Tag Archives: Honda

Honda Love Affair With Turbo And VTEC Heir

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Anybody who likes Honda, can spell VTEC right and knows what VTEC stands for, knows that Honda is faithful for the longest time to naturally aspirated engine. Every known popular Honda cars are naturally aspirated, it can even be said that nowadays Honda is the purveyor and champion of naturally aspirated car engine maker. Honda S2000 F20 engine is considered to be the best 2.0L engine available in the world, producing 250ps (246hp) on the high spec Japanese Domestic Market. Honda newest K24 displacing 2.4L in America even produce 190 horsepower in the 8th generation Accord, using regular gas, the most powerful engine of its class. Moreover, Honda Fit RS produces 120ps from a 1.5L, and it is just a simple SOHC engine, wonder what number it can churn if the car uses DOHC type engine.

All Honda venerable Type R cars even have a trademark of using only naturally aspirated engine, from Integra, to Civic, to Accord Euro, and the everlasting NSX. None has ever needed a force induction to make the car go fast around the tracks. Sure sure people will mock Type R cars for having no torque and pit it with a forced induction engine cars and the Type Rs will go bye bye. But what naturally aspirated engine cars with displacement below 2 Liters can go toe to toe with the Type Rs? Answer… Only a few and most often than not they uses bigger displacement engine to win (hints: Nissan and BMW).

With all of this naturally aspirated engine affection, do you know that in the 80s Honda had a brief affair with turbo?

After the advent of CVCC engine that put Honda in the long road to fame, Soichiro Honda’s son Hirotoshi Honda decided that Honda needs a proper “enthusiast” car, one that can go fast but still showcase the spirit of Honda. Then, he took the unjustified tame looking Honda City and installed a turbo in it. So who is this snobby son of Soichiro who can decide what Honda needs? Well, he is after all the founder of Mugen, the-not-so-affiliated-but-actually-is Honda tuning division.

So after the turbo installation, Hirotoshi named the City appropriately as City Turbo, and the car was an instant classic. The engine now produce 100ps up from the measly 70ps, it seems small but consider this… The City Turbo only weighs around 700 Kilogram!! That gives it a power to weight ratio as good as today’s Civic Type R, and that car is fast. When Honda facelift the car, giving it the designation of City Turbo II, the power was upped a little to 110ps. However, according to many various resources, the boost pressure for the engine is limited to preserve engine life, and the car can be boosted easy to more than 150ps (I’m guessing, but being conservative). That’s just insane!

city turbo

The small car that could

Then, there is the thing about 1989 Honda Legend, the first ever 2L V6 with a variable geometry turbo. This variable geometry turbo that Honda created was aptly named the Wing Turbo as it uses some kind of a winglet inside a turbo that variably change the boost pressure depending on the engine load. This beats out conventional turbo concept because it can change boost on demand depending on the engine load, unlike the static boost single turbo charger and the “low-high” characteristic of twin turbo chargers. However, even though the engine was ground breaking, the price reportedly was “too much” for a car of that class back then. Furthermore, I personally suspect that the effect of force induction that is detrimental to the engine was one of the main cause Honda ditch turbo engine.

The Legend

A legend in its time

When VTEC was integrated into Honda product lineup starting from Integra back in 1990, suddenly turbo development was put into stasis, and nobody ever talk about it anymore. Like turbo, VTEC allows for a surge of extra power when the engine is forced to its limit however unlike turbo, VTEC allows daily driving to be efficient. This is because Honda introduce a cam profile changing system that allows “soft” cam to be used for slow driving and “hot” cam to be used for full throttle condition. Furthermore, unlike turbo, the engine is not forced to operate beyond its limit, giving that longevity trait of naturally aspirated engine compared to force induction engine. Now, Honda has this miracle engine that can be driven efficiently but can produce power at high RPMs and have a long life time. It’s a no brainer, turbo is dead! Until recently…

When Acura (Honda lux division) RDX, Acura answer to BMW X3 was launched, enthusiast and media gasps with what type of engine the car used. It is a factory spec turbo, a first for Honda after nearly 20 years! The K23 as it is called produces 240hp and 260 lbs-ft, the torquiest engine Honda ever made. As it code sign gives away, it is a K series engine, the engine that can be found anywhere in the Honda product line, ranging from Accord, Odyssey (JDM), Accord Euro, Civic, Civic Euro, Edix, Element, and others. However Honda engineers strengthened the engine block and added the turbo unit, a variable geometry turbo… The past has return, with a vengeance!

