New Civic Type R The Story So Far

2015 couldn’t come soon enough. With the new NSX and Civic Type R, Honda is finally ending its sports car drought. The CR-Z is a commendable effort, introducing a sporty hybrid is no easy feat, but sadly an effort quite misunderstood. The CR-Z is a sporty hybrid, but one must know what a hybrid drives first to understands and appreciates the value of CR-Z. Those who values the CR-Z will appreciates a good handling compact with sporty aspiration but at the same time, can be driven slow and steady to preserve mother earth’s precious oil reserve. Those who don’t understand the value of CR-Z will hate its less than mediocre engine compared to traditional high strung high power engines.

Well, revel on the Civic Type R ladies and gentlemen… As Honda have confirmed a production sport car true to Honda racing heritage. The Civic Type R has been confirmed to be powered by a newly developed 2.0L turbocharged engine producing “more” than 280 bhp. Honda chief engineers even want to beat Renault Megane RS Trophy achievement as the fastest front wheel drive car on Germany fearsome Nürburgring track. Dubbed by Honda engineers as a “racing car for the road”, the 2015 Civic Type R took Civic Euro 9th generation chassis and hit the ground running. Honda decision to treat the Civic Euro was heavily criticized by most Honda communities including yours truly. The major consensus is that the 9th generation Civic Euro is… A reskinned bigger Honda Fit, complete with the magic seat and the much dreaded McPherson Strut and Torsion Beam suspension.

So why Honda decides to use Civic Euro as its next Civic Type R? Nostalgia? Or because it’s one of Honda “we do it because it’s hard” kind of thing? Well, we may never know… But one thing for sure, Honda is making it happen. I can only explain that torsion beam does have its merits. Since the rear wheels are connected, it introduced rigidity to the rear suspension, one trait all racing cars has. Also, there’s the fact that THE fastest front wheel drive production car to lap Nürburgring, the Megane RS Trophy… Uses similar suspension setup as the Civic Euro. So if Renault engineers can pull it off, why can’t Honda engineers does it too?

The Civic Type R journey is truly something to remember by. It all started way back in late 2012 where spy shots reveals a regular Civic Euro with an ugly ass wing taped (it doesn’t get any janky than tape to stick something to a car) to its rear. The rumor mill is hot with Type R successor which ended production in 2010. But it was 2013 and still angry from V8 FR flagship sedan and V10 exotic sports car cancellations, the fans just gave it a meh and be done with it, expecting another half effort attempt at the car, a tuned Civic Si for the European market. It’s not until a hotter rumor, one which stated the car will be turbocharged then everybody’s attention is piqued.

Then, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito dropped the nuclear bomb of the decade. Honda will go turbo for the new Type R… Oh my, how the community riled up and dance in glee and shirtless. The rumored 1.6L turbo gave way to a 2.0L turbo and the challenge to be the fastest front wheel drive production car to run in the Nürburgring. It was an ecstasy, so many have hoped Honda to leave its comfort zone behind and create an over the top car, and they did it.

Around August 2013, a new camouflaged Civic Type R spy shots emerged with what everybody concludes is undergoing comparison with its rivals. The car now has a lower suspension profile, wider tires, wide body kit and a better integrated aerodynamic rear wing. The huge intercooler is visible from the spy shots, confirming the turbo charging aspect of the engine.

Finally on November 2013, Honda did a media event, showcasing its future technology. A global event, it showcases Honda new multi gear dual clutch transmission, the turbo engines, a light weight CR-Z, and the venerable Civic Type R. Covered in matte black paint, the Civic Type R prototype again receive some minor modification, especially in its front fender having aerodynamic bits. The auto jurno from Topgear and Autocar expresses a universal praise about the car.

Honda answers the problem of having a torsion beam rear suspension by introducing an adaptive damper, an adjustable suspension for the car. Which at the touch of the “Type R” button, stiffens to support more aggressive throttle tuning, steering, and reduced traction control.

Entering the new year we now have another sketch of the Civic Type R from Honda, and one which fuels the eagerness of people awaiting Honda return to sporting form. The sketch shows airlets on front and rear fenders, massive diffuser and an integrated rear wing-rear lighting system. The integrated wing flows elegantly as it harkens to the old days of NSX integrated rear lighting – wing system.

Anticipation is through the roof about the Civic Type R. It is the defining moment of Honda return to sporting form of the 90s. Which was marked by amazing cars like the NSX, the Integra Type R, the Civic Type R and the Prelude. The 2000’s was the decade of confusion in Honda history. The ending of S2000 and the NSX was disheartening as  the US only Civic SI single handedly carried the torch of sporting car from Honda.

There are more rumors abound about Honda not only making the Civic Type R and NSX as their sporty offering but until these two cars launches sometimes next year, I think Honda fans needs are all covered up.

To watch the journey of 2015 Civic Type R you can watch here at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aha-DQB3xDY

Source:

Autoblog Civic Type R spy shots

Autocar Civic Type R first drive

Topgear Civic Type R first drive

Supposed Leaked Picture Of The New Jazz/Fit is Revealed?

This might be the scoop of the decade (it got me really excited, but then again I’m fairly easy to impress). Indianautosblog.com seems to get their 5w-40 oily hand on a supposed leaked brochure images of the 2014 Honda Jazz/Fit and I’m loving it!

The images seems fairly “real” with crooked scans resulting from an unopened booklet or a magazine. I might worry a bit about the latter since this might just be another artist rendering, but this images seems way too Honda if I knew my favorite car brand’s design creed.

The color options of the supposed 2014 Jazz/Fit.

2014-Jazz rear

The rear has elements of the current generation design, but finished with a wider more aggressive bumper elements and CR-Vish tail lights (although only a reflector).

2014-Jazz-instrument-cluster

The dashboard which indicates a hybrid version is showing what looks like new gearbox selector. I’ve seen this type of gearbox selector on Honda previous technology demonstrator car.

2014-Jazz

vtec.net user ciwai08 took the liberty to straighten the image from one of the crooked image.

I like it. The first generation wowed me in term of design, functional yet cutesy looking. The second generation design is the evolution of the first generation expanding the size and function, a bit boring. This third generation is exciting enough to get me interested in the car again (was looking into buying its smaller cousin, the Brio), it looks more upscale, more aggressive, yet still retaining the boxy functional aspect.

Honda is known to be a safe player in terms of design, but pressure is high as of late. Mazda ground breaking designs has influence the field as even Toyota has follow with the aggressive new Corolla from the usual boring looking sedan. The ante is up and if these images are real, it would be a departure from the basic looking cars from Honda.

The steeply raked windshield, the aggressive front and rear bumpers, this is a good design. Not feeling that much about the shuriken style rims, but this car is a hybrid, and I’d rather seeing a throwing ninja weapon motive than a flat circular rims like the old Insight.

This just in, another batch of scan images of the third generation JDM Fit, this time for the non hybrid and RS version.

 FitRS FITcolors

 

The RS is confirmed to have 6MT aside from more aggressive wheels, fog lamps and bigger rear wing. The colors for the non hybrid are the standard fan fare, red, black, white, silver, and dark grey.

Edit 02-07-2013: Added the non hybrid color options and RS scan (6MT!!)

Source:

Indianautosblog.com

Temple of VTEC

 

The Little Car That Could (Honda Brio Review)

Brio-duo

When Honda introduced the Jazz in the ASEAN region, the car received very favorable review, charting high on automotive sellout ranking in almost every country it landed on. Why shouldn’t it? It is a groundbreaking sub compact that almost redefines the category. The ULTRa seat concept that allows the rear seat to fold flat or folded up, the central mounted fuel tank, the airy cabin, the fuel sipper i-DSI engine and the CVT are all unique to the car where such technology/feature are unheard of on the competition side back then. As time goes by, raw material prices increased, and demands of Honda Jazz users are heeded, the car grew in size and becomes upscale. This leaves a conundrum, as the Jazz becomes more of an upscale solution, Honda left a void in the price range where the Jazz used to rein supreme, being replaced by entry level cars such as Nissan March and Suzuki Splash. Decision then made for Honda to roll out and take back the segment it used to lead with a brand new car, one that is slotted below the Jazz.

