed,
but comes across as a little coarse, especially in comparison with
current full-size truck powertrains. In the Ridgeline's defense, neither
the Tacoma or Frontier are exactly models of refinement either. Its
0-60 and quarter-mile times of 8.3 and 16.5 seconds are respectable, but
not class-leading.
The Ridgeline's four-wheel-independent coil-spring suspension gives
it a decidedly smoother, more relaxed ride quality than the Tacoma or
Frontier, which can both be a little bouncy with their rear leaf
springs, especially unloaded.
The Ridgeline certainly gets points for its user-friendliness, easy
ingress and egress, thanks to its low floor, and its handy and
innovative in-bed trunk and dual-mode tailgate. But in quantitative
utility and efficiency, it shows no great advantage over its more
conventional peers.
Preparing a Comeback
It's probably fortuitous that the Ridgeline will be temporarily
discontinued for the 2015 model year, as the 2015 GM trucks will likely
have a significant fuel economy advantage over the Tacoma and Frontier,
and by extension, the Ridgeline. Honda as a company has built its name
and reputation on class-leading fuel economy. Unfortunately, the current
Ridgeline doesn't live up to this promise.
Honda just released a silhouette sketch of the next-generation
Ridgeline, and initial indications are for a much more conventional
look. However, the transverse powertrain layout and all-wheel drive look
like they will probably carry over. Look for the next-generation V-6 to
be substantially more fuel-efficient, however, in the magnitude of 20
percent or more.
From a packaging and features standpoint, the Ridgeline remains a
compelling option to its more conventional midsize counterparts.
However, its lackluster fuel economy, and slight sacrifice in
quantitative, traditional truck utility compared with its peers likely
tipped the scales in favor of the Tacoma or Frontier for many buyers.
Will the Ridgeline ever be a large-volume play for Honda? Probably
not, but it's clear the company still believes in the promise of the
concept, and the burden will be on them to prove its viability with the
next-generation model.
Honda Cars Philippines
has introduced an exclusive Honda City fitted with original and genuine
MUGEN accessories. Named as City Mugen Edition, only 20 units of the
car will be made available for the Philippines buyers. The Mugen edition
is being offered in only 1.5 EL AT variant and is painted in a Taffeta
White colour. It has been priced Php 976,000 (Approximately Rs. 13.62
lakh).
Honda City sedan offers stylish design, fuel efficiency, powerful
driving performance and outstanding interior space and utility. The
Mugen edition comes equipped with a unique front sports grille, front
under spoiler, side spoiler, rear under spoiler and rear wing spoiler,
which enhances the sporty design of the model.
The City MUGEN Limited Edition under the concept “SUPERLATIVE ACTIVE
SPORTS” produced to emphasize the specific characteristics of the City,
“Stream line design” and “Nimble handling” with the aero dynamic parts
seek to satisfy the sporty taste and excellently designed to meet the
customer’s desire for ultimate style and performance.
Under the hood, the Mugen edition City gets the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC
engine that churns out a maximum power output of 117bhp and 145Nm of
peak torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.
The sketches seen here are somewhat of an evolutionary revolution —
if such a thing ever existed — of the current fifth-gen Camaro,
featuring aggressively-squinty front and rear fascias, a low roof line,
and surface sculpting that whets our proverbial appetite, especially the
intricate line from the front fender to the mid-door, along with the
wide hips in the rear. Of course, those who thought that the 2014 Corvette C7 has “Camaro taillights” (it doesn’t) will unequivocally think that the sketch has Corvette taillights.
According to the Behance.com profile where
we found the renderings, the creator is Jingxu Zhan from Detroit,
Michigan. Having graduated from Shenzhen (China) Polytechnic Institute
with a degree in Industrial Design in 2008, Zhan is currently pursuing a
Master’s degree in Transportation Design from the Fine Art at College
for Creative Studies, set to graduate in May of 2014
As a reminder, the next-generation 2016/2015 Camaro will ride on GM’s state-of-the-art rear-wheel-drive vehicle architecture known internally as Alpha and shared with the Cadillac ATS, 2014 CTS, and the returning Buick Grand National and GNX.
The Chevy sports car is expected to decrease in size and shed weight,
thereby addressing the biggest complaints with the current fifth-gen
model.
After making the new Vezel available on the Japanese market,
Honda decided to have the vehicle released on the European automobile
market as well. Therefore, the company is preparing an Euro-version of
the crossover car which will go on sale in 2015.
