Shinji Aoyama, Naib Presiden Eksekutif Global Honda, baru-baru ini mendedahkan rancangan syarikat itu untuk menghasilkan kenderaan elektrik yang sporty dalam masa terdekat, yang berpotensi menghidupkan semula papan nama NSX yang ikonik. Dalam sebuah acara semasa Minggu Kereta Monterey, Aoyama menyatakan bahawa model sport elektrik baharu ini mungkin dilancarkan antara 2027 dan 2028, namun, nama NSX mungkin tidak digunakan untuk model tersebut.
“Kami akan memperkenalkan model sport pada 2027 atau 2028,” kata Aoyama. “Kami mungkin tidak memanggilnya NSX. Ia sejenis kenderaan jenis NSX,” tambahnya, memberikan bayangan tentang arah tuju model baharu itu.
Shinji Aoyama, Honda’s Global Executive Vice President, has revealed that the company is planning to produce a sporty electric vehicle in the coming years, potentially reviving the legendary NSX nameplate. Speaking at a media roundtable during Monterey Car Week, Aoyama hinted at the possibility of this new electric sports car being launched between 2027 and 2028.
“We are going to introduce the sports model in 2027 or 2028,” Aoyama stated. “We may not call it NSX. It’s kind of an NSX type of vehicle,” according to a report.
Purchasing a new car can be a tough choice. There are many things to factor in such as size, fuel efficiency, performance, quality, brand and aftersales service.
Convenience is also something we all look for when purchasing a new car. With the size of cars getting bigger and bigger by the day, convenience while driving through cities or towns can be limited.
Why? Well mainly because these streets were not built for the monsters we have on the roads today. So, what would be a convenient family car to get for city driving? The Honda City hatchback would be a good choice and if you did not already know, Honda Malaysia launched the City hatchback Facelift back in May of this year.
Honda Malaysia launched the City hatchback in 2021 and till May 2024, they have sold 28,700 units of it. Talk about popularity.
There difference between the pre-facelift and the facelift models are mostly cosmetics with a few tech upgrades. The dimensions are just slightly different with the RS facelift variants being longer due to the bumpers. The powertrain remains the same as before. The variant we tested out was the 1.5L RS e:HEV, which is the top-of-the-line variant among the five available variants.
Visually it looks good with the revised front grille, front lower grille, LED fog lights with garnish, side sill garnish, rear bumper lower garnish and the Berlina black 16” alloy wheels. Just that from certain angles, the tyre fitment may look a little off. But of course, those who love modifying your cars can resolve this minor issue.
Performance-wise for the e:HEV, the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system incorporates a 107hp electric motor that powers the front wheels with 253 Nm of torque. This motor draws energy from a lithium-ion battery, which is recharged by a secondary electric motor linked to a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder engine operating on an Atkinson cycle.
The petrol engine delivers 97hp at 5,600 to 6,400 rpm and 127Nm of torque at 4,500 to 5,000 rpm. Although primarily functioning as a generator, it can engage via a single-speed E-CVT to provide direct drive to the wheels at higher speeds, where it achieves its most efficient performance.
Now although it packs a punch throughout the city, we found that it lacks that punch on highways. The amount of torque delivered when we put our foot down on the highways showed us that there is a certain amount of lag before the power kicks in and it was slightly frustrating, especially on clear highways.
However, when we were driving around Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh we noticed that there was enough power that makes the City hatchback an agile and convenient car throughout the city. Swerving through traffic and tight spaces was brisk simply because the hatchback is not a big car. The only thing that was annoying is that there is still no blind spot monitoring. If you have been following our Honda reviews, you will know that we are not big fans of Honda’s lane watch system.
We also had to bear in mind that this car is not a performance-oriented car and that we were testing it for practicality and comfort. So, with that in mind, we focused on things like boot space, seating configurations and most importantly, fuel consumption.
Now given that this is the hybrid variant, we knew that range anxiety was never going to be an issue. So, from KL to Ipoh and back to KL, how many times did we have to fuel up? Once. Just one fuelling session was needed for this car. When we reached KL after Ipoh, we still had more than half a tank of fuel left! Which in our books, is rather impressive.
