Honda Brio launched in India at Rs 3.95 lakh

Honda Brio

Japanese car major Honda on Tuesday announced its foray into the highly competitive low-price compact car segment in India with the launch of its Brio model, priced between Rs 3.95 lakh and Rs 5.1 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Siel group, Honda Siel Cars India, said it is also targeting revenues of Rs 112 crore this fiscal from the export of auto components from India.
"With Brio, we will be entering a new segment for the first time in India. It has been designed and developed specially to meet the needs of customers here," HSCI president and CEO Takashi Nagai told reporters here.
He said the company had promised to price it less than Rs 5 lakh and has been able to do this through cost-efficiency measures and high localisation of components. However, the top-end variant of the vehicle will cost Rs 5.1 lakh.

Honda Brio side view

"The Brio is at present about 80 per cent localised and over the next few months, it will reach 90 per cent," he said, adding, "This has been key to the pricing strategy of the Brio."

The Brio will compete with the likes of the Hyundai i10, Maruti WagonR and General Motors Chevrolet Beat, which are priced in a similar range.
The Brio will be available in four variants. Nagai said the company expects a large chunk of the customers for the Brio to come from smaller cities, whereas demand in bigger cities is likely to be for existing models such as the City, Civic and Accord.
"The compact car segment will soon become the second pillar of business for Honda in India," Nagai said.
Commenting on the development of the car, which is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine, he said HSCI's engineers have been involved in the project right from the drawing stage.
On exports of components, Nagai said HSCI has already started shipping components of the Brio to Thailand from its facility at Rajasthan.
"We will have export turnover of Rs 112 crore this fiscal," he said. The company also exports components for the City and Jazz to Malaysia and Indonesia.

PTI |

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Honda to reveal a pair of new green vehicles at Tokyo Auto Show

The Japanese carmaker is aiming to make a splash in the electric vehicle market

Honda Small Sports EV concept

Aiming to have one of the largest lineups at this year's Tokyo Auto Show, Honda has already shed some light on its Micro Commuter and Canopy concept vehicles, but it appears that's only the tip of the green iceberg. The company has just revealed a pair of prototypes that look both futuristic and environmentally friendly. The AC-X and Small Sports EV concepts aim to cater to two different segments of the electric vehicle market: Those looking for a practical hybrid for both short and long commutes, and those looking for a smaller, city-minded car for daily jaunts about town.

Honda AC-X hybrid

The AC-X (above) is a plug-in hybrid that can run purely on a charge from the onboard battery, but can also switch to an engine-driven mode, allowing it to make much longer trips than an electric-only vehicle. The car appears to take some design cues from both the current Honda Civic models, as well as the company's previous hybrid, the Honda Insight.
Little is known about Honda's Small Sports EV concept, and aside from a short press release blurb insisting that it was designed with "fun" driving in mind, all we have to go on is some official mockups (below). The car is a two-seater that looks much like a little brother to the AC-X. Its convertible top and sleek lines definitely give a futuristic vibe, and if Honda's promise of enjoyable driving mated with "excellent environmental performace" can be achieved, it may make a good candidate for production.

[via Autoblog]

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Honda's electric Canopy (Gyro), Japan's only three wheeled scooter

Honda has finally added electric propulsion to one of its most enduring and successful commuter vehicles - the Japan-only three-wheeled scooter. 

Used extensively throughout Japan's congested urban environment as a commuter and delivery vehicle with a 50cc four-stroke motor, the Honda Canopy (aka Gyro) delivers 100 mpg. Converting the well-protected three wheeler, with its capacious cargo space, to an electric-only vehicle is a no-brainer and is certain to create an insatiable demand in non-domestic markets everywhere.
To say the Gyro/Canopy is the most common road vehicle in Tokyo, the world's largest and most congested urban area, is no exaggeration. The frugal 50cc engine enjoys a tax break in Japan, and in a city where vehicles rarely get near the speed limits, is more than powerful enough to get the job done. Equally interesting is the array of boxes built onto the platform, some of which offer enough carrying capacity to fit a small third world country.

Honda's electric Canopy (Gyro

It's a monumental sales success in Japan and has been produced in one form or another for 28 years, with the actual Gyro model now in production for 27 years. Now we're not party to who owns what in this area, but our understanding is that the three-wheeled design was patented in the UK in 1966 and first marketed as the BSA Ariel 3 in 1970.