Honda introduced the Brio in December 2010 in Thailand, but the car was mentioned by Honda previous CEO, Takanobu Ito-san way back in 2008 as a small sub-Jazz solution. Alas, recession forced Honda to delay the introduction of said car per Autocar UK interview with the CEO and with a twisted humor that is fate, Honda Brio base of production in Thailand for ASEAN market got hit by a severe flooding and delays the introduction of Brio yet again outside Thailand. Still time heals everything, and finally the Brio landed inThailand, India and finally Indonesia in 2012.

(This review is based on the Brio entry level trim with automatic transmission)

Appreciates the smaller things

To differentiate itself from the competition, Honda Indonesia actively chose bigger engine and a complete set of safety feature as standard for the littlest Honda. Honda Indonesia offers the Brio in two trim levels, the E and the S. Which is a short hand of saying entry level and fully loaded. The message is clear, go big with the littlest Honda.

Starting from the outside, the Brio measures partly at 3.610 x 1.680 x 1.485 mm with a wheelbase of 2.345 mm, thus effectively the car is shorter in length and height than the first generation Jazz but retains about the same width. For comparison, the first generation Fit/Jazz measurements are 3.845 x 1.675 x 1.525 mm, with a wheelbase of 2.450 mm. The car is small as intended since its target countries like India excises tax for cars that are under 4.000 mm (4M) in length. Smart readers then ask, why 3.610 mm of length then? Why not make the Brio as long as first generation Fit/Jazz which is still far below India automotive tax rules? Well, the answer lies in the Brio Amaze, the sedan version of Brio, which have longer chassis that stops at the magical number of 3.990 mm.

Measurements aside, from the exterior design point of view, Honda took Brio design seriously, so serious Honda designers was sent to Europe to study all the compacts and apply it to the Brio. Designed in Milan, Italy, the car adopts the “double triangle” design that designers want people to see the car as “energetic” from all sides.  The double triangle theme is quite literal, as there are two main “triangles” that intersects the car from the rear and front of the car, giving the car a hunkered down look from all sides, be it from side profile, front or even rear. The rear especially also adopts a triangle stance giving the car a wide stance which looks very sporty which is particularly unfortunate that the car is equipped with a thin 175mm tire profile.

Being the entry level car for everything Honda on four wheels, one might suspect there will be a cost reduction measure on the car on some level and Brio is not immune to it. Thankfully, exterior wise the car does not look cheap barring the unpainted sideview mirror/door handles on the E grade and the odd unmasked side window frames. On most cars, window frames are masked with black coating/sticker to create a sense of one continuous huge window but the Brio omit this one design factor. For a small car the effect is quite huge (pardon the pun), the frames makes the small windows look compartmentalized thus making the car looks small.

Body plating is good, as there are no noticeable bending when the panels are pressed on any given point and the lower panel below the doors are covered with anti scratch paint for debris protection. Moving towards the front, the headlights are as simple as it can be, the bulbous curved housed a reflector type lighting and side blinkers, a simple solution as expected on an entry level car. The lining of the headlights doesn’t go anywhere instead the engine bay goes around it, similar to the first generation Honda Jazz albeit with smaller headlight. The headlights inner edge points toward the frontal opening logo with a “winged” chrome slats that covers the Honda logo at an angle that brings the frontal area  in the line of the double triangle theme.

From the side, the A-pillar arcs under the engine cover like the CR-Z although less pronounced, but it still makes the car looks like it has a big engine bay (hence big engine) from the side. The end result is very apparent as opening the engine bay shows a large space above the tightly packed drivetrain.

The layout is neat, all control sticks and mechanics are well laid out. From its placement, the drivetrain looks like other L series drivetrain with the same peculiarly placed intake far behind the ECU near the firewall. Unlike the Thailand and India version which has an air inlet scoop that channels cooler air straight to the intake hole like the Freed/Jazz/City, Indonesia version sadly has no said inlet scoop. In theory, the effect is detrimental, as the engine will continuously breathe hot air, which lacks oxygen molecule, which will cause inefficient fuel burn and thus reduced fuel efficiency at least in stop and go traffic. During test drive session thankfully the effect was unnoticeable if any. The air inlet scoop just directs air from the front of the car to the intake area but the car frontal area still allow air to come inside the engine bay.

From the rear, Honda employs an original solution to a long in the tooth design and technical creed with the all glass hatch. From technical point of view, it’s quite brilliant, by eliminating the metal panel, weight and cost are reduced significantly and this also comes with no loss in comfort especially noise insulation. From aesthetic point of view, the all glass hatch also works wonders visually, it made the car looks big from the rear and visibility from driver’s position is amazing. However, from safety and function point of view, it’s another different thing.

As it is, the Brio doesn’t have heating element on the glass hatch nor a wiper, as there are no latch point to attach things on the glass. The lack of heating element and the wiper are not in favor of safety riding especially in rainy part of the season. When it got cold, the rear glass might get foggy of the temperature difference, and after a heavy rain light mud will wash over the rear glass because of the difference in pressure on the rear hatch during high speed cruising. There is another thing about backing up during heavy rain which obviously will obstruct the driver’s view behind. These are minor annoyance but one that Honda with all of its safety engineering heritage should address from day one.

Thankfully though, the Brio comes standard with a huge spoiler on the rear that covers the viewable area of the rear glass at an angle, this in theory should alleviate the problem of rain water obstructing rear view. Unfortunately, I cannot test this notion as even though it’s a rainy season, my test drives with the car always was blessed with sunny day.

The overall look of the car from the rear also accentuate the whole triangle concept to the next degree, to the discerning eye, it’s mostly trapezoid, but again it supports the wide accented sporty  look of the car (minus the thin tires). The triangle taillights with the large circular brake lights and small blinkers is designed nicely flushed with the all glass hatch, you could almost mistook the car for having no rear hatch at all. Being an all glass hatch with nothing to attach to, the hatch cannot be opened from the outside except from a lever next to the driver seat and access key. The latch mechanism is located at the chassis while the latch sticks out from the inside of the glass hatch with the anchor point outside used as the handle.

Noticing about the beauty/peculiarity of the all glass hatch, one cannot just gaze into the hollow of the cargo bay of the car. Yes, out of the box the car does not have a cargo cover or tonneau cover and the big glass hatch despite having the lower area blacked out still have high visibility to your cargo bay. Honda sales team was instructed to mention about applying thick black film coating over it but earnestly, rear view should be as clear as possible. This car should have a cargo cover as standard and not as an option (which is available).

On a side note: In terms of safety, the all glass hatch according to Honda sales team is up to 30 something times stronger than “regular glass”, maybe they’re comparing to the glasses used on the Brio, but the bottom line is that it’s quite thick. I’ve described that sound insulation is quite good above, that means the glass is as claimed, but 30 times might be slightly overcompensating.  For those who worry that any low impact from the rear might hit and shatter the glass, do not worry at all. Brio chassis actually extends well after the all glass hatch ends which means low impacts will hit the steel chassis first. This is unique because usually a car chassis is mostly square in shape and the rear portion ends well before the bumpers outer edge.

