Its been a while since the brand launched these cars in the Indian market and fortunately brought the face lifted models of the City and the CR-V pretty soon and also launched a completely new 7th generation Accord. But after the new accord in 2008 a long time has passed since the brand made any changes to it, and now after 3 years the all new facelifted 2011 Honda Accord is all set to hit the market.

Erik Berkman, vice president of Corporate Planning and Logistics for American Honda Motor Co. said,”For 2011, the Honda Accord evolves again with sharpened styling inside and out, fuel economy gains and a broader application of popular features. The Honda Accord is designed to deliver a consistently rewarding ownership experience in the areas that matter most to sedan and coupe drivers.”

The EPA fuel economy of the vehicles has been drastically increased by 2 MPG in the city and 3 MPG ion the highway owing to the changes made to vehicle aerodynamics, engine friction and transmission gear ratios.

The new redesigned alloys give a better appearance and its radius will now fall between 16” – 17” inches. The car looks bolder now and makes its presence more renowned in the crowd and the credit solely goes to the upscale design with new 3 step front grille, front bumper and rear deck lid and features minor changes on the interior as well.

The car will go on sale in the US by 2010 August and we hope that Honda brings it to India soon.

Features Of New Honda Civic In India

Some of the highlights of the new Honda Civic Include :

• Metallic Front Grille
• Smoky Headlight
• Rear Octo Combi Light Tail Lamps
• New Stylish front Bumpers
• New Style Front Bumper
• New Style Alloy Wheels
• Rear Armrests with audio controls
• Full Flat Floor
• Auxiliary Audio jack
• Fabric Door Lining
• Front Armrest
• Leather Upholstery
• ABS With EBD
• Fuel Economy Indicator
• Crumple Zones for crash safety
• Front Driver & Passenger Airbags
• Reinforced body structure
• 2+2 Years Extended Warranty
• 4 Years Roadside assistance
• Fog Lamps
• New Style Turn Indicators
• One Touch ORVM settings
• Integrates Stereo system with 6 speakers
• Audio System with CD / MP3 / USB / Aux-in
• All Power Windows
• Power Locks
• Automatic Climate Control
• Keyless Entry with security alarm
• Engine Immobilizer Security System
• 5 Spoke Alloy Wheels
• Green Tinted Windshield and Door Windows
• Dual Exhaust with pipe finish
• Backup Sensor for convenient reversal and parking
• Illuminated Side step Finish
• Door Visor with Elegance Trim
• Front Bumper Spoiler in Inspire Trim
• Trunk Spoiler
• Rear Under-body Spoiler
• Side Under Spoiler

Specifications Of New Honda Civic In India

Technical Specifications of New Honda Civic are :

• 1.8 Litre i-VTEC Engine
• 4 Cylinder Inline PGM-Fi Petrol Engine
• 4 Valves per cylinder
• Max Power – 130 BHP @ 6300 RPM
• Max Torque – 171 Nm @ 4300 RPM
• Synchromesh 5 Speed Manual Transmission or Pedal Shift 5 Speed Automatic Transmission
• McPherson Strut Suspension in Front
• Double Wishbone Suspension in Rear with coil spring and torsion bar
• Collapsible Power Steering
• Front & Rear Disk brakes
• 15 inch alloy wheels with tubeless tyres
• Dimension – Length=4545mm; Width=1750mm;Height=1450mm;Ground Clearance=170mm;Wheel Base=2400mm;
• Fuel Tank Capacity = 50 Litre
• Flex Fuel Capable Engine – Can use up to 10% Ethanol Blended Petrol – E10 Fuel

Colors Options Of New Honda Civic In India

The Honda Civic is available in five colors namely :

• Crystal Black Pearl
• Polished Metal Metallic
• Tafeta White
• Habanero Red
• Alabaster Silver Metallic

Price Of New Honda Civic In India

Ex-showroom Price of New Honda Civic Ex-Showroom Delhi is :

• Honda Civic 1.8S MT Price is Rs. 12.20 Lakhs
• Honda Civic 1.8V MT Price is Rs. 13.07 Lakhs
• Honda Civic 1.8V AT Price is Rs. 13.81 Lakhs

These prices do not include additional Elegance or Inspire trim features, the additional cost of the Honda Civic Elegance and Inspire Trims is as follows :