Honda Malaysia gave us a challenge to carry out to see which team had the best fuel consumption. The ones that participated managed to get an average of 26.75km/l which is amazing given that everything was done with real-world-like situations. As in no folded side mirrors to reduce drag, no turning off the air conditioning and no stopping to refuel as Honda Malaysia had sealed the fuel tank cover with a tamper-proof sticker.
Speaking of real-world-like situations, we know there are some out there with a heavy foot and just want to get to their destination as fast and as safely as possible. We were one of those. Even with our foot down, following the speed limits of course, we managed to get an average of 18.61km/l and still have more than half a tank of fuel left. So, we are happy to give this car a perfect score for fuel consumption.
As we mentioned, the City hatchback is not a big car and it shows on the inside. If you’re built like this writer, you will definitely find it a little bit uncomfortable sitting at the back. The leg space is decent but there is barely any headroom because of how the rear of the car curves down. Taller passengers will find this to be a tad uncomfortable.
Over to the front, if both the driver and passenger are big in size, then you might find your elbows touching each other quite often, which is not something you want happening on a two to three-hour drive. However, these are just minor issues that we faced and were not that bothered about it.
There were three of us travelling in the car, each having two bags: one luggage bag and one laptop bag. Was there enough space? Not really as the boot space is only around 289 litres, which is actually 230 litres less than the sedan City! So only five of the six bags could fit in the boot while one laptop bag had to be put in the rear seat. However, if no one is seated at the back, the seats can be folded, expanding the space to 841 litres.
Long drives can be tiring at times especially if you have your foot down all the time. This is where the adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and lane departure warning come into play. It is easy to use and you do not have to navigate your way through a screen to find all these settings as the buttons are on the steering wheel. Kudos to Honda for keeping physical buttons!
Since we are on the topic of long drives, there is another factor that led us to be just a little bit annoyed. The subtle road noise which enters the cabin. Unlike the CR-V e:HEV RS variant that comes with wheel resonators, this City Hatchback lacks it.
The noise seeping in was not that loud but it was noticeable. So, to drown that out, we turned up the music volume which by the way is channelled through four speakers. The eight-inch display audio’s IPS (In-Plane Switching) colour reproduction has been enhanced to give us a clearer and sharper image, although we found the reverse camera to be a tad bit grainy.
The most important feature, in our books at least, is the availability of Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, which the Honda City Hatchback facelift has. For those of you who know, we cannot live without these features. The cherry on top is that it is wireless!
Overall, the car felt solid and did not lack anything major so if you are a fan of hatchbacks, this is one to consider. Prices start at RM85,900 for the lowest variant but if you want the RS hybrid which we enjoyed, it will cost you RM112,900.
Mitsubishi Motors Jepun bersedia untuk menyertai pakatan antara Honda dan Nissan dan membentuk perkongsian kuat di kalangan pembuat kereta dengan jualan gabungan melebihi 8 juta kenderaan, menurut laporan terbaru.
Perkongsian Strategik
Penyeragaman Perisian
Fokus: Kerjasama ini akan menumpukan pada penyeragaman perisian dalam kenderaan yang mengawal pelbagai fungsi kereta.
Pakatan Semasa: Mitsubishi Motors sudah pun menjadi sebahagian daripada pakatan dengan Nissan dan Renault Perancis. Perikatan ini telah disusun semula tahun lepas untuk menjadi lebih pragmatik dan tangkas.
Pengumuman Terkini: Nissan dan Honda mengumumkan pada Mac bahawa mereka sedang mempertimbangkan perkongsian strategik untuk bekerjasama dalam menghasilkan komponen EV dan AI dalam platform perisian automotif.
Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors is set to join the alliance between Honda and Nissan, forming a powerful partnership among the automakers, with combined sales exceeding 8 million vehicles, according to reports.