This version of the Honda Vezel will still be based on the Jazz/Fit
subcompact and according to Yoshiharu Itai, the Vezel’s chief engineer,
its name will most likely remain the same based on a global naming
strategy. However, a few minor cosmetic tweaks will be made to suit the
market, so we could se a new front end on the car. The brand’s goal is
to boost sales to 6 million vehicles by March 31, 2017, and compete
against cars such as Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur and even Nissan Juke.
On the other hand, the folks from U.S could get their hands on the
B-segment SUV earlier. It seems that in America, the car will go on sale
in the second half of 2014. Whether they will be getting it as in
Japan, meaning with a hybrid variant, is unknown. This last thing also
applies to Europe.
Thus, it’s safe to assume that more information, details on engine
options, the model’s name and more will surely be made available in the
near future.
NEW DELHI: After challenging market leader Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire with Amaze in the compact sedan segment, Japanese carmaker Honda plans to take on the country's best-selling multi-purpose vehicle Toyota Innova by driving in a second utility vehicle in 2016.
Honda Car India plans to bring in the next generation of its globally successful MPV Freed, which is expected to be launched in ASEAN markets
mid next year, to take on the Innova, two people familiar with the
development said. It will follow Honda Mobilio, a 7-seater crossover
utility vehicle being built on the Brio hatchback platform that would be
unveiled at Delhi Auto Expo in February.
Honda and Toyota are
working on the next-generation Freed and Innova, respectively, with both
due for full model change. "Both cars are under design right now and it
would interesting to see how Honda takes on an well established product
which was ruling the market with no competition since its debut," said a
person familiar with India strategy of both the carmakers.
A
Honda Car India spokesperson, however, said the company currently does
not have any plans to launch the Freed in India. "However, we are
actively looking at the MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) segment and plan to
launch the Honda Mobilio next year," the spokesperson said. The two
industry insiders quoted earlier, however, said the Freed will hit the
Indian market two years down the line.
Launched in 2005, Innova
has been Toyota's most successful vehicle in India, having sold around
4.5 lakh units till November. It's priced between Rs9.77 lakh to Rs15.06
lakh, exshowroom in Delhi. Analysts tracking the automotive market say
Freed would bring real competition to Innova if it gets its pricing
right.
"This segment was untouched till date as Innova was
perhaps the leader with almost no competition. Now it would be
interesting to see how Honda takes this rivalry with an established
product going forward, "Amit Kaushik, principal analyst-autos at global
consultancy service IHS Automotive, said.
Honda’s tuning arm, Mugen, have showcased what they can do with the Vezel which was launched in the Japanese market today.
The compact crossover now gets a full body kit with bumper spoilers,
aggressively-styled air intakes, side skirts and rear spoiler. The
17-inch wheels are replaced by larger 18-inch ‘motif’ wheels designed by
Mugen. There are also seven wheel designs to choose from.
Mugen takes customization very seriously and up until the minute
detail. Accessories such as carbon rear view mirror cover (for the
inside mirror) and carbon-aluminium spherically-shaped gearlever are
examples of that. The tuning house will also offer a high-performance
brake fluid and high-pressure radiator cap to go along these.
Speaking of performance, the Vezel can be specced with
high-performance Mugen touring brake pads, sports suspension and a
titanium exhaust system.
These performance additions do come at quite a cost mind you. The
body kit is priced in the Indian equivalent of 2 lakhs, the sports
suspension at INR 1.15 lakhs, the exhaust at INR 61,000 and the carbon
mirror cover INR 6,800.
The Vezel is launched in Japan with two engine options to choose from
– a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, and a 1.5-liter hybrid engine.
The Mugen tuned Vezel is available to pre-order from December 20 in Japan.
Big news in the New Year for the subcompact-car segment with the
introduction of a from-the ground-up more advanced, refined and
fun-to-drive Honda Fit
12/19/2013
-
TORRANCE, Calif.
Honda will take the wraps off the all-new 2015 Fit at the 2014
North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13, at 2:40
pm. Honda will showcase significant advancements designed to further
extend Fit's status as the benchmark vehicle in the subcompact-car
class.
The 2015 Fit builds on the current model's innovative packaging,
flexible cargo capability and fun-to-drive character with spirited new
styling, an even more spacious and refined interior packed with
leading-edge connected car technologies. The third generation Fit is set
to offer enhanced fuel-efficiency and performance courtesy of its
all-new platform and Earth Dreams Technology powertrain. Equipped with
the Honda-exclusive next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™
(ACE™) body structure, the new Fit is also anticipated to earn
class-leading safety ratings.