• Civic 1.8V Elegance     :  Rs.  24,000/-(Additional, without Fog Lamps)
• Civic 1.8S Elegance     :  Rs.  40,000/-(Additional, with Fog Lamps)
• Civic 1.8V Inspire     :  Rs.  65,500/-(Additional, without Fog Lamps)
• Civic 1.8S Inspire     :  Rs.  81,500/-(Additional, with Fog Lamps)

The segment which Honda is eyeing is not the economy cars segment which is driven by small cars like Maruti Wagon R, Ford Figo, Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai i10 , Volkswagen Polo etc. Rather, Honda is trying to place the car price starting close to Rs. 5 Lakh ex-showroom, which makes it an expansive deal compared to the more affordable small cars already in the market. This may prove to be a wise move as the people looking for exclusivity and more premium small cars will be more attracted to the Honda Small Car rather than more common and affordable options. Honda fans will also prefer to go for a small car by Honda compared to other small cars. However on the other hand, the sales numbers will remain low for such a car leaving Honda with lesser revenues compared to the counterparts.

The cheapest Honda small car in the market at present is Honda Jazz which comes for more than a Rs. 7 Lakh ex-showroom price. This high price is the reason for so low sales of the Jazz. This new car in Rs. 5 Lakh segment may help to improves sales comparatively when considering Honda Jazz sales numbers in India.

The segment which Honda Small Car comes close to is the Skoda Fabia, Hyundai i20, Maruti Swift etc. The exact pricing will be released close to the launch and the prices may move father upward because of input costs of tax structures as well. To keep an eye on the updates on Honda Small Car, sign up for our free email newsletter.

The U3X is enclosed in a very sleek and neat way, the lower half of it houses the wheel of the Honda U3C and the Upper half of it provides a way to fold the seat. To operate it, just open the seat, press the power button to power it on, sit on it and lean in the direction you wan to move.

Its small and sleeker than Segway and can move in all directions just by leaning forward, backward or sideways. Unlike the VeeWay Personal transporter, it is much more sophisticated, sleek and intelligent device. Even more sophisticated than a Segway. The speed of U3X will be limited to 3.5 Miles/hour and it is designed to match the usage environment of pedestrians and indoor transportation needs.

This was a press demo and there is not announcement of official launch date or price of the device. Its not known when it will hit the market. Its more of a concept and display of Honda’s commitment to technological research.

Here is a video of Honda U3X in action:

I really like the device in terms of the technology it represents and gives an insight into possibilities of future transportation devices which are electric and zero-emission.

Specifications Of New Honda Accord V6 With Electric Sunroof

The car sports technically a more advanced 3.5Liter V6 MPFI engine developing maximum power of 270BHP and maximum torque of 339Nm and with this the car will be only one among all the Accords to feature such a powerful engine and the driving experience too will make you feel like you are driving a higher segment sedan.

Unique features include Variable Cylinder Management(VCM) system leaving the car with a great combination of Maximum Power and Fuel Efficiency. The system switches between 6 cylinder, 4 cylinders or 3 cylinders according to the terrain conditions and still maintains an appreciable fuel economy. Apart from VCM the Active Noise Control System maintains pin drop silence inside the while those 6-Cylinders pump all the power into the vehicle.

Interiors also get some cosmetic changes with Ambient and Foot Light giving the passengers a clear as well as differentiated view of the controls with no confusion. The car also comes with 2 keyless remote entry systems provided keeping in mind the convenience of the passengers.

Honda Accord 3.5L will draw your attention with 4 different colors including Tafeta White, Bold Beige Metallic, Crystal Pearl Black and Alabaster Silver.

Price Of New Honda Accord V6 In India With Electric Sunroof

The price ranges from 19 to 27 lakh rupees with :

• Rs.18.5 lakh for 2.4 litre Honda Accord with Manual transmission
• Rs.19.3 lakh for 2.4 litre Honda Accord with Automatic Transmission
• Rs 26.15 lakh for 3.5 litre V6 Engine Honda Accord

All prices are Ex-Showroom Delhi.

Honda’s approach is smarter than expected as it has showcased P-Nut which emerges to be a vehicle with a variety of engine replacement possibilities, thereby replacing the conventional internal combustion engines. The concept car features a modular rear engine outline, designed to accommodate a wide variety of potential powertrain technologies including a conventional small internal combustion engine, a hybrid system, or a battery-electric drive-train.

