Honda BR-V Compact SUV Pictures Released; India Launch in May, 2016

Honda has recently revealed the official images of the India-bound BR-V compact SUV in its latest digital teaser campaign - #WhereNextWithBRV. Honda Car India has revealed the BR-V ahead of its official launch on May 5 and plans on showcasing the vehicle in various cities prior to launch, as part of its pre-launch marketing activities. Based on the extended Brio platform, the Honda BR-V seems to have taken some of its design cues from the Mobilio MPV. In India the car will go up against the likes of Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster facelift.

In the digital teaser currently shows the BR-V's journey across the state of Rajasthan exploring its beautiful cities. As the campaign name suggests, Honda is asked its social media followers as to which would be the BR-V's next destination with each city they cross.

Coming to the car itself, in terms of looks, the India-spec Honda BR-V is identical to the global model we drove last year. Based on the extended Brio platform, the Honda BR-V seems to have taken some of its design cues from the Mobilio MPV. The SUV comes with a beefy front end with a large chrome slatted grille flanks by stylish horizontal headlamps with projector lamps. The sculpted bonnet along with the muscular bumper housing the chrome bezeld fog lamps, large air dam and skid plate, gives the BR-V its aggressive stance.

The side profile of the BR-V features black plastic under body cladding, sharp character line, large roof rails, Mobilio-style large windows, and 16-inch sporty alloys. The rear section of the car is relatively new compared to any other Honda cars in India with the most prominent addition being the single unit tail lamps that coupled with the chrome accents gives the car upmarket feel. The features and cabin for the India spec model is expected to remain unchanged. Although some of the features that will be a part of the India-bound model include - dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HAS), etc.

Under the hood, the Honda BR-V will be powered by a 1.5-litre SOHC, 4-cylinder, 16-valve i-VTEC engine that churns out a maximum of 117bhp and a peak torque of 146 Nm. The SUV will also feature a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel unit that powers the City and Mobilio, producing 99bhp of power and 200Nm of torque. Transmission options will include Honda's signature CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) gearbox along with a 5-speed unit.

Source;
http://auto.ndtv.com/news/honda-br-v-compact-suv-pictures-released-india-launch-in-may-2016-1236742

Overview of Honda and Acura Exhibits for the 14th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2016)

BEIJING, China, April 7, 2016 - Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, today announced the outline of Honda and Acura exhibits for the 14th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2016), which will take place in Beijing, China. (Press days: April 25 - 26, 2016, Public days: April 29 – May 4, 2016).

The Honda exhibit will include the world premiere of the production model of an all-new SUV developed based on the Concept D, which was unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2015 last year. The Acura exhibit will include all-new models such as a new compact SUV, which will become the first Acura model to be produced locally in China.

Overview of Honda exhibit
Honda will set up a joint booth with Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. and Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. and the Honda exhibit will include all-new SUV model developed exclusively for the Chinese market, the all-new Accord Hybrid which will become the first hybrid model Honda will produce in China starting in the second half of this year, as well as the all-new Civic.

＜Automobiles＞

• Guangqi Honda: All-new SUV (world premiere), all-new Accord Hybrid (China premiere)
• Dongfeng Honda: All-new Civic
• Other mass-production models:
  - Guangqi Honda: Accord, Vezel, Crider, Odyssey, City, Fit, Crosstour, Li Nian S1
  - Dongfeng Honda: CR-V, Spirior, Elysion, Jade, XR-V, Greiz, Ciimo

＜Motorcycles＞

• CRF1000L Africa Twin, NC750X and CB500X

＜Others＞

• HondaJet (1/4 model), HF120 turbofan jet engines and UNI-CUB β

Overview of Acura exhibit
The Acura exhibit will include the all-new compact SUV model which will become the first Acura model to be produced locally in China and the all-new NSX the next-generation supercar model.