John Mendel, executive vice president of automobile sales for
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will introduce the 2015 Fit at the
company's press conference, which also will be broadcast live via
webcast at http://hondanews.com/live/2014naias-honda (link will be live Jan. 13).
Named a Car and Driver '10-Best' vehicle every model year
since its introduction to the U.S. market for 2007, the Fit remains one
of the best-selling Honda vehicles globally, with cumulative worldwide
sales of 4.87 million units1. The Fit is manufactured at ten
locations around the world and sold in 123 countries. The new
U.S.-market Fit will be produced for the first time in North America at
an all-new plant in in Celaya, Mexico.
Customers interested in learning more about 2015 Fit are encouraged to visit http://automobiles.honda.com/2015-fit/, where they can sign-up to receive more information on the new model.
Honda Motor Co. (7267)’s No. 2 executive,
asked to identify the automaker’s weak spot, spoke bluntly: The
company’s Acura luxury sedans have to get better.
The world will soon learn whether they have. Next month
Honda will introduce the Acura TLX to replace its aging TL, the
brand’s top-selling sedan that was last revamped five years ago.
Designed by Honda’s North American unit, the reworked luxury car
will be the latest test of the Tokyo-based automaker’s decision
to give more influence to U.S. engineers.
“We need an Acura brand to shine among luxury
franchises,” Executive Vice President Tetsuo Iwamura said in an
interview last week at Bloomberg’s headquarters office in New
York. “It’s high time.”
Acura car sales are down 8.6 percent in the U.S. through
November. That represents a drag on results for a company with
four models -- the Civic, Accord, CR-V and Odyssey -- ranking
first or second in their respective segments. Combined Honda and
Acura sales are up 7.8 percent this year, the slowest pace of
the market’s biggest automakers and trailing the industry’s 8.4
percent increase through November.
Honda plans to introduce its 2015 model TLX sedan next
month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit,
Iwamura said. A modified ILX compact sedan with a more robust
powertrain will follow, and Acura’s NSX “supercar,” a high-performance coupe, returns in 2015. Iwamura declined to detail
changes to the youth-oriented ILX model. Photographer: Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg
A shopper views an Acura vehicle at a dealership in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City.
Berkman’s Role
The job of bringing the TLX to life was entrusted to Erik Berkman, a 30-year Honda veteran who in 2012 became the
company’s first non-Japanese head of research and development
for North America. Honda bolstered the U.S.-based operation’s
power earlier this year when it created a nine-member North
American management board, which includes Berkman, two other
Americans and a Canadian. The board is in charge of products and
strategy for the region, which generates the biggest share of
the company’s global sales.
Berkman was among the engineers who helped the company
tackle its last big test: 2012’s on-the-fly redesign of the
critically panned Civic. He previously gained stature within
Honda for leading development of Acura’s last hit sedan, the
2006 TL that helped the brand reach record sales in 2005.
Getting Acura right, after what Iwamura called its “winding
path,” is important to tap growing demand for premium vehicles
in the U.S. and around the world.
Lagging Lexus
As Acura car sales have fallen, other premium brands have
gained ground. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus car sales rose 15
percent in the U.S. this year through November; Bayerische
Motoren Werke AG’s BMW are up 9.2 percent; Daimler AG’s
Mercedes-Benz, up 14 percent; and General Motors Co. (GM)’s Cadillac,
up 55 percent. Mercedes-Benz car sales total 183,358 this year
through November while BMW has delivered 178,512 cars, according
to Autodata Corp.
While Honda derives the bulk of its revenue from mass-market Civic compacts, Accord sedans and small CR-V SUVs, luxury
autos ensure better profit margins. The average Honda sold for
$25,976 in November, versus $40,597 for each Acura vehicle,
according to Kelley Blue Book, an automotive pricing and data
company.
For now, Acura sales are sustained by the new MDX and RDX
sport-utility vehicles, which account for 58 percent of Acura’s
149,685 U.S. sales through November. Honda sold 62,301 of its
four Acura sedan models over the same period, including the
large RLX and outgoing TSX, less than half the volume of
Toyota’s premium Lexus cars.
‘Big Opportunity’
Acura, created prior to Lexus or Nissan Motor Co.’s
Infiniti as a U.S. premium brand, can become a bigger source of
global revenue for Honda, said Steve Usher, a San Diego-based
equity analyst for JI Asia Research, who rates Honda a buy.