Acura RDX

Acura RDX: Variable geometry turbo in action

With this in mind, speculations about another engine used by Acura TSX replacement (Honda Accord Euro outside US), is a turbo engine producing at least 260hp are running rampant throughout the web. With Honda proprietary torque vectoring all wheel drive system (Super Handling All Wheel Drive, SH-AWD for short) will be adopted by every Acura cars, they need high power high torque engine, and what could give that kind of power except for turbo or large displacement engine? There is something else though, and it is called the A-VTEC.

In the late 80’s Honda ditch turbo for the favor of VTEC. From the looks of it, turbo seems to be a short answer to the long awaited completion of VTEC mechanism. Now does history is repeating itself? Honda new variable geometry turbo engine is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr from complete. It doesn’t feature direct injection like many advanced engine featured in the Lexus (expensive Toyota) line. Therefore its performance can still be increased with the addition of this simple mechanism. However, 20 years and Honda only took an existing engine, lower its compression, strengthen its structural integrity and adding turbo… Skipping the important direct injection technology? I smell something fishy. I smell Honda is going to repeat history again, introducing stop gap turbo technology before the real “true” advanced engine to be introduced.

A-VTEC or Advanced Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, is a more advanced version of I-VTEC (Intelligent VTEC), which itself is a more advanced version of VTEC. I won’t try to be a smart guy, you can check how VTEC works by clicking the links I provides at the end of the article.

Anywho, that’s that for now. Will Honda introduce direct injection or not is up to them, but one thing for sure, the existing K23 turbo engine is far from complete. Will Honda repeat history and introduce next generation of their venerable VTEC, or will they soldier on with turbo is still up in the air.

Honda A-VTEC dissected

Honda Wing Turbo

Honda City Turbo Forum

How VTEC works

Honda Very Own VTEC Documentation

Pictures are taken from Acura.com, Asia.VTEC.net, wikipedia.

Accord 2008 Global Image Comparison

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I might have been too harsh for my preview of the 2008 Honda Accord Asia version. The thing is that, Toyota as Honda main competitor tried very hard to differentiate products where different aesthetic taste is appreciated. Western stereotypes and Eastern stereotypes are very different like cats and dogs, especially when appreciating something visually. Simple and utilitarian are a perfect combination for Westerners while Easterners prefers “the blings”.

Toyota decided to change the face of Camry for American and Eastern market, creating an almost altogether different car (visually). You guys can check it out with the image below…

accord us front

Accord Asia front

Can you guess which Accord is for Asian and American market? (hint:you can’t, it’s the same)

Accord Asia Back

Accord America Back

Can you guess which Accord is for Asian and American market? (hint:you can, now it’s a bit different)

Now let’s take a look at US and Asian Toyota Camry…

Asian Camry

US Camry

Asian Camry (above) and US Camry (below)

As you guys can see, how starkingly different the US and Asian Camry are, while the Accord is just that… The same. As US market is utilitarian, they mostly didn’t care about the exclusion of projector headlight on the Accord, while the US Camry has them. This is once again, only a cosmetic as it is the bulb that is more important than the shape of the headlight. However, Asian market whores about silly cosmetics, and Accord doesn’t have it.

Management wise, Honda did the right thing. It’s cost saving measure to the highest degree, after all, what we need is basic transportation right? Wrong… Marketing wise it’s not the right thing to do. In marketing we have what we call customer focus, where one shaped a product based on what is the market demand. However, Honda has this penchant notion that Honda users are glad being shoved on what they need not what they want.

Truth be told, even though I’m rambling how the Accord looks, magazines and people love the new Accord. In America, the new Accord gains first place in many mid sedan comparisons (cars.com, edmunds.com, wheels.ca). Even though one publication rates the Accord third, at least three other publication rates the Accord at first.

So there you go, visually I loathe at the new Accord, but my friends told me… When you are sitting/driving in the new Accord you won’t see what’s on the outside, you drive the car, you enjoy the seating, you feel the raw power of the engine and bathe in the luxurious and cozy interior. They might be right… I am to cynical about how it looks, I forgot what makes a Honda a Honda… A sensible car. Because in the end, I guess it’s not how you look, but it’s what you have inside, that makes you as a person, that also applied to a car I guess.