Strategic Partnership
Standardisation of Software: The collaboration will focus on standardising in-vehicle software that controls various car functions.
Current Alliances:
Mitsubishi Motors is already part of an alliance with Nissan and France’s Renault. This alliance was restructured last year to become more pragmatic and agile.
Nissan and Honda announced in March that they were considering a strategic partnership to collaborate on producing EV components and AI in automotive software platforms.
Honda Motor telah mengumumkan perubahan ketara kepada operasi pembuatannya di China, bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengeluaran kenderaan elektrik (EV) sebagai tindak balas kepada persaingan yang semakin meningkat daripada jenama China dalam pasaran automotif terbesar di dunia.
Perubahan Utama dalam Kemudahan Pengeluaran
Penutupan Loji Usahasama dengan GAC
Penutupan Kilang: Honda akan menutup sebuah kilang yang dikendalikan dengan kerjasama Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), sebuah pengeluar kereta China milik kerajaan.
Pengeluaran: Kilang ini terutamanya mengeluarkan sedan Accord dengan kapasiti pengeluaran tahunan sebanyak 50,000 kenderaan dan telah beroperasi selama hampir 20 tahun.
Tarikh Penutupan: Dijadualkan pada Oktober.
Penghentian Pengeluaran di Kilang Usahasama dengan Dongfeng
Penghentian Operasi: Pengeluaran kenderaan akan digantung di kilang lain yang dikendalikan melalui usaha sama Honda dengan Dongfeng, satu lagi pengeluar kereta utama China.
Kapasiti Pengeluaran: Kemudahan ini mempunyai kapasiti pengeluaran tahunan sebanyak 240,000 kenderaan dan akan berhenti beroperasi pada bulan November.
Honda Motor has announced significant changes to its manufacturing operations in China. This strategic move aims to increase electric vehicle (EV) production, responding to growing competition from Chinese brands in the world’s largest automotive market.
Major Changes in Production Facilities
Closure of Joint Venture Plant with GAC:
Honda will shut down a factory operated in partnership with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), a state-owned Chinese automaker.
This plant, primarily manufacturing the Accord sedan, has an annual production capacity of 50,000 vehicles and has been operational for nearly 20 years.
The closure is scheduled for October.
Production Halt at Joint Venture Plant with Dongfeng:
Vehicle production will be suspended at another factory operated through Honda’s joint venture with Dongfeng, another major Chinese automaker.
This facility has an annual production capacity of 240,000 vehicles and will cease operations in November.
Honda Malaysia telah mencapai pencapaian penting dengan penghantaran Civic ke-170,000 dan HR-V ke-150,000 di Malaysia. Majlis perayaan ini diadakan di Honda Botanic Auto Mall Sdn. Bhd., dan menandakan kejayaan besar bagi kedua-dua model.
Pencapaian Bersejarah:
Civic ke-170,000: Diserahkan kepada Encik Lim Chin Hui, model 2.0L e:HEV RS.
HR-V ke-150,000: Diserahkan kepada Cik Asha Waheda, model 1.5L e:HEV RS.
Kedua-dua pelanggan menerima hadiah eksklusif dan aksesori tulen Honda bernilai RM10,000.
Honda Malaysia celebrated a major milestone today with the delivery of its 170,000th Civic and 150,000th HR-V in Malaysia. The event took place at Honda Botanic Auto Mall Sdn. Bhd., marking a double achievement for the popular models.
Historic Milestone
The 170,000th Civic, a 2.0L e:HEV RS, was handed over to Mr. Lim Chin Hui, while the 150,000th HR-V, a 1.5L e:HEV RS, was delivered to Ms. Asha Waheda. Both customers received exclusive gifts and Honda Genuine Accessories valued at RM10,000 as part of the celebration.
Sales and Growth
In the first half of 2024, Honda Malaysia reported total sales exceeding 39,200 units, a 16% increase from the same period in 2023. The HR-V led sales in the Non-National Compact SUV Segment, contributing 28% to Honda Malaysia’s total sales. The City model followed with 24%, and the CR-V contributed 15%.