Honda's electric Canopy (Gyro

The patented three-wheeled design was subsequently licensed to Honda, though it has been copied extensively, particularly in China (most notably as the Xingyue but there appear to be numerous copies) and a very similar two-wheeled version of the layout has been employed by BMW, first as the C3, and more recently as the BMW C1-E concept scooter.

In Japan, the fully-enclosed gas-powered scooter sells for less than US$3500, and can be purchased naked or fully enclosed and is designed like a cab-chassis utility, to be fitted with an aftermarket rear section suitable for your line of business.

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Honda shows smarter robot, helps in nuclear crisis

honda's human-shaped robot asimo

Honda's human-shaped robot can now run faster, balance itself on uneven surfaces, hop on one foot and pour a drink. Some of its technology may even be used to help out with clean-up operations at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Honda's demonstration of the revamped "Asimo" on Tuesday at its Tokyo suburban research facility was not only to prove that the bubble-headed childlike machine was more limber and a bit smarter.
It was a way to try to answer some critics that Asimo, first shown in 2000, had been of little practical use so far, proving to be nothing more than a glorified toy and cute showcase for the Honda Motor Co. brand.
Honda President Takanobu Ito told reporters some of Asimo's technology was used to develop a robotic arm in just six months with the intention of helping with the nuclear crisis in northeastern Japan.
The mechanical arm can open and close valves at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which went into meltdown after the March tsunami, according to Honda. The automaker is working with the utility behind the problem plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co., to try to meet demands to bring the plant under control.
Ito acknowledged that the first idea was to send in Asimo to help out, but that was not possible because the robot cannot maneuver in rubble, and its delicate computer parts would malfunction in radiation.
But in Tuesday's demonstration, Asimo was able to walk without falling over 2 centimeter (0.8 inch) padded bumps on the floor.

asimo

It can also now jog faster than it did in 2005, at 9 kilometers per hour (5.6 mph), instead of the earlier 6 kph (3.7 mph), pushing better with its toes so its run was smoother and not as jerky.
Asimo was also able to distinguish the voices of three people spoken at once, using face recognition and analyzing sound, to figure out that one woman wanted hot coffee, another orange juice, and still another milk tea.
The new Asimo got improved hands as well, allowing individual movement of each finger, so it could do sign language.
"My name is Asimo," it said, making the signs of its words with stubby fingers.
It also opened a thermos bottle and gracefully poured juice into a paper cup.
Ito said Asimo had developed autonomous artificial intelligence so that it could potentially maneuver itself through crowds of people, without remote control or stopping each time to check on its programming.
But he acknowledged that making robotics into a practical business will take more time, meaning Asimo wasn't about to show up in any home soon.
"Maybe at the start this was a dream of engineers to make a machine that was close to a human being, like Astro Boy," he said. "We think Asimo is good."
Other manufacturers are also developing robots, eager to cash in on the expected needs of Japan's rapidly aging population.
Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's top automaker which makes the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models, is among those to have jumped on the robotics bandwagon.
In the past, it has shown robots that can play the violin and talk like receptionists. Last week, it showed a computerized device that latches on to the body to help old or sick people walk and keep balance.
Honda, which makes the Odyssey minivan and Accord sedan, has developed similar brace-like gadgets to help people get about.
Neither the Toyota nor Honda product is on sale yet.
Still, experts say such research is important to keep up.
"Maybe it can't be put to use right away, but it is definitely a technology that we should keep working on to advance," Hiroshi Kobayashi, a mechanical engineering professor at Tokyo University of Science, said of the new Asimo.
"It is common for what we achieve in research to turn out later to lead to many products," said Kobayashi, who has developed experimental robots.
STORY BY AP

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Honda announces new V4 adventure sports tourer - the Crosstourer

Honda's 1200 V4 Crosstourer

Honda has confirmed that the Crosstourer concept shown at the 2010 EICMA show in Milan will go into mass production. The Crosstourer uses the V4 engine from the VFR1200F, plus long travel suspension, a more upright riding position plus the option of a Dual Clutch Transmission.

Clearly Honda is aiming the Crosstourer at the adventure marketplace currently dominated by BMW's R1200GS and populated by the likes of Yamaha's XT1200Z Super Tenere, Ducati's Multistrada, Triumph's Tiger and Suzuki's V-Strom. Just where the bike is positioned in the road-dirt mix with its 1200cc V4 engine is hard to determine just yet.
Though images of the Crosstourer concept from last year area available, Honda is giving away very little information at this point about what differences the production model will have to the concept.