“They are now looking at it on a more global scale,”
Usher said. “They’re starting to think about getting Acura to
China, and that will be a big opportunity.”
Iwamura said in January that his 2013 goal was a U.S. sales
record -- topping its 1.55 million U.S. sales in 2007. Lagging
Acura deliveries make that unlikely, he said last week. Still,
Honda averted a larger blow: that Civic and Accord, cornerstones
of success for 30 years, were falling behind competitors’ new
compact and mid-size offerings.
‘Strong Again’
A poor review for the 2012 Civic by Consumer Reports sent
shock waves through Honda. The company took the unusual tack of
rushing out an upgrade -- what it calls a “major minor
refresh” -- that improved Civic’s interior and added a stronger
frame that gave it the best crash rating of any U.S. compact.
The revamped Civic and new Accord that came out in 2012
lifted Honda-brand car sales 8.8 percent, outpacing an
industrywide average for cars of 5.6 percent, according to
Autodata.
“Honda is definitely strong again and, if not boiling
over, on a steady simmer in terms of progress and momentum,”
said Karl Brauer, industry analyst at Kelley Blue Book.
Honda argues that if fleet sales are removed, it boasts one
of the industry’s best growth rates in retail deliveries this
year. Retail sales reflect only vehicles sold directly to
individuals, rather than to businesses and rental-car companies.
Honda estimates less than 2 percent of its U.S. sales are
to fleets. It eschews them to maintain higher resale values for
retail buyers, U.S. senior vice president Mike Accavitti said.
Changing Landscape
Like Toyota, Honda is still adapting to an automotive
landscape in which quality is a given and companies including
GM, Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. now build some of the
most compelling vehicles.
“Everybody is better than they used to be,” Brauer said.
“You can’t be the clear or easy winner in any segment like you
used to.”
Acura’s inconsistent car line has made the brand a laggard
in recent years to BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and GM’s Cadillac and
Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit. Sales peaked at 209,610 in 2005 and
dwindled in 2009, when U.S. auto sales collapsed. Acura
deliveries may reach about 163,000 units this year, based on the
sales pace through November.
Iwamura said the mid-size TLX sport sedan that replaces the
aging TL will be the biggest change for Acura in 2014.
The racing-style NSX that returns in 2015 will be Acura’s
performance “halo,” Iwamura said. The car should sell for more
than $100,000, he has said. The last units of the all-aluminum
coupe were sold in 2007.
‘Big Kids’
Much as 2010 was a low point for Toyota, which had to
battle a recall crisis, 2011 was similarly tough for Honda.
The Consumer Reports pan of the Civic came after Asian
natural disasters in 2011 -- Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, and
flooding in Thailand -- stalled Honda’s global production for
months. A 2011 spike in the yen’s value made sales of Japan-built models such as the Fit subcompact unprofitable in the U.S.
Those setbacks, along with lackluster reviews for several
Honda and Acura models, provided an opportunity to try a new
approach, U.S. Executive Vice President John Mendel said in an
interview last month in Los Angeles.
Honda has struggled with balancing a “small company
mentality” with the fact that it now “is sitting at the big
kids’ table,” he said.
WAKO, Japan -- Honda Motor Co. is ready to take a run at one of the
U.S. auto industry’s fastest-growing segments: compact, sporty
crossovers.
The Vezel -- a small crossover based on Honda’s
redesigned Fit subcompact -- goes on sale in Japan on Dec. 20 and in the
United States in the second half of 2014.
It will compete in an
increasingly crowded segment of small utility vehicles that includes
such rivals as the Mazda CX-5, Nissan Juke and Subaru XV Crosstrek.
It
will be slotted below the CR-V, one of Honda’s top-selling U.S. models
with annual sales projected to top 300,000 units for the first time in
2013.
Vezel is the car’s Japan-market name. The U.S. name will be announced later, Honda said today.
In
the United States, Juke sales have climbed 4 percent this year and
Mazda CX-5 demand has surged 95 percent. Sales of the new Subaru XV
Crosstrek have totaled 48,216, while Buick Encore sales are 29,195.
CR-V vs. Vezel
The
Vezel is about 9 inches shorter than the CR-V, currently the smallest
crossover in Honda’s U.S. lineup, as well as 1 inch narrower and 1 inch
lower. The wheelbase is also about 1 inch less. The vehicle is 7 inches
longer than the current Fit hatchback.
In Japan, the hybrid version of the Honda Vezel is expected to account for 90 percent of sales. Not so in the United States.
