Posts for 'Honda' Category

Pay attention, class. This week’s discussion is on the psychology of the hybrid. To help explore it – Oxford English Dictionary, please note – I have come up with a meaningful new word. It is “priety”. And it defines the caring state of grace that drivers of Toyota’s Prius hybrid “green” car tend to bestow upon themselves.The Prius made its debut on the world’s roads well over a decade ago. There are now more than one million in circulation, their drivers virtuously demonstrating how they are helping to save the planet.

To some extent, the Prius’s progress has been a triumph of subtle, holier-than-thou image-building almost as much as innovative machinery. In the real world of day-to-day usage including long journeys, the Prius does well to achieve an average 55 miles per gallon – not the mid-70s with which it is credited by official EU test figures and barely better than state-of-the-art turbodiesels.

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The second law of thermodynamics is a bummer. In the broadest sense, it says that everything is getting worse all the time. Things break, your coffee gets cold. Chaos eventually triumphs over order.Before you stick your head in the oven, there's a silver lining. The second law only applies to closed systems. An outside force can make things better. The intervening factor can be as simple as a waitress pouring fresh coffee to warm your cup or as profound as the human ingenuity that builds bridges and cures diseases.Honda was once an extremely ingenious automaker, but each of its recent hybrid cars is less impressive than the one that came before.

Granted, Honda set a high standard for itself. It introduced the first hybrid gasoline-electric car to America with the two-seat Insight hatchback in 1999. The revolutionary Insight would score 49 m.p.g. in the city, 61 m.p.g. on the highway and 53 m.p.g. in combined driving on the current EPA fuel economy test. The light and lively Insight was also fun to drive.

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Another concept recently displayed at the Geneva Auto show, the Honda EV-N is a battery electric vehicle reminiscent of the diminutive N360 city car of the late '60s. Solar panels in to the roof of the car work to charge the car while it is parked, and two of Honda's U3-X electric personal mobility devices are attached to the inside of each door. A Lithium ion battery pack and small electric motor are included at no extra cost, making it best suited for local, urban use.

The EV-N concept's four-seat interior makes use of the compact dimensions of the battery electric drivetrain, maximizing space and utility without increasing dimensions. The seats are forged from high quality mesh fabric, making them light and easy to change, allowing drivers to customize the color and fabric of the interior without lifting more than a hand or two. With its deliberately minimalistic interior style, the EV-N will appeal not only to the general public, but the most devoted feng-shui master as well.`

The Honda Accord is the UK's most reliable new car, and among seven of the top 10 hassle-free motors that come from a Japanese carmaker, according to a report from Which? Car. The Accord, which sells for just under £20,000 brand new, scored 98.5% in the magazine's survey of motorists, while the Honda Jazz came a close second with a 98.2% reliability rating.

Five other cars from Japanese marques scored more than 94% in the survey, which was based on information from the owners of more than 84,000 vehicles about breakdowns, faults and niggles they had experienced while driving.

At the other end of the scale, the sporty Audi A5 was rated the new car most likely to go wrong, with a 75.8% reliability rating putting it bottom of the 121 models reviewed. Owners of the stylish coupe reported significant problems with its electrics.

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Honda cars are entering a new generation of hybrid technologies, which include the 2010 Honda Insight and the Civic. Hybrid cars will also make the conversion from gasoline to fuel cell with the 2010 Honda Civic. The Honda Civic is still a great fuel efficient vehicle with proven reliability.

Hybrid cars are growing in higher demand than ever before. Automakers are converting their popular models with new plug in options and hybrid batteries. The industry is changing and the future brings clean energy and fewer carbon emissions.

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Designed to show that high performance and green concerns can go hand-in-hand, the Honda FC Sport Concept is a look at what a future fuel cell-powered 3-seat sports car would look like.

 The FC Sport incorporates the same V Flow fuel-cell technology that Honda has developed for the limited-production FCX Clarity sedan. This new concept has a lightweight cab-forward body housing the fuel-cell propulsion system located between the rear two seats. The battery pack and electric motor — mounted low in the chassis ahead of the rear axle — give the car a low center of gravity and help ensure an ideal fore/aft weight distribution.

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Toronto, Ontario - The Honda FC Sport concept, a hydrogen-powered three-seat sports car, will make its Canadian debut at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto on February 11.

The FC Sport uses Honda’s V Flow fuel cell technology, already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan, and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with electric motor performance and zero emissions.

“The Honda FC Sport explores new ways to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president of Honda Canada. “People who enjoy sports cars will not be forgotten by Honda in a hydrogen-powered future.”

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The 2009 Honda Pilot has received an extreme make-over. The updated and more aggressive body styling makes this Pilot very attractive. The extra space is definitely a bonus.

When the Pilot first came out in 2003, it was a big hit. It offered more room than the popular CRV but not as big and bulky as a full-size SUV. Gas was not a concern back then, not that it was too terrible on gas. With the changes made to the engine you can feel good again about driving this size SUV.

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FORGET the latest Ford Mondeo, the all-new Honda Accord is setting its sights far higher - at BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Lexus to be exact.

Not content with the rep-mobile market, Honda's "key customers" according to its press pack are "senior managers and user choosers within the corporate market". course, to impress these high-flyers the new car has to match its rivals for build quality, driveability and desirability.

The saloon model reached UK showrooms in the summer but it's the Tourer, launched in September, which offers added versatility to the corporate buyer with a family.And where the previous model looked a little ungainly, Honda engineers have lopped a centimetre or so off the new model's length to bring it more into proportion.

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Honda Siel recently launched its all-new third generation Honda City, which was unveiled by M. Takedagawa, President and CEO, Honda Siel Cars India. So what`s new about this global model that has been specially designed for India? The answer lies in its completely new design, new engine, spacious cabin and the fact that it comes equipped with various active and passive safety features.
Awesome Audi A6 | Civic Sport takes on Corolla ALTIS

On the outside, what you get is its quintessential radical exterior style, which is primarily characterized by its sleek look. The all-new City comes with what is called the `Arrow Shot Form` design that lends the car its dynamic look.

 The car undoubtedly exudes a great amount of road presence on account of it now being longer, wider and sturdier. From the front, the first thing that strikes you about the car is the new rakish grill and the headlights that lend a distinct new identity to the car.