Honda Takes New Approach with Insight Prototype Debuting at 2018 North American International Auto Show

This news is for the U.S. market but I would expect the new G3 Insight to be showing up around the world in a short while after.

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 19, 2017 - The Honda Insight Prototype will make its world debut at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 15, 2018 as the precursor to the all-new 2019 Honda Insight - an upscale, stylish five-passenger sedan positioned above the Civic in Honda's passenger car lineup. The all-new Insight utilizes the latest generation of Honda's innovative two-motor hybrid system and will launch next summer as the newest electrified vehicle in the Honda lineup.

"With its sophisticated styling, dynamic stance, ample interior space and best-in-class performance, the all-new Insight embodies Honda's approach to creating electrified vehicles without the typical tradeoffs," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of Automobile Sales and general manager of the Honda Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.  "You won't have to be an electrification advocate to appreciate the new Insight - it's a great car in its own right, independent of what's happening under the hood."

Introduced in 1999, the first-generation Insight was America's first hybrid vehicle and a technological tour de force with optimized aerodynamics and a lightweight aluminum structure. As a result, the 2-door Insight launched as the most fuel-efficient EPA certified gasoline-fueled vehicle with a highway rating of 70 miles per gallon. It was the first Honda vehicle to utilize Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system.

The second-generation Insight made its debut in 2009 as the most affordable hybrid on the market. With its 5-door, 5-passenger design, the second-gen Insight offered increased space and utility while continuing to employ the IMA hybrid system.

The all-new 2019 Insight takes an entirely new approach with the styling, packaging, premium features and performance desired by mainstream car buyers - a hybrid vehicle without any inherent compromise. Unlike the first two generations of Insight, the all-new model will be powered by Honda's two-motor hybrid system offering fuel economy that is competitive with other compact hybrid models.

"At the 2017 North American International Auto Show we announced our Honda Electrification Initiative with the intention to make two-thirds of Honda's global vehicle sales electrified vehicles by 2030," said Arcangeli, "With the Insight launching later in 2018 as the fifth electrified vehicle brought to market over the past year, we're demonstrating our commitment to that goal."

The Insight - to be manufactured at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana plant, alongside Civic and CR-V using domestic and globally sourced parts - will join the Clarity series (Clarity Fuel Cell, Clarity Electric and Clarity Plug-in Hybrid) and the all-new 2018 Accord Hybrid, arriving at dealerships nationwide early next year.

Malaysia Autoshow 2017

The Malaysian Autoshow is here, running from tomorrow, Nov 9th till the end of this week Nov 12th. Organized by the Malaysia Automotive Institute, this year's show is the biggest yet held. Venue wise, it has also been shifted from previous years, and is now being held at the Malaysia Argo Exposition Park (MAEPS) located in Sepang.

A total of 150 exhibitors (including lifestyle manufacturers) have registered and will be exhibiting in the Autoshow. Almost all the car manufacturers will be at the show. One key feature of this year's show is the new venue actually has two test-tracks, one on-road and one off-road. As a result, visitors to this year's show will be able to test-drive numerous cars at the venue itself. Honda Malaysia for e.g., will be bringing almost their complete range of models to the show and Honda fans will be able to test-drive most of the models.

This means that the person who is currently shopping for a new car will find the Autoshow the near perfect event as he or she can check-out all the cars under consideration and possibly also test-drive all of them for comparison, all in one place. To facilitate the decision and the final buying process (in case the person wants to complete the purchase there and then as well), MAI has arranged for free valuation for the person's current car as well as a panel financier (Public Bank Berhad) and a panel insurer (AmInsure). With this, one can literally shop around, compare, test-drive and buy a new car all in the Autoshow itself.

Other than just enjoying the cars on display, MAI has also arranged for many attractions for the show, one of them being a free 39 points inspection of their cars. As usual, various lucky draws are also on offer, including the grand prize of a Peugeot 208 for one lucky visitor to the show.

Unique Experiences

Honda fans will probably know about the newest technology Honda is display which is "Honda Sensing". This is a collection of technology based features which enhances the driving experience and safety and includes features such as "lane keep" and Adaptive Auto-cruise. In a normal test-drive on public roads, it's going to be a bit difficult for one to test out these features. But in the Autoshow, Honda has a special "Honda Sensing Technology Experience" exhibit where visitors will be shown by trained drivers the various features. In yesterday's Honda Malaysia "Deepavali" event, media members were given the chance to experience Honda Sensing technology in the form of a short test-drive of the new Honda Accord 2.4 VTi-L Advanced model. A trained driver took me for a spin in an old-airfield in Putrajaya and conduct two demonstrations for Lane-Keep and Adaptive Auto-Cruise for me. I will say that the demo and test-drive was very interesting. For Honda fans, this exhibit should be a must-visit.