Going back to basic and functional

From the inside, the Brio is quite spacious thanks to thin door liners, compact dashboard with a conservative design and clever choice of light color materials. The dashboard area is covered in three different colors, beige for the glove compartment, dark grey for the upper dash area and some lightly gun metal colored dash for the audio and driver’s instrument panel which is easily removable to support a personal styling from the car’s owner. The center console housed the A/C controls with the least function ever found on a Honda; The usual 4 speed blower fan is there, but no heating control and only two vent option, the regular front vent and low/front vent, a clear cost cutting measure by any choice of words.

On a side note: the cost cutting measure for the A/C controls are actually very valid. In this tropical climate, I’ve never used the heater on any car whatsoever. By eliminating the heating element, Honda is saving the cost for the car as intended, removing the least used feature of a car in country where heat is everywhere and the coldest area driveable by a city car like the Brio is just a tad cooler than the average national climate.

Luckily Honda did not skimp on the instrument panel, two analog tachometer and speedometer , gear selection display on the automatic version, digital odometer, regular template of warning indicators, real time average fuel consumption indicator and the ECO light indicator. Unlike other modern cars with real time fuel consumption indicator, the Brio only shows the average consumption and the optimal fuel consumption indicator is the ECO light. For the ECO light to activate, the ECU will signal when you’re driving in the most efficient manner which I’ve been able to trigger it most of the time with an efficient driving technique on the automatic model which I test drove.

Some omissions are there on the E grade, no vanity mirror on the passenger side and no backseat pocket are minors. However, things like pocket door liner which are left uncovered exposing the door sheet metals front and back, no grab rails and wind up window on the rear are glaring. The grab rail is safety function, on a small and low car like this, old folks needs something to hold onto exiting the car. The wind up window is dangerous for kids, as there are no way to lock the handles and they can just roll it away without supervision.  Finally the exposed door sheet metal, it’s not so much as a function than cosmetics as some hate it but funny enough some love it. For years, interior modders are matching the interior color of a car with its exterior, now the Brio E grade exposed sheet metal are making things easier to match the tone albeit under the ruse of making things cheaper.

Seating configuration on the car is best summarized as “efficient”. The two front seats at first glance looks thin, because it is, however the padding is certifiably thick and seating on both front seats, I don’t feel any discomfort from its thinness, in fact the seat is nicely curved to my body and the bolster support is very nice. Foot area for rear passenger is generous and I can sit adequately comfortable behind the driver’s seat where I set the driver’s seat position to suit my 1,82 Meter tall stature thanks to the curved back of the front seats.  Back seat support for the rear passenger is acceptable, not ideal for long travel, but the padding is sufficient enough to be comfortable on short to medium trips.

In terms of utilities, the Brio breaks Honda mantra of usefulness. The first generation Jazz has it all, multi configurable seats, spacious cargo and 60:40 split seats, sadly the Brio has none. Most Honda to date excels at utilities; the Stream fold flat third row, the Freed fold up seats, the City class leading trunk space (and reclining seats at top trim), don’t have to mention the new Jazz utilities, and so many other examples from Honda automotive products… The Brio simply has none.

The cargo bay is small, about the same size as the average city car. With the seat up, it can only hold objects up to 350 mm in width or about small 14″ laptop bag from trunk lid to the back of the rear seat. Off course the rear passenger seat can be folded forward to give way for bigger cargo space but with no split seat, you lose rear seating for oversize cargo.

Brio’s lack of split fold seat is quite the drawback for this car. A small cargo bay on hatchbacks usually warrants a split fold seat whereby one seat is folded leaving one side still be able to seat a person (or two). Honda goal with the omission of the split folding seat is definitely for cost saving measure, however this is not warranted as the car loses its appeal on the utility side big time. As is, the Brio is a runabout car in terms of utility, best suited only to move people from point A to point B or well suited to two person only if wanting to carry oversize items. In Honda defense, all the car in the category has no split rear seat, but I expect Honda to be better, oh well, can’t win them all.

One interesting aspect and can be considered safety feature of the car on the cargo bay is the hidden space just below the hatch latch mechanism. From the side profile and the rear, the car doesn’t look it has a “butt” or the usual protruding bumper, but actually, the chassis extends well over the hatch like I mention above. This hidden space houses the car jack and provide physical barrier for the glass hatch above it. I’d prefer Honda give the hidden space a hatch or something proper, the car jack as of this writing is just covered in the carpet liner which looks like an after thought.

Made for fuel efficiency

When the Brio was designed, it’s not intended only as an affordable entry level car, it was also designed to push the boundary of fuel efficiency achieved using conventional technologies at affordable price. Mild hybrids, with automatic start stop engine tech sounds simple but it also means more moving parts. Full hybrids cannot come cheap yet with the electric motor and engine management system. Small diesel have to cope with good quality diesel fuel which is lacking in terms of infrastructure especially in Indonesia. Other cars in the category resort to running 3 cylinders at the expense of power, and some only comes with manual transmission to not rob the engine of power.

On a side note: Manuals are inherently more fuel efficient than conventional automatic because of manual’s mechanical linkage where the automatic doesn’t have one. Automatics are called slushbox because it is, there are no mechanical connection from the engine to the driving wheel, instead connection are through a device called torque converter that runs on fluid. Modern automatics achieves good fuel efficiency by using tall gearing which Honda also used on the Brio. This way an automatic car can use higher gear to offset the robbing effect of the torque converters.

The Brio resorts to Honda old trick, why change what’s good already. The Brio comes with a small engine, but it’s more of a carry over engine than a purpose built one. The L13 is derived from second generation of the L15 series engine that is used on the JDM FIT GE6, or second generation Fit/Jazz. The engine is the same at least spec wise:

  • SOHC 16 valve i-VTEC
  • Displacement: 1,339 cc (81.7 cu in)
  • Bore x Stroke: 73.0 mm × 80.0 mm (2.87 × 3.15 in)
  • Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
  • Horsepower (Brio)  : 73 kW (100 PS) / 6,000 RPM
  • Horsepower (FIT)     : 73 kW (99 PS) / 6,000 RPM
  • Torque: 127 N·m (94 lb·ft) / 4,800 rpm

One thing to note is that the 73 kW of power converted to PS is confusing, due to imperial and metric measurement difference. Some online measurements measured 73 kW as 100 PS others as 99 PS. 1 PS or one pferdestärke (German for horse power) difference is big especially in a car this light and I couldn’t get any objective measurement on this scale. Suffice to say that the Brio engine is a lot of fun be it 1 more or less horse power. Speaking of weight, the Brio weighs healthily under 1 ton. Honda Indonesia did not state the weight of the Brio, but the India market Brio automatic weighs in at 950 Kg. Given that as far as I can see the difference between the Indonesia and India market Brio is on the omission of the air inlet scoop, 950 Kg is a safe number to bet on, with any deviation not exceeding 1 Ton. For comparison, the similarly equipped L13A FIT GE6 weighs in at 1080 Kg.

In Japan, the L13A powered FIT GE6 is mated to a CVT unit while the Brio sans for the Thailand market all got a 5 speed automatic  with the standard 5 speed manual. The Fit returns 19.5 Km/L with the manual gearbox using the new more stringent JC-08 government sanctioned fuel consumption test. With the Brio lighter weight and same internals, in theory by 99% level of confidence, the car should break the magical 20 Km/L barrier in mixed driving.

The Brio is available in 5 speed automatic and the usual 5 speed manual gearbox. The use of the 5 speed automatic can still be considered class leading since the competitors all still use 4 speed. In theory, this allows the car to have better acceleration with better fuel consumption on long straight than its competitors. Cars that are equipped with a 4 speed automatic gearbox needs to trade off between acceleration and fuel efficiency since too short gearing for better acceleration means high RPM at high speed, thus more fuel spent. Too long gearing for leisurely cruise and fuel saving means losing acceleration during back to back traffic. Honda Brio 5 gear automatics allows for an extra gear that is suited to cruising, allowing the engine to engage  speed with low engine rotation (less fuel). Not stopping there, the Brio automatic also has Honda’s Grade Logic Control that smoothly detects upshift and downshift on inclinations.