(I’m watching 12 days of Christmas eve at Hallmark, and I guess it softens this bitter heart a bit)

Images are taken from Temple Of Vtec, Toyota Indonesia website, Honda Thailand website, and Edmunds.com, cropped to fit.

Accord finishes first at Edmunds comparison

Cars.com Accord comparison

Wheels Accord car of the year candidate

My Personal Preview (rant) of 2008 Honda Accord (Asian Version)

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So it is official, Honda has launched Accord in Thailand as of last week. So why do I keep mum for all of these time? The self proclaimed rabid Honda fan boy? Well… It’s because I didn’t like it. To speak without restrain, Honda has done stupid things in the past, but with the launch of Accord in Thailand, they have done the most stupid thing in history as far as I know. When Takeo Fukui made his speech at Tokyo Motor Show, he said specifically that Accord will be a global model, meaning that around the world there will only be one Accord. Is this a good thing? Well, read on…

America Honda Motor a couple months ago has released Accord in the states with mixed comments from the industry. The V6 coupe has garnered many many fans while the sedan received a welcome pat on the back. It is Honda Accord after all, winner of Car and Driver magazine family sedan of the year ever since 1985, so no surprise there. But when I look at it… Damn, the car looked too bland, too “safe”, and too vanilla-ey. I guess Honda wants to play safe and gives the north American Accord the mild styling, they’ve done so in the past with the north American Civic.

The reception for this “safe” design approach was accepted by the Americans, well, their stereotype does involve simplicity over style. The Civic with the simple head light line and Honda City 2nd generation simple rear lights was a hit. Compared to the Asian/rest of the world Civic (sans Civic Euro), the north American Civic is very bland. The Asian Civic even got integrated into the Canada Acura product line as the CSX, just for styling alone.

Now here’s what I have for the global model announcement. By being a global model, a Honda car will basically have the same look anywhere it is sold in this world although there is the possibility of a minor cosmetic change. The Fit for example, it’s a global model, and from Europe to Asia to America and beyond, the Fit shape will be similar no matter what. So what does this bode for the Accord as it’s becoming a global model… One thing for sure, the shape of American Accord will be the same around the world

When the announcement was available, I immediately voiced my concerned on many internet message boards, one being Temple Of VTEC. I specifically criticize the bland styling of American Accord that will be globalizes. The world is not America (even though American government wants it that way), therefore what being sold / attractive there doesn’t necessarily means it will be the same anywhere else. Sure Accord is America Honda Motor bread and butter product, but will it be successful outside of America with the same styling?

Toyota had done their homework very well, creating a higher scale (cosmetically) Camry outside of America. Compared to Asian Camry, the American Camry looks bland, just what the Americans like. The Asian Camry however looks down right expensive and upscale. 7th generation Accord one up last generation Camry by having a full chrome around the side windows (the last gen Asian Camry has only chrome on the bottom side of the side windows. Now, Camry one up 8th generation Accord by having full chrome around the side windows and chrome lining around the fog lamps and more aggressive looking bumper… How about Asian Accord? Well, it is the same with American Accord, bland.

The rear American Accord was like a huge void of sheet metal with a big fat H logo on the center of the trunk. Thankfully, the Asian Accord received an ornamental thin red stripe extended from the rear lamps towards the center of the trunk, just like current generation Honda Odyssey.

The interior is also a shameful excuse for a Honda badge… It’s basically the 7th generation Accord interior with small changes… What the hell… I know the saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but come on, it looks almost the same with the last generation if I don’t look hard enough.

Thankfully, my father is taking CEO position in his office and doesn’t align himself directly with Honda anymore. If he does still work with Honda, he has to buy the new Accord.

Why does a rabid self proclaimed Honda fan boy said all of this things? Because I want Honda to step up and show some balls. Because Accord is the most popular car in the states doesn’t mean it will sell everywhere else around the world.

However, the engine of the new Asian Accord is quite good though. 180ps, the most powerful 2.4L engine in its class, I think the Camry has a 160-166ps 2.4L engine. A fast ugly expensive sedan will still be faster than a slow upscale pretty expensive sedan.

Here’s some links to Asian and American Honda resources.