A rather unique experience offered in the show is the so-called "Super Car Taxi Ride". Priced at RM30, visitors can get to experience being driven around the show's test track (which is 3km long) in either a Bentley Bentayga or a Ford Mustang GT 5.0. This should be a very popular booth to visit indeed.

Other "unique experiences" includes the "(SUV) Sport Utility Vehicle 4x4 Experience" which similar to the above offers visitors the chance to be driven around the off-road test-track (this one is 200m long) for a fee of RM10. Note however that this experience is only open from the 10th onwards.

Finally there is the "Karting Slalom" competition where visitors can enter to compete in a special Go-Kart race with numerous attractive prices (including a first price of RM2,000 worth of fuel vouchers).

Planning Purposes

To help readers interested to visit the Autoshow plan their visit, below are the layouts of the show venue. Most of the car exhibits are focussed on two main halls. Hall A is where the most of the car exhibits are and is where Honda is located. However, manufacturers BMW, Volvo and Land Rover/Jaguar will be exhibiting in Hall C. Hall C is also where the superbikes will be (courtesy of NAZA Bikes) as well as the special "Classic Cars Collection" exhibit. Mercedes Benz however decided to have their exhibit under tents on the outside of the halls. There is one more exhibit hall, Hall D, and this is where a special car symposium will take place along with the "lifestyle" exhibitors (car accessories, as well as non car related exhibitors). Outside of 'stock' cars, there will be a modified cars and bikes exhibition as well.

The aerial photo below, obviously taken from Google Earth, has been overlaid with locations of the various exhibits.

Further below are the actual layout plans of Halls A and C where almost all the main car exhibits are located (except Mercedes which can be found in the master layout plan above).

From the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show : Video and Images of the Honda Sports EV concept

In the Tokyo Motor Show currently on-going, one of the cars on show at the Honda booth is their new "Sports EV" concept car. Below are the video and the images that Honda provided for this car. 

Honda Sports EV Concept:

Honda exhibited the world premiere of the Honda Sports EV Concept, a concept model which combines EV performance and AI (artificial intelligence) inside a compact body with the aim to realize the joy of driving the user can feel with a sense of unity with the car.

Honda Sports EV Concept video

Honda Sports EV Concept photo and images

HONDA MALAYSIA RECALLS 2,814 UNITS OF HR-V (2016YM) TO REPLACE FRONT STABILISER BAR

Honda Malaysia today announced a product recall for 2,814 units of HR-V 2016 Year Model due to the possibility that the front stabiliser bar may break under high stress. All other Honda current selling models are not affected by this recall.

According to Honda Malaysia, the stabiliser bar breakage is due to insufficient temperature control during its production process, resulting in compromised strength of the stabiliser bar and thus, leading to possible breakage during high stress. Breakage of the stabiliser bar might cause wheels to be unbalanced, resulting in instability during a drive and the car pulling to the left or right.

As of today, there are no incidences of crashes or injuries related to this issue reported in Malaysia. Honda Malaysia is taking this preemptive measure to ensure customer safety and sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to all affected customers.

All affected front stabiliser bars will be replaced with newly made parts. Currently, Honda Malaysia has 50% of the replacement parts in stock nationwide, and parts availability will be at 100% in mid-November 2017.

Honda Malaysia would like to assure all customers that the company is committed to its mission to maintain the best product performance; hence the proactive measure is being taken to avoid any possible damages or accidents.

All affected customers will be informed via notification letters, which will include details of the product recall. Customers who receive the letter are advised to send their vehicles to the nearest Honda authorised dealer nationwide for inspection and replacement. All cost related to this replacement activity will be borne by Honda Malaysia.

Honda Malaysia strongly encourages all affected customers to replace the affected stabiliser bar urgently once they receive the letter as its breakage can potentially lead to tyre puncture and instability.

Honda customers are urged to check their vehicle recall status either by logging on to www.honda.com.my or www.productrecall.honda.com.my today or by calling the Honda Toll Free number 1-800-88-2020.