The magic of aerodynamics

Honda tackles Brio fuel efficiency in a very different way of the other automotive brands. The use of a carryover “big” engine and available 5 speed automatics seems making the Brio not so serious in the fuel efficiency department. Well, the fact that L13A is already fuel efficient is a different story, but Honda engineers sought a remarkable way for the car to achieve fuel efficiency via aerodynamics.

Honda engineers employs several trick that showcases extreme ingenuity in a stale world of simple automotive engineering. Below the front bumper, Honda employs an air dam. It’s something simple like a piece of black plastic that runs along below the bumper that diverts airflow away from below the underbelly of the car. As in a shape of wing, a car has (relatively) flat underbody and curved upper body (the cabs), this in turn makes Bernoulli’s principle applied to a car as well, the faster a car goes, the more lift it will generate. The bigger the lift force is, the less contact tires applied to roads for light vehicles and it will cause even the most experienced driver to lose control of a car. The goal of the air dam is simply to obstruct as much air as possible to the underbody, minimizing the effect of lift, increasing safety in faster speed and reduce drag.  Well, the thing is, it also reduce the bumper’s ground clearance, so do mind the clearance when parking head first with the car.

On the bottom side of the car Honda engineers slides (yes, pun intended) in something unexpected. The car’s underside is covered with plastic cladding to improve airflow during medium to high speed cruising. In theory the smooth underbody minimize the amount of air turbulence and increase fuel efficiency. On normal car without underbody cladding, there are all sort of hanging bits and bolts like fuel tank, suspension setup, exhaust system and for rear wheel drive cars, the rear axle. These items have different shapes and size, and airflow will be obstructed which creates turbulence and drag and therefore lessen the fuel economy of the car at speed. The inclusion of the plastic cladding is a very nice surprise for this car as even car double its price might not even have it.

DSC_0342

Speaking of aerodynamics, I always mock the use of thin profile tires on the Brio, but it does have its engineering intent. Thinner tires means less mass to move by the engine, and also less drag especially at speed. The Bernoulli effect comes back to haunt us as the faster the tire spins, the more lift it will create, and with bigger surface area the lift will be more pronounced especially on a light car. The use of a wider profile tires will necessitate the car to go lower than it is, which is not advisable without stiffening the suspension and/or living in a country like Indonesia where potholes are more abundant than honest politician.

The Drive

Seating on the driver’s seat, I was expecting a low slung driving position but it’s not the case as the seat is adequately high even though there are no height adjuster. Seating is comfortable, the instrument panels are easy to read and the controls are all in hand reach. Visibility all around is good thanks to the heightened seat position and the thin A-pillar improves forward viewing area. The car comes with a powerful and class leading powertrain in the category at 100PS, while the competitors are hardly able to reach 90% of it (Kia Picanto edges closest at 87PS) and in automatic trim it carries a 5 speed automatic while the competitors uses 4 speed automatic.

Even with the most powerful engine in its class, the Brio is first an economy car and in its automatic trim has quite tall gearings. Gear changes are fast, I can feel that on city cruising speed (50 KpH), the gear changes before 2000RPM, and holding speed at city cruising limit the car’s engine only spins  below 2000RPM. Maneuverability at leisurely speed or around tight corners is very good thanks to good weighted steering feel and short wheelbase.

At leisurely drive, the tall gear hunts its way to fifth as soon as possible, and with 1-step gear changes, kickdowns at leisurely drive is literal, the car feels lazy to support its runabout nature. Not feeling that Honda spirit, I change the gear lever to D3, and suddenly the car comes alive. Gear changes are just a press of a pedal, acceleration is brisk and I can feel the urgency of the engine hitting peak torque and horsepower in high RPM. Unlike some of its competitors that are only powered by a 3 cylinder engine, the Brio’s 4 cylinder develops power fast and consistently in all RPM range as the car feels fast but one to be careful driving it at full tilt because of the lighter side of the steering feel at speed.

One thing to dislike about the ride on the car is the peculiarly soft suspension. I can’t press this enough that the car engine and automatic gearbox are the jewel of the car, however the suspension is not able to cope with the demand of spirited driving as body roll is a problem in spirited driving. In a more leisurely drive, the car behaves nicely as intended; the soft suspension is kind to my back on undulating surface and pothole impacts are absorbed nicely. However, one have to drive at constant speed as the suspension feels different during acceleration, it feels as the dampers could not keep up with the spring and even though problems are non existent during city driving, one might want to upgrade the suspension on the Brio to enjoy the wonderfully engineered engine and gearbox.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the nature of test drives session are inherently random at best. Be that as it may, my test drive session revolves a 15 minutes back to back traffic and 10 minutes of smooth sailing. The return is a consistent 1L for 12 Km for a back to back traffic with moderate acceleration, and at long straight the onboard mileage computer easily reaches 1L for 17Km like it was nothing. With careful driving, I believe I can break through the 1L/20Km barrier mark with the car and with hypermiling thrown in, getting past the 1L/25Km should be achievable (I can get 1L/24Km with my Freed on highway with hypermiling).

What is Honda if not showing the green aspect of its products, while the Brio has no ECON function, it features a light up ECO notification whenever the ECU deems that the driver is driving efficiently. There are no specific rule to activate the ECO light, but the most consistent way to activate it is simply to lightly press the pedal at constant speed.

DSC_0318

The evenly lit notification is not just for show though, at first I personally thought that the function is gimmicky, that it will light up only at specific condition like coasting or cruising. However, on slower speed like back to back traffic, slow acceleration grants the driver with the ECO light too, and even between gear shifts. This means that the ECO light can also coach the driver to driving efficiently, granted that the notification light is situated near the edge of the tachometer and can be glanced easily while driving.

In the end: Is it worth it?

Buying city car today is a very tough decision, it’s a very crowded market with  plenty of amazing products from all the competing brands in Indonesia. Honda Indonesia decision to bring ABS and airbag as standard on the Brio is commendable to leverage the notion of safety, and the most powerful engine combined with 5 speed automatic gearbox set it apart from the competition technicality wise. However, the car does not bring the accolade of utilities Honda so very well known for and just aims for mediocrity to be on the same level as the competition. Small cargo bay and no split fold seats makes the car just another city car in the mix in terms of utilities.

The car is aimed at the young and young at heart demographics, complete with the easily replaceable panel for easy personalization, but what is the real catch for this car? A fast runabout? Surely Honda does not want to put this car as the midnight boy racer image…

No. This car is about safety and fuel efficiency.

Even though Honda struggles to differentiate the Brio and the Jazz, the truth is small cars are dangerous to drive because it’s a small car which usually powered by a small engine. Honda should leverage on the technical prowess of the car as a safety feature. The powerful 100PS engine should make it easier for a car the size of Brio to merge in highway at speed with the other cars. Overtaking on speed will be swift and safe from speeding car on the fast lane. Finally, the smart automatic gearbox is very efficient at returning mileage while providing the car with much needed power on tap (on D3).

Even though the Brio is far off as the first car for a small family (that place is reserved for the Brio MPV), it is a nice second car that begs to be personally modified with features that are all related to safety including the powerful engine.

Edit: 26/06/2013: First post, need some pictures and some edits.

Informasi Resmi Honda CBR 250R

Pada tanggal 27 Oktober lalu, Honda meluncurkan website yang didekasikan untuk motor terbarunya yaitu CBR 250R. Informasi yang tercantum didalamnya sangatlah banyak, dan saya merekomendasikan Anda untuk mengunjungi website tersebut. Untuk blog ini saya hanya akan menyadur informasi yang saya anggap penting.