• All-new compact SUV (world premiere)
• All-new NSX (China premiere)
• RLX, TLX, RDX, MDX

Press conference schedule (plans)
- Honda: Monday, April 25, 2016/11:20 - 11:40
- Acura: Monday, April 25, 2016/13:00 - 13:30

Automobilemag.com; Toyota C-HR Compact Crossover Spied Mostly Undisguised

by Jake Holmes of www.automobilemag.com

Although we have seen the production version of the Toyota C-HR small crossover overseas, it won’t be shown in U.S.-spec form until later this year, and won’t go on sale until spring 2017. But our spy photographers caught an early glance of the new model testing in the U.S. with almost no disguise, and we’re more than a little impressed with how cool and aggressive it looks.

These spy shots show that the production Toyota C-HR will closely resemble the concept (which was previously shown as a Scion before the Scion brand was discontinued). With a low, sloping roofline and hidden handles on the rear doors, the Toyota C-HR almost apes the funky look of the Nissan Juke. As on the concept, this car has dramatically flared fenders, a squat nose with squinty headlights, highly stylized taillights, and a roof spoiler that gives the Ford Focus RS’s aero parts a run for their money. With their boomerang-like shape, the C-HR’s taillights remind us of the look of the rear of a new Honda Civic.

The production Toyota C-HR will be built on the same Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform used for the Prius, and it will also offer a hybrid powertrain. Nonetheless, we still expect a non-hybrid version when the car reaches American dealerships; both front- and all-wheel drive should be available, as is the case for most of this car’s competitors.

The Toyota C-HR will debut publicly later this year, potentially at the Los Angeles auto show, and will go on sale here by spring 2017. For now, feast your eyes on these spy photos and let us know if you think the Toyota C-HR will be a hit in the burgeoning subcompact crossover segment. It might turn out to be the best-looking one yet.

Source;
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/toyota-c-hr-compact-crossover-spied-mostly-undisguised/

SPYSHOTS: Honda UR-V spotted virtually undisguised

by Gerard Lye of www.paultan.org

Following Honda’s trademark filings for the ‘UR-V’ nameplate in China, the upcoming SUV has now been leaked virtually undisguised by Sohu. The UR-V is built specifically for the Chinese market by the Guangzhou-Honda joint venture, and is expected to debut at this year’s Beijing Motor Show.

So how does the UR-V look when compared to the vehicle that previewed it, the Concept D? Well, the front fascia shares very little in common with the Auto Shanghai concept, and appears more conventional in looks, as expected.

Appearing Civic-like, the UR-V sports LED headlamps in a similar design, flanking a large chrome trim piece running across the front grille. The lengthy positioning light bar of the concept is omitted here. Similarly, the large fake intakes and sculpted bumper is not seen on the production UR-V. In its place are smaller fog lamp enclosures with what appears to be an array of LEDs fitted within them.
Moving down the vehicle’s side however, certain elements of the concept are transferred over. Maintaining an almost identical profile, the slat holes located in front of the A-pillars are still here as well.

Even the silver-painted exterior trim piece at the bottom of the doors have been adopted from the concept as well. Elsewhere, the thin side mirrors are replaced, and include a Honda LaneWatch camera (on the right one), a sign of Honda’s Sensing safety suite?

The spyshots here do not include a shot of the UR-V’s rear. However, expect the heavily-sculpted rear bumper of the Concept D to be replaced with something a little “softer”, along with new tail lamps as well, similar to the overhaul that takes place at the front.

For power, a report by autohome claims that the UR-V will be motivated by 2.4 and 2.0 litre petrol engines, with drive being directed to the front wheels (all-wheel drive optional) via a six-speed automatic transmission.

The publication adds that the UR-V will be priced between 250,000 yuan (RM150,035) and 425,000 yuan (RM252,059). Unfortunately, the SUV is exclusive to the Chinese market. Nonetheless, what do you think of the production Honda UR-V’s looks?

Source;
http://paultan.org/2016/04/07/spyshots-honda-ur-v-spotted-virtually-undisguised/

Honda, Acura prep crossovers for Beijing auto show

TOKYO -- Honda Motor Co., which is already outpacing industry growth in China, aims to spur sales by tapping the shift to crossovers with two new entries at this month’s Beijing auto show.
The Honda brand will introduce the production version of a new crossover developed for the China market. The vehicle is based on the ruggedly sculpted Concept D shown as last year’s Shanghai show.