Honda Accord Thailand website

American Honda Accord full overview

Oh, almost forgot to add, the Thailand Accord will be the base for Asian Accord including Australia. Although many applaud its driving dynamics, the drivetrain, the improved interior space, the everything… It is just ugly, bar none. Oh well, I can already imagine what they are going to do with the mid life cycle upgrades, but why won’t they do it in the first place?

Entry updated here…

Suzuki Indonesia… A Not So Champion Of Rational Thinkers

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Okay, so I wrote back then about how Suzuki is the champion of rational thinkers. Now people might expect that I’m changing my mind about the matter because I don’t… However, I have this irk to settle about Suzuki Indonesia and why they kill a perfect little car called the Swift.

Suzuki products are widely known for its class leading equipments. For example here in Indonesia, the Swift WAS a product of choice for cars under US$16K with airbag+ABS+EBD+onboard computer+audio controller on steering wheel. Other cars barely reach Suzuki Swift’s equipments even as an option. The trend continues with SX-4 here in Indonesia, at just roughly US$17K, you get all of the above but with a bigger chassis and everything. But recently, Suzuki chopped off the options on Swift to the bare minimum. The car now has nothing but priced at mind boggling US$14K, down around US$3K with the negation of the options.

Now it is understandable to make the Swift as bare as it is to reduce price. But Suzuki Indonesia does not offer Swift with the extra options anymore, just the bare minimum… Now what the hell with that? From what I heard and read at many automotive forums and mailing list, Suzuki does this to push sales because the car is not selling well compared to Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris. D’oh! Off course it is, Swift is a small car compared to those two. It is not a family car per se, it is more of a coupe with extra doors at the back. Rather than just pushing for bigger sales, Suzuki can use the Swift as a stepping stones for people who wants to buy bigger Suzuki cars in the future. After all, what sellers wants from their customer is their retainership and loyalty.

Instead, Suzuki Indonesia degrade the class of Swift into that of a cheap entry level car and those who wants to buy the full optioned Suzuki cars must buy Grand Vitara or SX-4. Now where’s the logic on that? The exclusion of models with full factory options are caused by Suzuki decision to localized the production of Swift, because before the Swift was exclusively imported from Japan. Now with the localization of the Swift, Suzuki deletes the option altogether. Suzuki can still import Swift with full options, even for just a handfull because there will always be a market for high end products. Is Suzuki worried that Swift will overlap SX-4 sales? I don’t think so, because the SX-4 is already a bigger car, even though it is derived from Swift chassis.

One thing I can notice about Suzuki Indonesia decision is just because they want to save as much money as possible. By making all Swift as one standard model, they can achieve economy of scale far easier and they don’t have to incur inventory cost by keeping a separate line of cars. The thing is importing a car are full of hassle, first there’s the administration fiasco between Suzuki Indonesia and Suzuki Japan, that’s for sure. Then there’s the hazard of importing a car from far away land physically (well, you won’t know what happened to the car on its way here), not to mention the time and cost it took to ship cars from overseas.

I wholeheartedly understand why Suzuki want to “degrade” the caste of Swift. After all by doing this Suzuki now has a complete line of products ranging from the affordable entry level Karimun Estillo, to the not so expensive neutered Swift, to the rightly priced all terrain SX-4, the coming soon SX-4 sedan, and to the top of the line Grand Vitara. All products ranging from US$10K to US$25K.

Now my decision of buying a Swift has been decimated to the lot… I do feel sad because the car was the best choice for a full optioned car under the price of US$15K. It seems the curse of Honda rears its head again, probably I will buy the all new Honda Fit/Jazz, a not so bad model. I wanted to buy SX-4 though but kind of afraid Suzuki Indonesia is going to pull the same trick with neutering the SX-4 as it did with the Swift. If I bought the fully optioned Swift back then, probably I will feel alienated by Suzuki Indonesia decision to neuter all existing Swift. Because after all, how can I brag and persuade people to use the Swift if the existing Swift is not exactly the same product I used? Don’t start about the exclusion of Airbag and ABS doesn’t bring about different driving experience, it does, wait until you gotten into a situation when those things safe your life… I had.

Suzuki, The Champion Of Rational Thinkers

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Let’s make things straight here first okay… I love Honda, my passion is Honda, I dream of working for Honda, but I couldn’t help to fall to the tease of Suzuki and their offerings lately, especially the four wheel vehicles they are selling.