Mendunia adalah konsep yang digunakan oleh Honda untuk CBR 250R karena motor ini adalah motor pertama yang diciptakan Honda untuk pasar global. Dari Amerika hingga Thailand, Argentina hingga Jepang, Indonesia hingga Portugal, CBR 250R hadir dengan konsep “Sport Quarter for One World” atau kalau boleh saya terjemahkan menjadi “motor 250cc untuk satu dunia”. Dikarenakan motor ini ditujukan untuk satu dunia, insinyur Honda melakukan pendekatan satu untuk semua dimana pengendara baik pemula dan tingkat lanjut dapat menikmati kelincahan motor sport tanpa halangan. Adapun juga pendekatan satu untuk semua ini digunakan untuk mendapatkan motor yang nyaman untuk digunakan sehari – hari baik dari segi konsumsi bensin maupun tenaga yang dihasilkan.

Indahnya kombinasi pendekatan satu dunia ini terletak dari kemampuan insinyur Honda menggabungkan sebuah mesin yang benar – benar baru tanpa ada satu komponen pun yang diambil dari motor Honda lainnya (kecuali teknologi yang mendasarinya) dan casis yang diciptakan untuk semua orang di seluruh dunia ini. Berbicara soal mesin, mesin 250cc yang digunakan pada CBR 250R adalah mesin satu silinder 4-tak berpendingin cairan dengan tenaga sekitar 25-26 pk (estimasi dari gosip yang beredar di Internet) dan mengusung uji emisi Euro – 3. Berikut adalah spesifikasi CBR 250R resmi dari Honda:

Total panjang × Total lebar × Total tinggi (m) 2.035 × 0.720 × 1.125
Jarak roda (m) 1.370
Jarak kolong kendaraan (m) 0.145
Tinggi bangku (m) 0.780
Berat (kg) 161 (STD) 165 (ABS)
Kapasitas penumpang 2
Jarak putar minimum (m) 2.5
Tipe mesin CS250RE, satu silinder DOHC 4 tak berpendingin air
Kapasitas mesin(cm³) 249
Dimensi × Langkah piston (mm) 76.0 × 55.0
Rasio kompresi 10.7
Sistem bahan bakar Programmed fuel injection system (PGM-FI)
Tipe starter Self-starter
Tipe pengapian Pengapian baterai transistor
Tipe lubrikasi Wet sump
Kapasitas tangki bensin (L) 13
Clutch type Wet multiplate with coil springs
Transmission type Constant mesh 6-speed return
Rasio gigi transmisi 1-speed 3.333
2-speed 2.118
3-speed 1.571
4-speed 1.304
5-speed 1.115
6-speed 0.963
Reduction gear ratio (primary, secondary) 2.808 / 2.714
Caster angle/Trail (mm) 25º00´/ 95
Ukuran ban Front 110/70-17M/C
Rear 140/70-17M/C
Tipe rem Front Hydraulic disk
Rear Hydraulic disk
Tipe suspensi Front Telescopic
Rear Swing arm (Pro-link suspension system)
Tipe rangka Diamond

Cara insinyur Honda menjawab kompatibilitas motor ini hingga lolos uji emisi Euro – 3 namun tetap menghasilkan tenaga sangatlah sederhana. Kombinasi mesin satu silinder dengan langkah piston yang pendek mengijinkan mesin CS250RE berputar hingga RPM tinggi dengan pembagian torsi yang melimpah. Namun kombinasi konverter katalitik beserta sensor oksigen dengan sistem induksi udara memastikan bahwa mesin CBR 250R bertenaga dan tetap ramah lingkungan.

Harapan penggemar dunia motor agar CBR 250R menggunakan mesin dua silinder seperti kompetitornya memang tidak dijawab, namun Honda menggunakan mesin satu silinder untuk alasan – alasan yang masuk akal:

  1. Mesin satu silinder mencapai tenaga maksimal dalam satu revolusi (satu piston), oleh sebab itu torsi berlimpah sudah diperoleh pada putaran mesin rendah.
  2. Dengan satu kepala silinder, perbaikan mesin tipe ini lebih mudah dan cepat.
  3. Mesin satu silinder umumnya ringan, memberikan rasio bobot per tenaga kuda yang lebih baik.

Adapun kekurangan mesin satu silinder adalah ketidakmampuannya untuk menghasilkan tenaga pada putaran mesin tinggi dan mesin memiliki potensi getaran yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan mesin dua silinder. Untuk menjawab masalah getaran mesin, mesin CS250RE menggunakan sebuah sistem penyeimbang (balancer) untuk meminimalkan getaran. Meskipun begitu, Honda tidak melakukan apapun untuk mengatasi karakteristik mesin satu silinder yang lemah menghasilkan tenaga di putaran atas. Tentunya, kredo CBR 250R satu untuk semua tidak berlaku untuk pembalap jalanan yang hanya mementingkan trek lurus saja. Insinyur Honda menghadirkan CBR 250R sebagai solusi motor sport dengan kenikmatan bermanuver sebagaimana layaknya motor sport.

Enak/tidaknya sebuah motor tidak hanya bergantung kepada kekuatan mesin saja. Karakteristik casis, suspensi dan posisi duduk juga menjadi pemikiran yang penting oleh insinyur Honda untuk CBR 250R. Tema kreasi CBR 250R oleh Honda adalah motor dengan potensi manuver tinggi yang bisa digunakan untuk sehari – hari, untuk perjalanan panjang maupun untuk dibawa ke trek balap. Menemukan titik tengah diantaranya adalah pekerjaan rumah yang secara sukses dituntaskan oleh insinyur Honda.

Lima poin yang dituntaskan oleh insinyur Honda mengenai casis CBR 250R adalah:

  1. Posisi duduk: Honda CBR 250R diciptakan untuk satu dunia, yang berarti tinggi rendah pengendara dan kondisi jalanan satu dunia menjadi fokus insinyur Honda mencari posisi duduk yang paling ideal. Honda menemukan panjang kaki rata – rata 78 Cm adalah panjang ideal yang mengijinkan pengendara motor CBR 250R dapat dengan nyaman menapakkan kakinya ke jalanan ketika motor sedang berhenti.
  2. Titik gravitasi: Pemosisian massa terberat (mesin) yang rendah dan menjorok ke depan menghasilkan keseimbangan berkendara yang baik di setiap kecepatan.
  3. Suspensi pro-link: Penggunaan suspensi pro-link untuk ban belakang menghasilkan kestabilan berkendara yang baik dengan sistem suspensi progresif yang berubah secara perlahan sesuai dengan kondisi jalan. Adapun suspensi pro-link pada CBR 250R memiliki 5 opsi preset yang dapat disesuaikan ketika berkendara dengan penumpang, membawa barang dan kebutuhan lainnya tergantung selera pengendaranya.
  4. Rem cakram ganda dengan kompon baru: CBR 250R menggunakan kompon kampas rem berbasis resin dengan kekuatan sintered. Alhasil, kinerja rem yang baik dengan harga yang masuk akal.
  5. Rem ABS: Untuk negara tertentu, CBR 250R hadir dengan opsi ABS untuk keamanan. Dengan sistem ini, rem mendadak tidak lagi mengunci roda dan dapat membuat Anda terpelanting dari motor ataupun tergelincir di jalanan yang basah.

Adapun di Indonesia belum ada kepastian mengenai tanggal resmi peluncuran CBR 250R. Akan tetapi bisa dipastikan bahwa Honda akan memboyong motor ini di acara Jakarta Motorcycle Show yang berlangsung dari tanggal 3 November hingga 7 November. Isu yang berhembus saat ini adalah Honda CBR 250R akan dibanderol dengan harga 45 – 50 Juta Rupiah.