Honda
won’t even offer the hybrid variant in U.S. showrooms initially. When
U.S. sales begin, the Vezel will have a standard gasoline engine.
Down
the road, the Vezel will get a turbocharged version to improve fuel
economy and boost power, Yoshiharu Itai, the crossover’s chief engineer,
says.
Turbo timing unclear
Timing of the
turbo debut hasn’t been decided, but Itai said he expects to use the new
line of small turbo engines Honda introduced last month before the
Tokyo Motor Show. He is considering the 1.5-liter turbo, which Honda
showed in an Acura ILX sedan.
“We haven’t decided yet what model
year it will be, but we have that in our plan,” Itai said of a
turbocharged Vezel at a recent briefing outside Tokyo. “We are creating a
package so that turbocharging could be installed with this model.”
A hybrid version may come to the United States, but no decision has been made.
The
front-wheel-drive Vezel weighs about 680 pounds less than the
front-wheel drive CR-V. The Vezel comes in a front-wheel or
all-wheel-drive layout.
The Vezel’s hybrid drivetrain is the same
newly developed one-motor, dual-clutch lithium ion battery system used
in the third-generation Fit hatchback that debuted this year in Japan.
Engine combos
The
hybrid system combines a 1.5-liter direct-injection Earth Dreams engine
with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and 22-kilowatt electric
motor. The standard gasoline version teams the 1.5-liter engine with a
continuously variable transmission.
The current U.S. Fit hatchback uses a 1.5-liter engine. The CR-V has a 2.4-liter engine.
Honda has not divulged the U.S. drivetrain configuration for the Vezel.
The
1.5-liter turbocharged engine Honda has developed is seen as a
replacement for 1.8-liter powerplants. Compared with a 1.8-liter
naturally aspirated engine, Honda says, the 1.5-liter turbo provides 15
percent better fuel economy and 45 percent better torque.
That engine is expected to hit the market in early 2016.
Mexico plant
Honda
is waiting on a hybrid for the United States, partly because demand
doesn’t warrant importing it from Japan. Honda plans to source all U.S.
Vezels from its new plant in Mexico, Itai said. Honda built the plant as
a hedge against exchange rate losses on imports and as a low-cost
manufacturing center that could deliver better margins on entry-level
cars.
A spokesman said Honda wants to establish the gasoline
version in the market before deciding on whether to add a hybrid option
to the lineup.
The crossover is key to Honda President Takanobu
Ito’s push to boost global sales to 6 million vehicles in the fiscal
year ending March 31, 2017, from 4.01 million in the fiscal year ended
March 31, 2013.
By 2016, the Fit hatchback and its Vezel crossover
and City sedan variants will account for worldwide sales of 1.6 million
units, Ito says.
U.S. sales surge
Honda is
also banking on the vehicle to fuel a big surge in U.S. sales. Honda
built the new plant in Mexico with capacity of 200,000 units just to
make the crossover and the Fit hatchback. More than half of the plant’s
capacity will be devoted to the crossover, says Ito.
That
incremental volume would bring Honda a big step closer to its ambitious
North American sales goal of 2 million in the fiscal year ending March
31, 2016. Honda sold 1.7 million units in the last fiscal year and
expects to sell close to 1.8 million in the fiscal year ending March 31,
2014.
Itai said the company ideally wants to keep the name
standardized because it is a global strategic vehicle. But Honda
officials say it may be tweaked to suit local markets.
The Japan
name comes from the word “bezel,” the mounting for gemstones. But it
gets a befuddling Japanese twist in swapping the “b” for a “v,” two
sounds often indistinguishable to the Japanese ear.
Newly-named TLX will feature more dynamic and sporty
proportions, two new advanced powertrains and a host of signature Acura
technologies
TSX to be discontinued as Acura creates clear hierarchy for luxury sedan lineup
Acura today announced that the 2015 Acura TLX Prototype performance
luxury sedan will debut at the 2014 North American International Auto
Show in Detroit in January. The TLX will mark the debut of a new name
for Acura's mid-size modern luxury sedan entry, replacing the outgoing
TL model. The all-new model will feature more emotional styling with
tidier, sports sedan proportions wrapped around two all-new advanced
powertrains that provide even more athletic performance, along with a
host of signature Acura technologies. The 2015 TLX Prototype is
designed to appeal to current and next-generation luxury sports sedan
buyers including existing TL and TSX customers.