HONDA MALAYSIA TO WELCOME NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MR. TOICHI ISHIYAMA

Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. today announced that Mr. Toichi Ishiyama will be succeeding Mr. Katsuto Hayashi as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Ishiyama will officially assume office in Malaysia on 1 November 2017. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited. The career of Mr. Ishiyama, 48, spans 25 years in Honda in various roles in Japan, USA, Thailand, China and Pakistan. During his assignments in Thailand and China, Mr. Ishiyama delved deep into understanding local markets in relation to automobile. With more than 20 years of experience in researching markets and product planning, Mr. Ishiyama’s forte is an advantage towards ensuring that Honda Malaysia continues its strong momentum as the No.1 Non-National Vehicle Brand and No.2 in overall Total Industry Volume (TIV).

Mr. Ishiyama has indicated that he will continue to focus on total excellence in products and customer experience to emphasise the Joy of Buying for Malaysians. He believes the strategy put in place by Mr. Hayashi will see Honda Malaysia through to another achievement year, reaching the target of 100,000 units in sales for this year.

During his tenure in Malaysia, Mr. Hayashi successfully strengthened Honda Malaysia’s position as the No.1 in Non-National segment and No.2 in overall TIV and in the process, also attained No.1 position in terms of market share among Honda automobile operations worldwide in some of those months. The company achieved the highest local market share in history in March 2017, at 20.5%. Honda Malaysia recorded 100,000 sales units in the fiscal year of April 2016 to March 2017 as well celebrated its historical 600,000th production unit under Mr. Hayashi’s watch.

Preparing Honda Malaysia for the next growth phase, Mr. Hayashi strategically switched focus to offer more Advanced Technology to customers. Under the theme of Next Generation Advanced Technology, turbocharged engine was introduced last year. Mr. Hayashi was praised greatly for the success of the Civic with turbocharged engine variant as an option for Malaysians. Civic was the pioneer mass production Japanese model in Malaysia to be fitted with turbocharged engine to suit local demand.

This focus was further expanded with the launch of Sport Hybrid i-DCD variants, making Malaysia the only country outside of Japan to introduce the highly accepted environmental friendly powertrain that does not compromise the fun-to-drive element of the car. To date, Honda Malaysia is the leader of hybrid segment in Malaysia. Honda Malaysia also introduced the All-New CR-V with Honda SENSING to offer a new level of advanced safety. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be launched All-New Civic Type R 2.0L VTEC Turbocharged, which has been recorded as the fastest front-wheel drive production car, is set to exhilarate customers who demand the thrill and fun of the throttle in their drive. In total, Mr. Hayashi steered Honda Malaysia’s launch of five new models and expansion by four new dealers to a total of 90 Honda dealers nationwide.

Mr. Hayashi who led Honda Malaysia for one and a half years, will be taking on a new role as the General Manager, Overseas Operation Division (Americas), Regional Operation (North America) in Honda Motor Co., Ltd. in Japan.

HONDA’S WORLD’S FASTEST FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE (FWD) PRODUCTION CAR TO ARRIVE ON MALAYSIAN SHORES

Sepang, 29 September 2017 – Honda Malaysia today announced that the All-New Civic Type R will be the most powerful Honda model ever to be introduced in the Honda Malaysia model line-up. Record-breaking All-New Civic Type R has claimed the title of world’s fastest front-wheel-drive (FWD) production car with a new benchmark lap time record of 7 minutes 43.80 seconds at the Nurburgring Circuit in Germany early April this year.

The Type R is Honda’s iconic racing and sports model whose name and reputation is almost cult-like. Making history for the past 25 years since its first introduction in 1992, the characteristic and development concept of the Type R has always been light-weight, dynamic performance and mechanically simple. The 2017 All-New Civic Type R adopts the same concept optimizing advance technology to current era, enabling the All-New Civic Type R to set a new record for a front-wheel-drive (FWD) production car.

The most significant improvement of this All-New Civic Type R is enhanced aerodynamics that gives greater performance and excellent stability, allowing this Type R model to achieve much quicker lap time compared to previous-generation (European market) Type R. It delivers the best package in its class, providing powerful performance both on the road and on race track, yet highly adaptable to our daily driving demands.

The hot hatch Honda has a body that defines racing perfection. With a low and wide stance, the air curtain at the front bumper, side sill flick up and wing cross section of the rear wing gives excellent high speed dynamic performance. It was developed with the most ambitious design of Civic Hatchback platform with high rigidity body frame and an increase of 38% in torsional stiffness compared to previous generation (European market) Type R. The All-New Civic Type R is an ultimate representation of the racing spirit of Honda that is embodied in Honda’s DNA.