Dengan diluncurkannya CBR 250R ini, Honda seakan menabuh genderang perang kepada Kawasaki. Namun apakah ini sebuah tindakan reaktif dari Honda? Tentu tidak. Sebagaimana kita tahu, perencanaan produk membutuhkan waktu bertahun – tahun, terlebih lagi Honda meluncurkan produk ini secara global di 22 negara termasuk Indonesia. Produksi akan dimulai di Thailand dan India untuk diekspor ke negara – negara tujuan, oleh sebab itu lah mengapa Honda CBR 250R diluncurkan di kedua negara tersebut.

Honda CBR 250R mengusung sebuah era baru dalam dunia sepeda motor. Sebuah motor yang dirancang untuk memenuhi semua kebutuhan pengendaranya di dunia, dengan memperhitungkan semua kondisi jalan buruk dan baik, dengan memperhitungkan posisi berkendara yang optimal untuk pengendaranya dan dengan memperhitungkan kombinasi tenaga dan kepedulian Honda terhadap lingkungan.

Indonesia dengan potensi pasar sepeda motor yang besar sudah siap untuk menerima CBR 250R dalam bentuk apapun. Desain yang menarik dipadukan dengan citra merek Honda yang berkibar jaya di negeri tercinta seakan menjadi bumbu pelengkap saja karena Anda dapat melihat sendiri di jalan raya Kawasaki Ninja 250 berlalulalang tanpa tandingan.

Inikah motor pertama saya? Bisa jadi… Dengan dukungan gubernur Jakarta untuk menaikkan tarif parkir menjadi Rp. terserah perjam untuk mobil dan tidak adanya rencana untuk memperbaiki kondisi transportasi umum, sudah pasti industri motor Indonesia akan tumbuh pesat. Terimakasih pak gubernur untuk membulatkan keputusan saya membeli motor.

Sumber:

Situs CBR 250R resmi world.Honda.com

Kelemahan mesin satu silinder

Foke u setujui kenaikan tarif parkir

Penampakan Honda Civic 2011

Honda Civic kini sudah masuk kedalam generasi ke-8 dan segera digantikan dengan generasi yang ke-9. Foto-foto prototipe Honda Civic generasi ke-9 sudah mulai bermunculan di Internet baik versi global maupun versi Euro. CARmiddleeast.com mendapatkan foto-foto eksklusif Civic global sedang melakukan pengujian suhu udara panas di Dubai dengan kamuflase yang sangat ringan.

Satu hal yang perlu diingat adalah untuk pasar Uni Emirat Arab, Honda Civic yang dijual adalah versi Jepang, yang sama ditemukan di pasar ASEAN dan Indonesia namun dengan konfigurasi kemudi di sisi kiri. Singkat kata, kemungkinan besar inilah Civic generasi ke-9 yang akan dijual di Indonesia.

Meskipun ditutupi dengan lakban berwarna cat bodi, terlihat garis-garis tegas yang menunjukkan karakter serupa dengan Honda City generasi terkini. Hilang juga lampu depan dengan desain agresif seperti yang terdapat pada Civic generasi ke-8, digantikan dengan desain yang lebih tajam dan terfokus. Profil samping dari Civic generasi ke-9 ini tidak berbeda jauh dengan generasi ke-8, namun sudut derajat pilar A yang lebih tajam memberikan profil yang lebih agresif untuk generasi ke-9.

Salah satu anggota forum VTEC.net mengedit foto Civic generasi ke-9 yang sedang diuji di Amerika dan menghilangkan kamuflasenya.

Terlihat dari profil samping, sudut derajat pilar A Civic generasi ke-9 sangat agresif, serupa dengan versi Civic Coupe generasi ke-8 yang hanya tersedia di Amerika. Desain pilar A seperti ini memang membuat Civic generasi ke-9 menjadi tampil agresif, namun sisi buruknya adalah Anda tidak dapat melihat ujung depan kap mesin untuk mengukur jarak objek dengan posisi mobil. Bukan sebuah masalah yang berarti untuk pengendara berpengalaman, namun untuk pengendara pemula lebih baik berhati-hati membawa Civic generasi ke-9 melalui jalan tikus.


Sumber:

CARmiddleeast.com: Foto eksklusif Honda Civic Gen-9

VTEC.net: Reka rupa Honda Civic Gen-9

Honda Fit/Jazz Hybrid Official Pictures And Some Facts (plus estimated price)

The MOST anticipated entry level hybrid from Honda is coming in hot and Autocar jumped the gun on the media embargo and present the Jazz Hybrid to be unveiled at Paris Motor Show next month. Please visit Autocar website for better resolution pictures of the car here. You can also check at your other favorite auto blogs or online automotive news about the Jazz hybrid.

As you can see, the difference is merely cosmetics, different grill, bumper and blue shaded headlights differentiating the regular and the hybrid Fit. The rear also receives similar cosmetic changes with clear taillights, accented bumper and chrome accented trunk garnish.

Without the hybrid plaque on the rear, you will surely miss this hybrid on the road… Which is good, because you don’t want to attract attention to criminals whose MO is to puncture your tire with a hollow nail and rob you silly (because you don’t have spare tire).

It has been confirmed that the Fit/Jazz hybrid will be sporting the same engine used on the Insight 2.0, a 1.3L i-VTEC with IMA producing around 100ps. Interior pictures are still kept secret from Honda, but words are circulating that the Fit/Jazz Hybrid will have single color dashboard and blue lit dials. You can check out my entry about Honda Insight engine here, but for peace of mind sake, I’ll divulge a bit about the heart of Honda hybrid system.

Honda hybrid system or Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) is a simple system where an electric motor is sandwiched between the internal combustion motor and the driving wheel, in Honda case it’s always the front wheel to date. Back when it was introduced with the 2000 Honda Insight, the IMA doesn’t have the ability to purely run on electric motor. However, when the Insight 2.0 launched early last year, the IMA system was updated to purely run on electric motor albeit with a very strict condition… Steady cruise speed without any inclination… Any degree of inclination, then the motor kicks in again. Still good anyway.

A cut out of Honda IMA system, notice how the engine’s width is very narrow

Honda called its hybrid system IMA for a good reason, it simply “assists” the internal combustion engine at low speed and when the car is accelerating fast. A good thing because the nature of electric motor to produce maximum torque at just 1000 RPM means the engine doesn’t have to burn unnecessary excessive fuel to launch the car at stop and go driving. The IMA also acts as a starter motor because the whole engine has the ability to be turned off at idle (traffic lights) automatically and restarts at the press of the gas pedal.

To produce electricity, the IMA system itself is a cylindrical generator system that spins with the internal combustion engine. At steady speed, the IMA recharge the battery and when there’s a forward movement usually caused by braking the IMA also captures this momentum to spin the generator the opposite way and producing electricity.

A complete Honda IMA engine + transmission, the IMA system is marked yellow at the bottom picture

Something to note is that Honda engineers can’t magically insert an IMA system to an existing engine *snap* like that. The IMA takes considerable space inside the engine bay, therefore something got to give and it’s usually the engine that gets the shorter end of the straw. Honda hybrid system uses a specifically designed narrow engine to allow the placement of the IMA system next to the gearbox.