In conjunction with the launch of the production TLX in the second
half of next year, Acura will discontinue sales of the TSX model in
2014, as it moves to clarify its sedan lineup with a clear hierarchy of
three distinct models – the entry luxury ILX, mid-size TLX sports sedan,
and flagship RLX performance sedan.
"This all-new Acura TLX is the perfect blend of style and muscle with
its elegant, well-proportioned exterior that cloaks the true sport
sedan chassis and powertrain beneath," said Mike Accavitti, senior vice
president, American Honda Motor, Co., Inc. "The sporty characteristics
that customers found appealing in the TSX are even more pronounced in
this aggressive new TLX."
The all-new Acura TLX will offer luxury buyers a wider range of
choices with two all-new, high-performance and highly fuel-efficient
direct-injected engines, each mated to an all-new advanced transmission,
along with available two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive
configurations. The TLX will also feature dynamic and emotional exterior
styling wrapped around a mid-size luxury sports-sedan package that
maintains the roomy cabin space of the current TL.
The TLX Prototype was designed in Acura's Los Angeles Design Studio
and the production model is being developed by Acura engineers at the
company's Ohio R&D center. It will be produced at the Marysville,
Ohio auto plant1, home to the current Acura TL.
Speaking at the Acura press conference at the 2014 North American
International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 14, 2014 will be Mike
Accavitti, senior vice president, American Honda Motor, Co., Inc.
2014 Honda Civic Coupe Advanced Compatibility Engineered Body Structure.
List of safest cars drops to 39 from 130 because of tough new standards
Honda Motor Co. has topped the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on Thursday gave 39
vehicles top safety ratings for 2014. That is dramatically fewer than
the 130 on the list last year because vehicles now must meet tougher
standards.
For the first time, the vehicles need top crash test scores and a
good front crash prevention system — such as warning systems or
automatic braking — to get its highest designation. Vehicles are now
ranked as either a "Top Safety Pick" or "Top Safety Pick +" if they meet
the front crash protection criteria as well.
Acura included
Honda, which also owns the Acura brand, had the most winners of any
automaker with eight of its vehicles making the list. The Honda Civic
hybrid, Honda Accord, Acura RLX and Acura MDX all got the highest
ranking. Its Honda Civic two-door and Acura TL were also ranked as top
safety picks.
The list is often used by safety-minded car shoppers and by automakers in advertising.
There are eight newcomers to the list, including Infinity's Q50, the
Mazda 3, Toyota Highlander and the Chevrolet Spark mini-car. The Honda
Civic Hybrid and several Volvo models won the top designation on the
basis of standard equipment in their vehicles.
The IIHS's rankings have been a catalyst in recent years for
automakers to make their cars safer.
Automakers are scrambling to
bolster the front-end protection of their cars and trucks to meet the
institute's offset test, which measures how well a car protects people
in a crash covering only part of the front end.
For example, Toyota redesigned the midsize Camry sedan, America's
top-selling car, so it could pass the test, the institute announced
Thursday. The changes helped the Camry's crash-test rating move from
"poor" to "acceptable," for all models built after Nov. 1, the institute
said.
This vehicle is coming our way to North America, not sure if it will be called the VEZEL, and I don't expect to see some of the features listed (automatic braking), but I am excited to see this!
The Honda Vezel mini SUV will be released in Japan on the 20th of
December, and the stockyard of the Honda factory in Suzuka, Japan is
flooded with many different variants of the car, as seen in some images
sent by Mr. John Paul to Noticias Automotivas.
Honda’s global compact SUV shares its platform with the third generation Honda Fit (Honda Jazz), launched in Japan in September.
The Vezel offers two engines on the Japanese market – both 1.5L
petrol – producing 132 hp in the standard variants and 139.5 hp in
hybrid variant (110 hp + 29.5 hp electric motor). NA adds that the Vezel
is equipped with a dual-clutch seven-speed transmission that promises a
fuel consumption of around 30 km/l. Both powertrains have optional 4WD.
Compared to the Fit, the Vezel is 34 cm longer (4,295 mm), 7.5 cm
wider (1,770 mm) and 8 cm taller (1,605 mm). In Japan, it competes
directly with the Nissan Juke, and that explains its motive away from
Japan as well.
The Honda Vezel gets an edge over the Juke with plenty of equipment and
fancier interior trim, offering headlights with optional LED lamps,
radar-based automatic braking system, electronic stability control on
all variants, automatic air conditioning and HID headlights even on the
basic variant, among others.
The expected price range of the Vezel is 1.7 million yen to 2.5 million yen (10.22 lakh rupees to 15.04 lakh rupees).