The All-New Civic Type R is equipped with 2.0-liter VTEC Turbocharged engine that offers high output and higher performance. Providing 310PS and maximum torque of 400NM, the All-New Civic Type R provides powerful performance and unmatchable driving experience. The high performance engine is mated with 6-Speed Manual Transmission that delivers exhilarating fun and engaging driver experience. Honda Research & Development (R&D) has developed the manual transmission, enabling precise shift for the drivers.

The All-New Civic Type R comes with 3-Way Driving Modes (COMFORT, SPORT and +R) which allow drivers to set their preferred driving mode to experience different dynamic performance in different driving environment, be it on the road or on track. The 3-Way Driving Modes control the Adaptive Damper System (ADS), Drive-by-Wire throttle (DBW), Electronic Power Steering (EPS), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), traction and brake system. Each driving mode provides a balance of the ride and handling for different experiences when the driver switches mode. Furthermore, all 3-Modes are adaptive and suitable for daily driving, yet ever ready to go on the track.

Honda R&D also developed a 3-Way Exhaust System to provide sports feel with an acceleration sound to fulfill the driver's aspiration. At low to medium speed, it produces a powerful exhaust sound, while at high rotation range it reduces unpleasant muffled sounds and creates a refined experience for the drivers.

With the improvement of cornering performance in mind, the All-New Civic Type R’s 20 inch Aluminum Alloy Wheels was designed for aggressive and high speed performance. Despite the powerful performance of the All-New Civic Type R, it comes with highly responsive and durable braking system. It is well-fitted with high performance BREMBO brakes to achieve superior braking performance. A cooling duct at the front bumper opening introduces fresh air, enabling efficient air cooling and greatly improving braking performance at high speed.

The All-New Civic Type R model for Malaysian market is manufactured at Honda’s Swindon, United Kingdom plant with the engine being produced in Anna, Ohio (Honda of America Manufacturing Inc).

In celebrating the excitement of being the ‘Champion of Champions’, the All-New Civic Type R together with Jazz Hybrid Mugen, Civic 1.5L Turbocharged and All-New CR-V will be previewed at Honda Innovation. Evolution. Booth, at the 2017 Formula One Petronas Grand Prix in Sepang International Circuit Mall Area from 29^th September 2017 to 1^st October 2017  (Formula 1 Malaysia Race Weekend).

Malaysians can place a booking for the All-New Civic Type R from 1^st October 2017 onwards at 21 selected Honda Sport Dealers (please refer to the table below for full listing). Sport Dealers are Honda’s appointed authorized dealers that carry the All-New Civic Type R in Malaysia. For more information on the All-New Civic Type R, please call Honda’s Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020 or log on to www.honda.com.my

List of Honda Sport Dealers         

*Customers can place their booking for All-New Civic Type R at the listed dealership below.

No	Region	Honda Sport Dealers
1	Central	Autoworld Asia Sdn Bhd
2	Central	Botanic Auto Mall Sdn Bhd
3	Central	Global Amity Sdn Bhd (Bangi)
4	Central	Kah Motor Co Sdn Bhd - Selayang
5	Central	Sri Utama Auto Sdn Bhd
6	Central	USJ Car Express Sdn Bhd
7	Central	MH Prestige Auto Sdn Bhd
8	Central	Peringgit Sri Motor Sdn Bhd
9	Central	Tenaga Setia Resources Sdn Bhd
10	Central	The Millenium Auto Carriage
11	East Coast	Chuan Thye Motor Sdn Bhd
12	East Coast	Syarikat Tan Eng Ann Sd Bhd
13	East Malaysia	Syarikat Labuan Automobile Sdn Bhd
14	Northern	Ban Hoe Seng (Auto) Sdn Bhd
15	Northern	Formula Venture Sdn Bhd
16	Northern	Kah Motor Co Sdn Bhd - Sg Pinang
17	Northern	Lee Motor SP (Car Div) Sdn Bhd
18	Northern	Yooi Cars Sdn Bhd
19	Southern	Ban Lee Heng Motor Sdn Bhd (Seremban)
20	Southern	Syarikat Motor GS Tay Sdn Bhd
21	Southern	Yong Ming Motor Sdn Bhd