Now for the million Pesos/Ringgit/Sing Dollar/Rupiah/Baht/Dong question for us Asia Pacific residents… Will we get it? We don’t get the Insight, the CR-Z and the Civic Hybrid costs an arm and a leg. Are we getting the cream again instead of a bite of the cake? Not quite! We’ve seen the almost miraculous Honda Freed launched in the Asia Pacific, exclusive even outside of Japan… And why? Because the Freed is produced in the Asia Pacific region to gain advantage of AFTA. The Fit/Jazz has been produced in Indonesia for quite sometime, so you see where I’m going, it’s too easy for Honda to just import the hybrid engine and assembled it in Indonesia and imports it to other country in ASEAN. If this is inline with Honda global plan to be the leading automaker of hybrids (it’s in the CEO midyear speech which I’m going to cover soon), then, we will see a near simultaneous release of the Fit hybrid all over the world; Europe, America, Australia and Asia.

So when? The Fit hybrid in Europe will be announced at the Paris Motor Show next month and launched early 2011, in the United States it’s still unconfirmed but it will be there around 2011 as 2012 model, nope, it’s totally unconfirmed. The United States might even missed the hybrid Fit/Jazz totally… A bit of a “huh” moment, because the Europeans will get it although they already has the Insight 2.0 just like the Americans. On the other side of the world, Japan’s Nikkei confirmed that the Fit hybrid will be launched around Fall in Japan. Using Freed’s launch time frame, then it’s just a matter of 1 to 1.5 years before us ASEANs can drive a genuine affordable hybrid courtesy of Honda. So expect the Fit/Jazz hybrid to announced at the end of 2011 and available at the latest early 2012 in ASEAN.

How much? Now this is the interesting part… Because of difference in currency and taxes, I’m just going to use Indonesia expected price and price estimate slot, which will be universal. Honda Jazz RS in Indonesia is priced at Rp. 222 Million (2 Million Yen) while the Japanese Fit RS is priced at 1.69 Million Yen, specs are the same except we use 5AT instead of CVT, price difference between both automatic transmission should be negligible. The Freed in Indonesia is priced at Rp. 258 Million (2.4 Million Yen) while the same Freed is priced at 1.99 Million Yen in Japan, again specs are the same (digital AC control & power retractable mirror just recently added), except for the use of 5AT instead of CVT and the lack of HID.

Let’s do a simple math, now both the Fit/Jazz RS and the Freed in Indonesia reflects a 18 & 20% mark up in price compared with its Japanese brothers, let’s take 20% as our baseline number. Now let’s take Nikkei’s reported Fit hybrid price which starts at  a cool 1.59 Million Yen, in Indonesia, the Jazz hybrid will be priced starting at Rp. 202 Million… Now I suspect that it will be a manual version, so add the usual 10-14 Million for an automatic version, and voila! The estimated Honda Jazz hybrid automatic will be offered in Indonesia for around Rp. 216 Million (roughly US$22K), hell! Round that up to Rp. 220 Million and people will still buy it! Now let’s say Honda decided to go greedy or wanted to add the RS trim to the Jazz hybrid. In Indonesia, the Jazz RS commands Rp. 13 Million more than the baseline Jazz, so added to the baseline Jazz hybrid, the Jazz hybrid RS will still worth Rp. 229 Million… And that my friends are something totally purchasable.

If, and this is just another silly if from me… If Honda wanted to play “screw you all, this is the first commercially affordable hybrid in ASEAN, I’m putting price premium to you suckers!”, the Jazz hybrid will still be below Freed’s price  or at the very least, the same. Still, I’m buying one if I don’t have any car by that time. The Jazz hybrid reported fuel consumption is 26 Km/L or 61 MPG (US), but I suspect it’s just highway number. For inner city driving, I expect that number to drop to half at 13 Km/L or 30,5 MPG (US)… Again, that number is already phenomenal, my 1.5L SX4 automatic only manages an average of 8,4 Km/L or 19,7 MPG (US) for pure inner city driving.

Personally, I’m betting that the Jazz hybrid price range will be around Rp. 220 Million to Rp. 230 Million. It will be priced at Jazz RS level, and complement each other. One you pay premium for exhilarating drive and the other if you are down with the earth and stuff. Tax wise, the car wouldn’t be a luxury import because it is based on an existing car… So if there’s any different tax imposed, I’m really speechless.

Update: 26 August 2010 – more info from other online media

Source:

Autocar.co.uk: Honda launches new Jazz hybrid

The car connection: Honda Jazz hybrid will start a price war

Electric vehicles: Forward to the past

Honda Insight is Hout!

EGMcarTech: Jazz Hybrid Unveiled, No US Plans

Electric Vehicles: Forward To The Past!

We can’t ignore it anymore, alternative fueled cars are in desperate needs in the not so distant future. With mother earth’s limited oil supply, we are going to  see a steep oil price increase again once the economy has recover. Honda and Toyota effort of introducing hybrid technology in cars are still wayward in term of reception by the consumers… Mostly because of the price, but mostly because it’s still uses fuel. Logically speaking, rather than spending a US$20K  (in the United States) to buy a Honda Insight, most people can just do purchasing a Fit for US$5K less, and use that US$5K to fuel the car for years to come.

Let’s look back home here in Indonesia. Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius can be had for… Prepare… Rp. 500 Million or roughly US$50K!!! That’s more than twice the price of Yaris or Fit/Jazz! The Yaris can be had for Rp. 200 Million (US$20K), and the Fit/Jazz can be had for 220 Million (US$22K)… Let’s all relax and make a very simple calculation here…

You want me? Pay me…

My SX4 consumes around 1 Liter for 9 Kilometer (21 US MPG) of full inner city driving. With fuel price (grade 92) is hovering steady at Rp. 6500 (US$ 0.65) per Liter, I pay around Rp 300.000,00 (US$30) per week, and totaling Rp. 1.2 Million (US$ 120) per month. Considering that fuel prices might gone up in the next months because of recovering world economy, I might just bloat the number to 1.5 or Rp 1.8 Million (US$ 180) per month. Then, considering people uses a car up to 4 years (or until their lease is up), I’m  going to multiply my monthly fuel costs by 4 years (given I work somewhere near my old office, even then, 1:9 is already astronomically low)… And voila! I have to pay around Rp 108 Million (US$1008). Do mind I got the car for Rp 169 Million (US$16900), combined with 4 years of fuel, my operational and initial cost of ownership of my car is a measly Rp 277 Million (US$27700), still far less than buying a hybrid in Indonesia. So it goes to say, it’s silly to buy a hybrid, at least in Indonesia. Most people didn’t know this, they just arrogantly purchase the car to say they help the environment or crap… They certainly help made Honda and Toyota wallet grew thicker along the process.

Cheaper to own and fuel for 4 years than a hybrid… Figure it out yourself

Still though, price aside, Hybrids do return insane amount of fuel economy. Then again, it still rely on fuel… So it cannot have the “car of the future” title. One of the most hype alternative energy nowadays is the revival of electric vehicles. You take a hybrid, and lop off the internal combustion engine. Make the car plugable to any existing electrical terminal and voila! Electric cars.

Chevrolet Volt leads the way in this field. Volt is the first full electric vehicle with the biggest twist in the story as any M. Night Shyamalan movies. It is through and through an electric vehicle… But wait! It also has an internal combustion engine… Err… What’s an internal combustion engine doing in an electric vehicle? Ha! Told you it has a twist. The internal combustion engine is not called an engine because it doesn’t the drive the car, instead, it’s a generator that burns fuel to recharge the battery that propels the Volt electric engine. Crazy science! Thus, the car’s battery can be recharged through traditional home outlet, or it can be recharge along the way with its fuel burning generator.