The only statement released by Honda on the bike so far comes from the leader of the development team, Yosuke Hasegawa:"The Crosstourer offers a high-level fusion of vibrant off-road styling, upright riding position, V4 engine power and Dual Clutch Transmission that offers more direct power transmission and easy operation. We are convinced that we have successfully brought out new value in what can be termed the true Crossover Concept."

By Gizmag

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Robotics/Friendly Humanoid Robot Asimo

I'm Going Where? Wikimedia Commons

Honda says that the Asahi Shimbun report is "speculative." "Although Honda hopes that ASIMO will someday be a helper to people, at this point the robot is solely a research and design project," a Honda spokeswoman said.
A couple camera-toting robots have been tooling around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where radiation levels are still making it unsafe for human workers. Now Japanese media are reporting the crews are getting their first humanoid counterpart.
Technology, Rebecca Boyle, ASIMO, cleanup, fukushima daiichi, humanoid robots, japanese earthquake, nuclear reactor, robots
Honda is aiming to redesign Asimo, its 4-foot-tall humanoid robot, so it can join workers at Fukushima Daiichi, according to Japanese media. Asimo would need tires or caterpillar tracks instead of its delicate legs, and the robot would also need updates to its arms so they can move as smoothly as a human’s, according to the newspaper Asahi Shimbun (reported by AFP).
Since it was introduced a little more than 10 years ago, Asimo has been a robot ambassador of sorts, used mostly to spur robotics research and development. The robot greets children at science museums and has even met heads of state. But it has not been tapped for such difficult labor before.
Asimo can easily shake hands, carry a tray and push small objects, but it would need motorized shoulders, elbows and wrists to get more human-like moves, the paper says. It’s not clear what Asimo would be doing inside the Fukushima plant, but it would likely go into radiation hotspots where it remains dangerous for humans to enter.
Fukushima Daiichi’s reactors have been leaking radiation since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami knocked out its cooling systems. Workers are being exposed to high levels of radiation while trying to make repairs. Japanese elderly have even offered to do the job, to spare the younger workers from harmful radiation. But a human-like robot would clearly be a better alternative.

[via AFP ]

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2011 Honda Insight /Review

Pricing: $18,200 to $21,490 MSRP/$17,184 to $20,277 Invoice Price
EPA Fuel Economy (MPG): 40 City/43 Highway

If you’re looking for a low-cost, high-mileage answer to the rising fuel prices, then look no further than the efficient and fun 2011 Honda Insight hybrid.

The 2011 Honda Insight competes directly with the Toyota Prius, and the Insight receives an astonishing EPA-estimated 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway.  The Insight pairs a 1.3-liter, 98-horsepower 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine with a 10-kilowatt electric motor and nickel metal hydride battery for full, hybrid functionality. The Eco Assist display lets you to control various systems that affect fuel economy such as idle stop duration, air-conditioning, and cruise control, in order to maximize your mileage.  Almost like a video game, the Insight’s speedometer turns from blue to green based on how efficiently you are driving, while the Eco Guide display lets you earn five digital plants with leaves that grow if you drive green enough.

A new trim level, the “Insight” serves as the base model and joins the LX and EX.  Similar in style to Honda’s subcompact Fit, the Insight hybrid has a sharper nose and a wedge-shaped rear that gives it its own unique look.  Projector-beam halogen headlights, LED brake lights, turn-signals in the side mirrors, and alloy wheels are some of the goodies that can be had on the 2011 Honda Insight hybrid.

On the inside, the 2011 Insight seats five occupants in cloth upholstery.  The rear 60/40-split seat folds down to improve cargo space and the Insight comes equipped with several standard features such as air conditioning, automatic climate control, power windows, locks and mirrors, audio MP3 jack for your iPod, and a tilt-telescoping steering wheel.  Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, a USB input jack for the stereo, Bluetooth® connectivity, cruise control and Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System are optional.

The 2011 Honda Insight is loaded with standard safety features like side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags for both rows, antilock brakes, driver and front passenger active head restraints, and an electronic stability control system.
You don’t have to look to the future to know that superior fuel economy is the way to go.  And get where you’re going in the present with the gas-sipping 2011 Honda Insight hybrid hatchback.