At the time, Honda said the production version will be a top-end crossover positioned as the brand’s “new flagship model” in China. It will feature high-quality driving dynamics and a spacious cabin.

The vehicle is expected to be sold through the carmaker’s two local channels, Guangqi Honda and Dongfeng Honda. At the Beijing show, press days for which begin April 25, the vehicle will be displayed on the Guangqi Honda stand, Honda said.

Meanwhile, Honda’s premium Acura brand will amplify the crossover theme with its own new compact crossover.

Acura did not disclose its name or details. But the vehicle is expected to be developed for China, possibly sharing some underpinnings of the Honda HR-V compact crossover.

The company says it will be the first Acura vehicle manufactured in China, the world’s largest auto market.

Gaining traction in China is key to generating the volume needed to support development of Acura’s pricey, technology-heavy lineup. The brand is sold mainly in the U.S. and spreads limited resources across a six-vehicle lineup, including the r&d-intensive NSX sports car that went on sale in February.

The Acura entry is expected to showcase the brand’s new “precision crafted performance” design language. The styling debuted in the Precision Concept at January’s Detroit auto show.

At the 2013 Shanghai show, Acura unveiled the Acura Concept SUV-X which possibly foreshadows the upcoming crossover. That marked the first time Acura premiered a concept model outside of North America. The company said then that a production version of the SUV-X would go on sale in China in about three years.

Honda Motor Co. is among the Japanese auto companies booking solid sales gains in China, despite cooling demand there.

Honda brand passenger vehicle sales climbed 40 percent to 139,015 units in the first two months of the year, thanks partly to its solid crossover lineup, according to LMC Automotive. The overall passenger vehicle market rose only 7 percent.

Source;
http://www.autonews.com/article/20160407/OEM03/160409835/honda-acura-prep-crossovers-for-beijing-auto-show

Honda and Other Car Makers Add New Auto-Brake Feature

GENEVA - MARCH 06: The Small Hybrid Sports car from Honda, displayed at the 77th International Motor Show February 6,2007 in Geneva Switzerland. The first major car show in Europe this year being held at the Geneva Palexpo, and is arguably the most influential for manufacturers.

by Tes Christiansen of www.autoworldnews.com

Known automaker Honda would be part of an upcoming breed of noted car makers that has the capability to detect and avoid accidental collisions with other cars, making the streets feel safer for everyone.

Other popular brands such as Kia and Porsche together with up to 20 automakers have joined in agreement regarding this much-needed auto feature, in a Digital Trends post. Other automakers which participated included Fiat-Chrysler, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, General Motors, Land Rover, Jaguar, BMW, Audi,and Mitsubishi.

As recently announced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these OEM manufacturers would be adding the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) to new vehicle releases by September 2022.

Considering most modern cars can be as heavy as 3,000-4,000 pounds, abrupt stoppage of a moving car is an absolute huge deal. With good tires, about 30 feet of minimal allowable distance to stop one is required as well as zeroing out much inertia just to do this.

Honda's Acura MDX has further gotten top-of-the-line assistive technologies, apart from the AEB system, according to a MySanAntonio post. With the unveiling last week of its updated model for 2017, the Acura MDX would then have the following added self-driving features such as Lane Keeping Assist, which can automatically divert the driver's attention via steering wheel vibration once it detects the vehicle shying away from its lane while on the move.

Another helpful feature would be a Forward Collision Warning system. As the name suggests, a camera aids in looking out for objects that could obscure driver vision and pose as a risk for possible collision at hand. Once the car is going beyond 10 miles per hour, the system would then beep and flash a warning to the driver. Also, both features can be manually switched off and on by the driver.

Source;
http://www.autoworldnews.com/articles/16342/20160404/honda-and-other-car-makers-add-new-auto-brake-feature.htm

Honda’s S660 Roadster Spotted In Tennessee

by Paolo Acoba of www.artofgears.com

A lone Honda S660 was spotted on a Tennesse interstate in RHD trim. 