Specification Of Honda P Nut

The vehicle has been specifically designed for cities and tight urban areas giving a sense of compactness along with superior technology. The concept car features a central driving position and can accommodate three passengers with one at the the central driving position and two following at the rear.

The car is 3.4m long, 1.75m wide and 1.4m high (11.2 x 5.7 x 4.6 feet) but the space provided inside is hardly more than a mid-sized sedan which is the disappointing part. The rear seats can be folded in order to increase the space inside the car. Another quality apart from the variety of engine technologies is  the windshield which is merged with the roof making it one piece. The windshield—which serves as a head-up display (HUD) for the navigation system and reversing camera—not only offers total above the head visibility, but also extends almost to the floor of the vehicle, broken only by an oversized Honda logo.

Developed by The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Los Angeles, the P-NUT is currently only a concept with no plans in place to bring it into production. The new Honda 3R-C Concept seems to have similarities with the previously unveiled Honda P Nut.

Related -

Honda Showcase 3R-C 3 Wheeled Car Concept

Three variants are available in Europe – S, Sports and GT. All these variant have three different driving modes.

Safety Features Of European Honda CRZ

• 6 Airbags
• active Headrest
• Vehicle Stability Assist
• ABS and EBD

Luxury Features Of CRZ Include:

• 6 Speaker Audio Music System with CD Player
• Engine Start Button
• Heated door mirrors
• Electric windows
• Daytime Running Lights
• Alloy pedals
• Leather gear shift knob
• Parking sensors
• USB port for MP3 Players
• Satellite Navigation System

Price Of Honda CRZ In Europe

• Honda CRZ S Grade price is £ 16999 OTR
• Honda CRZ Sport Grade price is £ 17999 OTR
• Honda CRZ GT Grade price is £ 19999 OTR

Honda CR Z Production Car Specifications

The CR-Z features a single motor for the gasoline-electric engine which is different from what Toyota uses in Prius featuring 2 motors dedicated to get better energy efficiency.

Forgetting the sales, even the Pre-sales are on a high with 4500 units already ordered counting to be 4.5 times what the company aims at selling in one month and with such figures the company expects to sell 40,000-50,000 units annually. The CR-Z is launched one year after Honda released Insight which failed to achieve the expected sales of 200,000 units with the actual sales totaling to 136,000 units and eventually the car was phased out from Japan in stages from March.

Price of Honda CR-Z in Japan

The Car is priced at nearly 2.27 million yen ($25,340) and has already went on sale.

The design is quite unique in itself with enclosed capsule body for all weather motoring , the third wheel for safety and convenience and it incorporates mobility and economy as well of a motorbike. The vehicles body (CANOPY) covers the drivers seat and acts an envelope shield, protecting the driver who sits at a lower level, with the help of the doors and the bodywork. The vehicle lacks storage area for luggage yet it has a small lockable storage area in front inside the chassis comprising of all-electric powertrain complete with a battery pack and motor.

European designers working at the automaker’s R&D facility in Milan, Italy carried out the Honda 3R-C concept study with intentions of developing convenient vehicles designed for urban commuters and unfortunately no plans exist for the production of this beautiful vehicle. But if the present congestion scenario is considered all around the world we might see the 3R-C running on the turf in the near future.

This time the problem rose from the airbag deflator which could probably break and send broken pieces towards the passengers in an accident proving the accident to be more fatal. This is not the first time when Honda has recalled cars with airbag problems. In November 2008 and June 2009 several complaints against the airbag problem were filed leaving the company with no choice but to recall 510000 cars. This year the recalled cars don’t include the ones sold in Europe, as this part of the world doesn’t have such airbags.

The root cause for the airbag problem was believed to be excessive intake of moisture by the propellant which was later ruled out after figuring out the defect with the insufficient pressure of stamping during the production of inflator propellant.

A spokesperson from Honda said that the airbags were manufactured Takata Corporation’s USA unit while Takata Corporation’s spokesperson said that no airbag complaint have been reported from any of the customer car makers. This recall has greatly affected the USA market only with a  recall of over 379000 cars and all the cars being recalled will be sent to Honda’s USA and Canadian Plants.

The Included cars in the recall are as follows: 2001 and 2002 model-year, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda Odyssey,Honda CR-V, Pilot and 2002 Acura TL and CL vehicles in the US and according to Honda all these replacements would cost them nearly 24 million yen ($267,000) in Japan, or about $67 a car.