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2011 Honda CBR250R/Babyblade is back

Twenty years ago, quarter-liter sportsbikes ruled the roost in many regions, offering a mix of racy looks, light weight and snappy performance. But in recent years, with all the other major players leaving the segment, Kawasaki has enjoyed unchallenged sales success with its sharp-looking, yet friendly Ninja 250. But the mini-ninja will soon face stiff competition from Honda's totally re-conceived babyblade CBR250R, equipped with a 249cc single-cylinder, fuel injected engine, a tasty fairing that mimics the CBR1000RR and the first instance of optional ABS to grace the market segment. This will be a killer learner machine and a great introduction to the sport for legions of young riders.
Fast-forward 20 years to the learnerbike market of today -– while many countries have graduated license schemes based on power-to-weight ratios, allowing learner riders to get on big, friendly bikes like the GS500, GSX650F, CB400 and the like, the bike that has really been setting sales figures alight is the Kawasaki Ninja 250.

And the Ninja got a lot of things right; it looks fast, but it's not as highly strung as the old ZXR. In fact, it's based on the old faithful GPZ and ZZR bikes that rounded out Kawasaki's 250cc offering for decades. Practical and rewarding machines that always seemed to play second fiddle to the racier looking machines.
The Ninja 250 put a coat of glamor on top of the fantastic GPX platform, creating a learnerbike that was both desirable AND rideable, that drew new riders into the sport but gave them something encouraging and friendly to develop their skills on. Released in 2008 and more or less unchallenged in its segment, it's still selling like crazy.
The engine choice is an interesting one – Kawasaki has had great success with the Ninja 250R's parallel twin, but Honda has opted for a single-cylinder 249cc 4-stroke, fuel injected and very much oversquare, with a bore of 76mm and a stroke of just 55mm.
No power figures are quoted as yet, but that engine configuration suggests a very torquey bike, easy to get off the line and quick to build revs. It's also light, tipping the scales at 161 kg wet. Seat height is a fair bit higher than the Ninja 250R, at 78 cm versus the Kawasaki's 74.5 cm.

Most significantly, the Honda CBR250R will be the first bike in the segment to offer an ABS braking system – in this case, Honda's Combined ABS system, which in addition to managing wheel slip, also makes a proportion of the rear pedal braking pressure activate the front brakes.
It will certainly not match the stratospheric power figures of that era, but as an entry machine into the world of motorcycling, it will serve new riders much better – without sacrificing the desirability factor of the older machines.
The aftermarket is already getting in on the act, anticipating this machine will be a big hit. The recent Thai Motor Expo saw big-name players like Mugen and Moriwaki showcasing an array of aftermarket gear for the new babyblade, including a couple of full fairing kits to make race replicas. Expect this part of the market to take off even harder when MotoGP's 125cc 2-strokes leave the grid forever, replaced by 250cc 4-strokes.
The only thing that remains to be seen is how the new CBR goes against the Ninja 250R – and you can bet your hat there'll be a rash of comparo tests hitting the magazines and the Web the second the CBR250R becomes available – which will be in Q2 this year. Whichever one takes off quicker from the lights, my vote's with the Honda and its ABS system.

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Honda announces next generation motorcycle engine

Honda announces next generation motorcycle engine with outstanding fuel economy and useability

 Honda has developed a highly fuel-efficient, very torquey 700cc twin cylinder engine with a second-generation Dual Clutch Transmission which will be showcased in the EICMA 2011 International Motorcycle Exhibition in November in Milan, Italy.
For motorcyclists, the 700-twin engine will be an interesting new alternative as the engine reportedly delivers powerful torque in the low- to mid-speed range, something that makes riding a joy around town, and something that is much rarer than it should be with modern motorcycles. Over the last forty years, motorcycle magazines have concentrated on horsepower and lap times, which are largely immaterial for machines not at the sporting edge.
The engine is also described in the press releases as having a "pleasant throbbing feel" and that the overall package has reduced vibration. The properties of the engine have been achieved by the combination of half a dozen technologies, beginning with Honda's PGM-FI electronic fuel injection system, a 270 degree offset crankshaft, and a uni-axial primary balancer.
The engine uses branch intake ports inside the cylinder head so there is only one intake channel for both cylinders. It is designed to create deliberate interference between the intake processes of the two cylinders, and the rest of the engine is designed to use this to give it the above-mentioned engine character which sounds like it might be something special. Apart from varying the combustion timing in each cylinder, there are also changes to the valve timing between the two in-line cylinders. In deciding this was necessary, Honda then used one camshaft deliver two timing routines for the intake valve.
Through these measures, "subtle combustion changes can be generated" to give the engine the aforementioned "delightful, pulsating feel". So it would appear that Honda is purposefully building "character" into its new 700, just as BMW and Husqvarna have done with the Rotax 800 parallel twin, and is evident on all motorcycles usually related to the architecture of the motor - just as Harley and Ducati have found in different ways with the V-twin design
Its design offers the best protection against the elements, the most carrying capacity, remarkable performance and better fuel economy than anything that would come close to it in a straight line.