Growing up with Honda really makes it stick in my head for sooooooo many years, even though it does not erode until now, the thought of owning cars other than Honda just recently grew up on me. Suzuki never had a brand recognition as strong as Honda or Toyota here in Indonesia. What Suzuki is well known for here is the Suzuki Carry that is being used as a public transportation around “puncak” area. The Carry are well known because the fact that it is a 1 (one) liter/1000cc engine but carries a maximum of 7 passengers with relative ease on mountainous area (puncak means mountain in english). The reliability and the die hardness of the car puts Suzuki quite high in brand recognition… But alas, as a commuter/business vehicle.

On the other side of the spectrum, on its passenger cars, Suzuki is not known for reliability or advance technology, unlike Toyota with its very well known reliability and Honda’s advance VTEC frugality. Subjectivity aside, the last generation small sedan from Suzuki (Baleno Next-G) even got beaten for its design and technological aspect by Toyota Vios and Honda City. All seemed pretty clear where Suzuki was heading, but suddenly Suzuki came up with a new slogan and Swift, the first of a slew changes that will define Suzuki in the near future.

Suzuki now has a new slogan, “Way of Life”, and with it came a complete revolution of how things are made by Suzuki. The Swift was Suzuki first try on completely change its approach on designing a car. Gone are the pudgy looks that haunts Suzuki products, in are the European go-kart look of a car, hinting at everybody who are looking it that a car can be attractive yet convey a sense of passion along the way. The Swift is by no means utilitarian like Honda Fit/Jazz, it has small boot at the back, and the second row seats are cramped for anybody taller than 160cm, but from the outside… It’s whole lot different story. While Honda design the Fit to look cute deliberately, Suzuki designs the Swift to look macho and very boy racer-ish. Then there is the new X-factor, or rather called the SX-4, another unique and category buster car from Suzuki. While the SX-4 took the same Swift chassis and making it a bit longer and giving second row seating a better leg room, it also bust the segment of city car by introducing crossover concept, combining SUV stance and city car altogether. The result? A strange city car that is smaller than the medium class cars but have stance like SUV… This actually makes the car looks like a half size MPV… Or something, it bust the segment and defines a new one anyway.

So what makes me wanting a Suzuki after all this year being a Honda fan boy? Well, the first thing is now I am more of a rational guy. The Suzuki SX-4 is priced at around Rp 165 Million (around US$16500), it has on board computer to calculate fuel consumption, steer mounted audio control, ABS+EBD, and a dual airbag. Its smaller brethren, the Swift came in at Rp 145 Million (around US$14500) with the same stuff available on the SX-4. Now let’s take an example of Honda Fit/Jazz; For a similarly equipped car, the Fit/Jazz came in at Rp 170 Million (around US$17000) minus on board computer to calculate fuel consumption and steer mounted audio control.

If I wanted to replace my Jazz, I might go for the Swift because I don’t need the extra boot space anyway and I don’t have a lot to spend… I think the latter is the appropriate reason. Yes Honda or Toyota products have better resale value, but down the line,the difference only hovers around 5-10% of 5 years depreciation, and by that time I will have enough money to upgrade to something more roomy (might be another Honda though).

For now, Suzuki trump card is just that, value for money. How they achieve that is just a no brainer… Everything that is inside the Swift and SX-4 is basically the same technology available since 5 years ago on the original Aerio/Aerio Sedan/Baleno. The M15A engine which features a cam changing VVT mechanism is just refined and the automatic transmission is still the same 4matic technology featured on the cars I mention earlier. Using the same technology is not incapability of Suzuki to offer a new one, but if you can refine an existing technology, making it more bulletproof, why use something new that is unproven? Most of all, by using tried and true technology, Suzuki does not have to incur investment cost to bottomline price of its products. This rational thinking of Suzuki really goes with my current disposition towards the world after all.

Anywho… If I do replace my car with a Suzuki, rest assured, you will know me for I will definitely place “do you have a Honda” sticker at the rear glass. Honda will always stay, for the better or for worse… Even if it’s just a sticker. Until I have enough money, the Power of Dreams will be my driving force, to be united again with the one (brand) I desire most. Why is there tears coming down from my eyes… Shoot… Sometimes I get sentimental too fast, but letting go of a dream is quite hard… I’ve always wanted a used 04′ Civic or even an 01′ CR-V, heck! A Honda City would be fine, but I have my priorities now, and my personal dreams are met with conditional real world demands.