The company also noted a growing demand for its e:HEV technology. The e:HEV variants, available in models like the City, City Hatchback, Civic, HR-V, and CR-V, accounted for 13% of sales in the first half of 2024, reflecting substantial growth for Honda’s hybrid models.
Future Commitment
Honda Malaysia continues to uphold its “How We Move You” tagline, focusing on creating mobility products and services that drive progress and enhance the joy and freedom of mobility for its customers. The company remains dedicated to advancing its offerings and meeting the evolving needs of the Malaysian market.
The imminent removal of petrol subsidies has had many Malaysians on edge. With the government holding their cards close to their chest, the eventual price of unsubsidised petrol is anyone’s guess at the moment.
There is no telling who will receive subsidies either, and that has resulted in some pockets of discontent. Some are already planning on what to do next once subsidies are lifted. Some strategies include shifting their mode of transportation to riding a motorcycle and relying on public transportation.
Some are even considering shifting to electric vehicles, but that may not be to everyone’s appetites. EV’s work great if one has easy access to a charger, whether at home or in a public place. If recharging requires going out of one’s way, then it will only be a matter of time that the convenience becomes an inconvenience.
On the other end of the spectrum, hybrids are becoming increasingly popular as well, driven by Japanese marques that have shown that a properly engineered hybrid system can offer efficiency levels that make more sense than having to invest in home charging. Or wasting time plugged in for about an hour or so while the car recharges.
Honda is one of those said marques, and though it does have an impressive line-up of electric vehicles with up to one of them rumoured to be making its way to Malaysian shores very soon, its line-up of hybrid models is also some of the most efficient in the market.
The Honda City and Civic hybrid models (called e:HEV in Honda lingo) have been in the market for a while already and are both capable of some astonishing mileage. The City hybrid for example is theoretically capable of travelling 28km per litre of fuel while the Civic hybrid on the other hand is said to be capable of a range of 25km per litre.
That is some impressive mileage per litre, and even if you subtract five to seven kilometres from that range just to factor in real world challenges, that would still be remarkable.
Honda Malaysia expanded its hybrid line-up late last year with the introduction of the Honda CRV e:HEV RS, or CRV hybrid in short. It is also quite efficient and can travel a claimed 20km on a litre of fuel. And during a recent road trip to Ipoh, we got quite close to that figure, achieving 19.7km on a litre of fuel, and this was on a highway drive over a long weekend. Including the stop start traffic that our highways are infamous for so that means plenty of fuel guzzling acceleration as well.
The all-new sixth-generation Honda CRV has undoubtedly improved by leaps and bounds over its predecessor with an all-new design and technologies that can put some of its more expensive competitors to shame.
In fact, after driving one for a few days, I am of the opinion you don’t really need anything else if fuel efficiency, comfort, tech and seats for five is what you want in a car.
But before we dive into that, let’s get the basics out of the way first. The design of the car has obviously changed tremendously but there are also elements that are a nod to CRV’s of past. Such as the rear lights that stand vertically at the edges of the car, just like that of the first CRV.
It is also bigger in every sense of the word, and Honda did not try very hard to hide that fact. The a-pillars for example have a steeper rake and are placed further back, this makes the bonnet look exceptionally long.
But if you need further confirmation of its size, the numbers don’t lie. As compared to the previous model, the new CRV is 80 millimetres longer, 10 millimetres wider while the wheelbase is longer by 40 millimetres. This does not only make the car look big, but it also results in improved interior acreage.
Besides feeling more premium with high quality materials, the seats are one of the biggest improvements inside the car. The previous generation CRV had smallish and rather hard seats, and this made it difficult for plus sized people to get comfortable.
The new seats however have improved on that and are bigger and better than before with plush padding that give you the sensation of sinking into the seats rather than sitting on them. Both front seats in the hybrid model also offer electronic adjustability with the driver’s seat offering memory function.