Chevrolet claims 230 MPG or 1 Liter for 97 Kilometers for the car using US EPA estimate. Obscenely fantastic figure. But then, the Internet and automotive in general came with an uproar for the claim. Frankly I find it misleading too. Volt electric engine uses electricity (d’oh) which doesn’t equal to EPA measurement which measures a car’s fuel consumption using fuel. When the Volt is fully charged, it uses no fuel whatsoever, until the battery charge is at 30%, then the generator kicks in and recharge the battery. With that said, Chevrolet should just mention the range of the car using fully charged battery and full tank not the fuel consumption. But still, Chevrolet has the right to call the 230 MPG claim because the car after all consumes fuel (if needed), at least not as preposterous as our next subject…

A smirk of truth

Enter Nissan Leaf, a fully deck through and through electric car. It doesn’t have a generator built in like the Volt… And you know what? Nissan claims 367 MPG or 1 Liter for 156 Kilometers… Atrociously misleading for me. The car is an electric car and doesn’t use any fuel whatsoever, so why does there’s a fuel consumption estimate there? It’s just wrong. Some people (probably a Nissan fan) argue that the claim is right. You take into account the KwH to charge the car, convert it into energy equivalent of fuel and other miscellaneous number crunching few knew. Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford motor company even had a say on this fiasco. He say that the rating is meaningless and “this question devolves into madness”. Madness…

Blue madness

I call this whole Electric Vehicle phenomenon as silly. Because before the Internet was a hit in the late 90s, Honda, Toyota , Ford and even GM already had Electric Cars back in 1997 in the States. Honda EV+, Toyota Rav4-EV, Ford Ranger EV and GM EV1 was at that time the pinnacle of electric cars breakthrough. The cars wasn’t made public, rather it’s available as a special lease for very special people (and rich people) in America. The cost of lease ranged from US$399 to US$599 monthly, a very pricey lease indeed. However, like Nissan Leaf, the cars have an average of 100 Miles of range… And that’s 12 years ago (does Nissan improves anything except adding another set of door on the Leaf?).

This dinky car served as Honda advanced future projects

However, America was only graced by the might of electric cars for just a short while… Shorter still than even Honda lease plan of three years. Introduced in 1997, Honda EV+ was canceled by 1999 to be replaced by first generation Insight. But the true story behind it was far more darker.

According to HondaEV website, there’s political force in play shutting down all oil independent cars in production. Back then, the amount of battery needed to solely power electric cars are a lot, and there’s only one specific battery that is capable to power these cars, and it’s called Toyota-Panasonic EV95. General Motors, back in 1994 bought the patent rights to these batteries, and with single low blow in 2000 sell the rights to Texaco, that’s right A FREAKING OIL COMPANYGM sell alternative energy technology to a company that sells mainstream energy… Good work GM. The next move by Texaco for these oil free cars are to off course, SUE Toyota-Panasonic for the batteries, and Honda EV+ is floating around without a battery. A quote from HondaEV site couldn’t be more heartbreaking for electric car fans…

On Oct. 10, 2000, GM sold control of the patent rights needed for the EV-95 batteries to Texaco. On Oct. 16, Texaco announced it would merge into Chevron (Standard Oil). The next year, Chevron funded a lawsuit against Toyota-Panasonic et al., and the battery production line for the EV-95 batteries was halted.

Toyota paid $30,000,000 and received the right to make small batteries for the Prius, too small to plug in. Toyota shamefully made a virtue of its defeat by bragging that the Prius could not be plugged in. In reality, it was a great disgrace for Toyota to have to bow and scrape to Chevron’s unit that controlled the patents.

The HondaEV suddenly had no battery, no more could be made or sold.

Honda EV+ was left without any battery, and Toyota bows down to the pressure, making the Prius without any ability to be powered by the battery alone even after US$30 Million settlement. So folks, this is why your beloved Prius cannot operate in full battery mode, politics, not technological limit.

There’s also another barrier for entry on these electric cars, and that’s price. Back in 1997, Honda EV+ was unofficially priced at US$53900 (based on calculation of lease). Probably because it was a limited production model, as only 300 or so models produced. Still, it’s 1997 and US$53900 is nothing to sneezed at, times inflation, today the EV+ would costs around US$72000 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator). Now, Nissan hasn’t disclosed any price yet for its Leaf electric car… But do they have the technology to mass produce cheap electric technology? The thing is, battery and  high output reliable electric motors are expensive because both didn’t had its spot on the stage yet, so mass production (economy of scale) hasn’t been achieved. Electric cars will be expensive that’s for sure. At the very very very very very very very least, Nissan will have to heavily subsidize the car, and even so, personally I think Nissan would have to sell the car at US$30000… And that’s quite a lot.

Still though, does electric car is our future? If anything goes by… Yes, you can just plug it in at your home and you drive it the next morning… But it does have its own drawbacks. What do you think current electrical power plant uses as fuel? Hydro? Wind? Geo thermal? Anything renewable? Not quite. Developed countries power plants uses nuclear which produces toxic waste, and most developing countries still relies on old fashioned fossil fuel and coal. If your community is powered using renewable power source then it’s fine and dandy if you use electric cars. But what happens when your community is still powered using fossil fuel? You just hide behind all those fancy electric car gimmick and behind that all, you are still contributing to the use of fossil fuel. Nissan account this notion, that’s why they put MPG rating on the Leaf… But how they come it with the number is between Nissan, the fans, mother earth, the hippies and God.

One proposed alternative energy is to use Hydrogen, as Honda, Mercedes Benz and countless automotive company has proven with their concept cars, it is the fuel of the future. Yes, hydrogen is converted to electricity, making it somewhat an electric car allover again but still, it’s hydrogen. Any 5th grader would know, hydrogen is two part of molecule that forms water (H2O), that’s right folks, hydrogen can be extracted from water (and the last time I waddled through flooded local roads, we have lots of it). However, producing hydrogen is not easy, and in regular cases it takes more energy to produce usable amount of hydrogen through the act of electrolysis. Advance research is underway to extract hydrogen from water with the help of algae, but still usable amount extracted using this method is still a long way down.

Blue Efficiency? The car is green, get it, green because it emits water vapor exhaust…

Honda, Mercedes Benz and leading automotive makers has interest on hydrogen powered economy. Honda already even made FCX Clarity, world’s first dedicated-designed-commercially available (although only through lease) vehicle to be powered using hydrogen. Dedicated because they built a car specific to the engine, with fancy aerodynamics. Unlike Mercedes Benz ‘s F-Cell line of cars, which is an engine option on top of existing line of cars, primarily the A-Class and the B-Class (future dedicated model is coming based upon the B-Class though).

Honda FCX Clarity named 2009 Green World Car

So electric vehicles… Why forward to the past? Because technically, every known electric vehicle technology is just recycled or just improved upon from its predecessors. Nissan Leaf bull crap MPG comment aside, it has a range of 100 Miles, the same like Honda EV+ 12 years ago. The same technology can be found on FCX Clarity electric motor, taken straight from Honda EV+, although modified.

All in all, fancy terms and whatever, it’s nothing when real world driving experience falls short of the claims. Worse still, claims that are mind boggling to begin with. Nissan, stick to your GoTziRa.

Source:

Nissan unveils zero emission “Leaf”

Chevrolet “Volt” & Nissan “Leaf”  MPG claim under fire from Bill Ford

Honda EV+ complete history

US Bureau of Labor Statistic inflation calculator

Honda FCX Clarity Japanese website

Honda FCX Clarity named 2009 World Green Car

Honda Freed Complete Review

Honda freed headerWith the ever rising global oil price, Honda finally unveils a minivan to answer the global demand for a people mover which adheres to current global energy crisis. Entering the compact minivan, on 29th of May 2008, Honda of Japan unveils its latest addition to the compact minivan car category, the curiously named Freed. A review from information established on a website might be corny, but you will find a lot of enlightening facts, especially if you can’t read Japanese Kanji. So, a complete paper review based and witty comments from yours truly, after the click. Continue reading