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2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite/Review

In bold 28-point Akzidenz Grotesk type, the headline boomed: "Best Minivan Ever?" Just asking the question gave our 2008 Chrysler Town & Country (or the "Norge," as we affectionately dubbed the big white box-on-wheels) major credentials.

Somewhere at the crossroads of its comfortable ride, its family-friendly amenities and its flexible interior space, we did find a sort of driving nirvana with the T&C--not the type that satisfies the inner Parnelli Jones, perhaps, but a perfection nonetheless.

It silenced the quality skeptics, too. In the 33,000 miles we'd racked up on the odo--it crisscrossed the country, traversed the Rockies and shepherded all of our dormitory-bound children off to college and home again--never once did we have to spend a night without our dear Norge. It required nothing more than routine maintenance and a replacement tire.

 For all of the advancements introduced by Chrysler--dual sliding doors (yes, there was a day when minivans had but one sliding rear door, on the passenger side), fold-in-the-floor seats, conversion-van-like amenities--it's the Honda that is cited most often by aficionados of minivans as the standard-bearer.

Our particular long-termer hasn't inspired its own nickname (at least, not yet), but it does bring with it a heck of a lot of stuff. We started with a top-trim Touring Elite model, with a base price of $44,030--far north of a new, top-of-the-line Town & Country Limited's starting point of $39,995. But the Odyssey Touring Elite comes standard with almost everything we could want in a minivan. The only options we tacked on were a trailer hitch with two hitch balls and roof rails and cross bars. The grand total came to $45,369.

For all that coin, we do get a nice power and performance setup. Where lower-trim Odysseys make do with a five-speed box, our Honda has the more fuel-efficient six-speed transmission, paired with a 3.5-liter V6 engine turning out 248 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque, with Honda's Variable Cylinder Management system. Our long-termer also gets bigger 18-inch wheels in place of the stock 17s; a full complement of safety features, including six airbags, front-seat whiplash protection and an alphabetic mélange of electronic systems (ABS, EBD, VSA, BA, BSI); a power moonroof, liftgate and sliding doors; GPS navigation with voice controls; a 650-watt sound system with a 15-GB hard drive, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

With all of those goodies and seating for eight (one more than our Chrysler, whose second-row swivel seats allowed for only seven riders), the sign-up sheet for the Honda is filling up fast. A bonus for the more outdoorsy staffers is that the Odyssey has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, plenty of pull for a small duck boat or a pop-up camper.

PRICING & OPTIONS

Base (includes $780 delivery): $44,030

As-tested price: $45,369

Specifications:

• 3.5-liter i-VTEC™ V-6 engine with three-mode Variable Cylinder Management™

• Preliminary estimated fuel economy, Odyssey Touring Elite (City/Highway): 19/28 miles per gallon*

Interior:

• AM/FM/XM/CD Premium Audio System with 12 Speakers

• Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Activation

• Ultra-Wide Rear Entertainment System (RES) with split-screen capability

• External HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input

• 150-watt AC power outlet

• Media tray with integrated beverage holder

• Removable 1st row center console with hidden storage

• New cool box in lower center stack (keeps items cool when vehicle is running)

• Leather-trimmed seating with heated front seats

• Memory-linked 10-way power driver’s seat

• LATCH child seat anchors in five seating positions, including three positions in the second row to accommodate three child seats simultaneously

• Two captain’s chairs in the second row provide adult comfort with center seat folded down

• One-strap stowable 3rd Row Magic Seat®

• Second- and third-row passenger window sunshades

• 15 beverage holders

• Trash bag ring

Exterior:

• HID front headlights

• 18-inch alloy wheels

• 12.6-inch ventilated front disc brakes

• Power side mirrors with integrated turn indicators

• Power tailgate

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