The rear has 16 millimetres more legroom than before and are also reclinable by 10.5 degrees for added comfort over long distances. For real-world reference, my four-year old kid’s legs will be kicking the back of the front seat every time he is in his tethered child seat in the family’s Mazda CX-5. He couldn’t reach the front seat in the CRV, how’s that for perspective?
The dashboard of the CRV is almost identical to the one in the Civic, but that’s not a bad thing as it does not feel like it is lacking on anything. In fact, there are features that more expensive cars don’t have, such as the 12-speaker Bose sound system that brings out the best in classics like Metallica’s S&M album.
The nine-inch centrally mounted infotainment system provides all the necessary updates and access to navigation and entertainment. The 10.2-inch instrument cluster on the other hand provides crystal clear read outs and is also fully customisable, so you can have it show your real time consumption and remaining range on the right while the left shows you what you are listening to. And Google Maps could be displayed on the infotainment screen. That’s how I had it set up and it was perfect.
However, the real magic of the CRV hybrid lays underneath and ahead of you. The CRV hybrid utilises a pairing of an internal combustion engine together and an electric motor. Honda calls it the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) and it is quite an intelligent powertrain.
The engine is a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder plant that produces 148PS and 190Nm of torque. The electric motor bumps that figure up to a total of 184PS and 335Nm.
There is no transmission in the traditional sense so both mills can send power independently to the front wheels through a lock up clutch. At lower speeds the electric motor provides propulsion while the petrol driven engine takes over at higher speed. They can also each send it concurrently for extra hauling power. Honda calls it e-CVT since it is easier to name it rather than explain the complicated tech behind it.
It is this ability to switch between the electric motor and engine or utilise both that makes the CRV hybrid such an efficient car. And it does so seamlessly without you even feeling the system switching. There is only that occasional whir of the engine that gives it away, but you will be hard done to notice that too.
You can barely hear the engine working from the inside of the car because the interior is unbelievably quiet. This silence is courtesy of three features that work together to keep noise and vibrations down to a minimum.
The first is the usage of double pane windows all around the car. This means the CRV hybrid utilises two layers of glass rather than just one and this works wonders for sound insulation and noise reduction.
The second is the Active Noise Control feature that works by emitting noise cancellation frequencies. This suppresses ambient sounds before it reaches the human ear, but it is not new technology, just a very good one used in the right car.
And finally, the CRV hybrid utilises noise reducing wheels. The 18-inch wheels of the hybrid variant uses hollow resonators placed inside the wheels to suppress unwanted resonance such as road surface sounds, before it reaches the cabin. The CRV hybrid is the only model in Honda Malaysia’s line-up to come with such wheels.
So, the Honda CRV hybrid has truly matured to become arguably the finest SUV in its segment. However, it is not quite a perfect package, yet. It has one feature that, when offered, would be the icing on a very fine cake.
Hondas sold in Malaysia still do not come with a Blind Spot Monitoring system, and in its place is the Honda Lane Watch Camera. This shows you what is on the left of the vehicle through a grainy video image that is displayed on the infotainment system. It does not show you what is on the right of the car though, so looking over your right shoulder is still recommended.
But considering that Hondas sold in some markets are beginning to offer Blind Spot Monitoring, it is just a matter of time for such a feature to make its way to Malaysia. And when it does, the Honda CRV hybrid would be impossible to fault.
At RM195,900, it is considered a bargain as well for all that you are getting. And with the removal of petrol subsidies around the corner, I suspect that demand for such fuel-efficient cars is bound to increase. So, will we see more Honda CRV hybrids on our roads? I believe so, and now would be a great time for Honda Malaysia to start playing up the fuel efficiency levels of its hybrid range.
Specification:
Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, 16-Valve, i-VTEC (Atkinson Cycle) with electric motor
Power:184PS @ 5,000rpm (Combined)
Torque: 335Nm @ 0-2,000rpm (Combined)
Transmission: e-CVT
Suspension: MacPherson Strut (Front) / Multi Link (Rear)
Price (as tested): RM195,900
We like: Interior look and quality, sound system, fuel efficiency
We don’t like: No blind spot monitoring system