Update: Rumor has it that this particular model is owned by the Lane Motor Museum. They also have a Honda Beat in their collection, the predecessor to this S660.

It looks like the rumor mill for a Honda S660 being exported for other markets is alive and well and this latest spotting surely adds fuel to that fire. According to Chicagoland Petrolheads and car meets member Paul Bulthuis, this particularly clean looking Honda S660 in right-hand drive trim was spotted on Interstate 65 just three miles north of Murfreesboro.

Rumors based on a couple of quotes from Honda management have been floating around for a couple of months now stating how Honda is trying its best to ready this kei-car for U.S. export. Albeit if it makes it down here there’ll be a bit more punch under the rear engine cover. These latest photos certainly stoke our interest as to what this little roadster is doing on U.S. soil. Check out a couple of photos of the potential Miata fighter below and let us know what you think about this car coming over the Pacific in the comments below.

If our motoring friends down under are to be believed, according to their inside source earlier last week,  a special Honda S1000 is already greenlighted for international export. Instead of the 660cc three-cylinder currently churning away underneath the S660, Honda already has a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder developed by Mugen ready to shoehorned in its place. This’ll take the roadster from 63 HP all the way to a more palatable 125 HP.

When Top Gear tested out this new 1.0 turbo triple (in FWD trim btw) they were impressed by how much torque this powerplant had. Stuff it in a car that already weighs a lithe 1,830 pounds and you’ve got the recipe for some real fun.

According to Paul, compared to other American sized cars surrounding the roadster, it looked small. As it should be. Being a good two feet shorter in length than a Miata, there are few cars on the road as short as an S660. It is as wide as a Miata though. Wikipedia lists an S1000 with slightly larger dimensions in length, width and height but no source to back it up.

Honda is doing its best to bring exciting products to market. With the introduction of the Honda Civic with 1.5T (that happens to be killing it in the showrooms), its best-selling Accord and the all-new Acura NSX, Honda is off to a strong start on its revival here in the states. If this S660 to S1000 sighting makes the leap to a confirmed statement of development from Honda, who knows what other exciting products they might have up their sleeves.

We’ve reached out to Honda for comment but have heard nothing back yet. We’ll keep you posted on any developments.

For those interested in seeing what the front end looks like....

Source;
https://artofgears.com/2016/04/04/hondas-s660-roadster-spotted-in-tennessee/

Next-gen Honda CR-V teased, will have a plug-in hybrid variant – Report

Likely to have a 7-seat version.
The current, fourth generation Honda CR-V was introduced in 2011 and given a facelift in 2014. The fifth generation Honda CR-V is said to arrive in 2017 and is currently under development in North America.

As per Japanese website Response.jp, below is the first teaser of the fully redesigned model, indicating an exterior having cues borrowed from the tenth generation Honda Civic. The sketch, published in March, suggests a sharper and more aggressive rear-end. The tail lamps no longer stretch to the roof in a Volvo-like fashion, they’re rather similar to the Honda Civic’.

According to Response, the fifth generation Honda CR-V will have a plug-in hybrid electric variant, hosting a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine combined with an electric motor.

The regular variant will likely be offered with turbocharged and naturally aspirated petrol and diesel engines (diesel not for North America) with displacements between 1.6-litre to 2.4-litre. The next-gen Honda CR-V is officially confirmed to be based on the all-new Honda Civic’s platform and feature a turbocharged petrol engine.

In December 2015, an engineering mule wearing the current CR-V’s body but with a stretched wheelbase was seen in a spy shot. There’s no denying that Honda wouldn’t considered a seven-seat version for the next-gen CR-V. Stephen Collins, Director at Honda Australia, recently hinted at a three-row version of the Honda CR-V in the fifth generation, which will also focus on more technology. Honda could follow the strategy of the Nissan X-Trail and the Hyundai Santa Fe, of offering 5- and 7-seat versions (doubtful that the 7-seater would be for North America).

Source;
http://indianautosblog.com/2016/04/next-gen-honda-cr-v-teased-plug-in-hybrid-variant-227370