Japanese Car

Honda Motor Europe Ltd. today announced the all-new, eighth generation Civic for the European market. Wider and lower than the out-going model, the Civic retains virtually all the emotional styling characteristics of the concept car shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in March 2005. This new model will make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005 and sales are expected to commence in early 2006.

Launched to the world in 1972, the Civic has undergone many evolutionary changes to maintain its position as the most successful automobile to be built by Honda, accounting for roughly one-third of total Honda sales worldwide. The current seventh generation Civic is built in 11 countries and sold in 160 markets around the globe.

The forthcoming eighth generation Civic promises to change on a revolutionary scale and will attempt to set new standards in the highly competitive European C-segment, particularly in the upper quality/premium sector.

The concept car shown in Geneva already revealed Honda’s intention of moving the Civic into a sporty, emotional, and fun-to-drive direction. Key to achieving these qualities is the wedge-shaped forward cabin with lower vehicle height, wider width and shorter length.

The overall length is now 35 mm shorter than its predecessor and overall height, 35 mm lower. But, in order to create a more dynamic silhouette and a better handling C-segment car, Honda decided to increase the overall width by 65 mm and the front and rear tracks by 34 mm and 45 mm, respectively.

Despite being shorter and lower on the outside, the new Civic is actually more spacious inside. The interior features the “Dual Link” concept, in which important driving information, including vehicle speed, is displayed in the upper part of the instrument panel, while other information is provided in the lower part. This design allows the driver to concentrate on the road while receiving vital information, enhancing the easy-to-operate and fun-to-drive character of the car.

In terms of utility, the rear seats can be tipped up to form a second storage area in the rear passenger cabin. The rear seats also have a one-motion, dive-down feature that instantaneously create a flat loading space. The total volume of the luggage compartment is quite impressive, with 485 litres, thanks to the centre positioning of the fuel tank. The cargo floor can drop down to reveal an under-floor compartment. All this flexibility translates into a hidden versatility not expected in a sporty looking car.

There is a range of three different engines to choose from: a 1339cc 61kw/83 PS petrol unit, a brand new 1798cc 103kw/140 PS petrol unit or a 2204cc 103kw/140 PS diesel unit. All of them are combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox making the new Honda Civic the first car in the C-segment to be equipped with 6-speed gearboxes across all of its range. The petrol units can also be equipped with a 6-speed automated manual transmission.

All Civics are equipped with ABS and, for optimum performance, Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) which adjusts all wheel brake effort to achieve maximum braking performance and stability. The new Civic also features, across the range, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) designed to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying brake force to the right or left hand wheels as necessary and managing the throttle and brake systems.

Passive safety has always been paramount at Honda. The new Civic has an innovative seat belt reminder system for the rear passengers and both the front seats are fitted with double pre-tensioners. The active front headrests have a decisive role in protecting the passengers against the dangerous whiplash injury.

The expected result for the Euro NCAP crash test for this Civic is 5 stars for front and side impact safety, 3 stars for pedestrian safety and 4 stars for child protection safety, making it one of the safest cars in its class, especially considering that it has the shortest front overhang in the C-segment.

Mitsubishi Motors Thailand launched its new Triton (L200).

To be produced by Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd, the new Triton (known as L200, Storm on export markets) will build on the success of its predecessor, including:
- Over 700,000 units exported out of Thailand since 1988
- FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup Winner in 2003

Race-bred styling
Previewed during the 2005 Dakar Rally as “Truck Evolution”, the new L200 owes much of its design inspiration to the 2002 Pajero Evo 2+2 concept and the Pajero Evolution racer, with its nearly identical sharp lines, evocative Mitsubishi “Mount Fuji” grille and firm stance.

Elaborating on this theme, Mitsubishi Motors designers approached the pickup concept with fresh eyes. They turned the bed into a bold styling feature, instead of a mere box, and gave the cabin the largest interior room in the segment, as expected from a Sports Utility Truck (S.U.T.).

Driving machine
Available in Single Cab, Club Cab and four-door Double Cab body types, the new L200 will also add high driving standards to the mid-size pickup equation, with its contemporary SUV-like permanent Super Select 4-wheel drive system, active stability and traction control with 17” wheels and a tight, class-leading turning circle.

The new L200 will offer all the key work-related attributes, whilst being eminently capable on and off-road, thanks to its totally redesigned hydro-formed fully boxed frame and new independent front suspension and rear live axle set-up.

Engine options in Thailand include:
1, 2.5-liter Indirect Turbodiesel (4D56) capable of 90 PS @ 4000 rpm and 196 Nm @ 2000 rpm
2, 2.5-liter DI-D Hyper Common Rail Turbo (4D56), capable of 116 PS @ 4000 rpm and 247 Nm @ 2000 rpm
3, 2.5-liter DI-D Hyper Common Rail Turbo Intercooler (4D56), capable of 140 PS @ 4000 rpm and 321 Nm @ 2000 rpm
4, 3.2-liter DI-D Hyper Common Rail Turbo Intercooler (4M41), capable of 165 PS @ 4000 rpm and 351 Nm @ 2000 rpm.

Exports set to commence at the end of 2005.

Toyota will unveil its next-generation RAV4 and the second-generation European-version of its Yaris supermini (introduced as the Vitz Mk II in Japan earlier this year.

NEW GENERATION RAV4
The new RAV4 will be the third generation of the vehicle which kick-started the market for sporty, compact SUVs 11 years ago. Since that time it has become a consistent best-seller, topping the European 4x4 sales charts for the past four years.

The new model promises significantly enhanced driving pleasure and performance, improved quality, wider application of advanced technology, greater interior space and a creative modular interior design.

INSPIRED CONCEPT CARS
Two new concept cars will be on show at Frankfurt. The Toyota Endo, the latest concept from the ED2 design centre, is an urban-friendly car designed to address some of the key issues of modern urban life.

It will be presented alongside the Toyota i-unit, a new approach to human mobility that enables the driver to interact with his or her surroundings. The design is inspired by a leaf, a natural expression of life on earth.

NEW DIESEL POWER FOR COROLLA VERSO

The seven-seat Toyota Corolla Verso will be presented with two versions of Toyota’s new 2.2-litre D-4D diesel engine. The versatile model will be offered with the 175bhp unit with D-CAT catalyst technology for ultra-clean running that is also due to be offered in the Avensis in 2006, and a 134bhp version of the 2.2-litre engine that will replace the 114bhp 2.0-litre D-4D in the range from November.

On the diesel theme, Toyota will also be showing its Aygo city car, equipped with a 53bhp 1.4-litre turbodiesel engine. This version of Aygo will join the model range in early 2006.

NEW HILUX AND OTHER EXHIBITS

The new Hilux pickup will represent the latest addition to Toyota’s European range, offering the same legendary robust build quality with more interior space, improved driving characteristics and greater comfort and quality.

The Toyota stand will also feature the Panasonic Toyota Racing TF105 Formula 1 car and a technical display demonstrating the advanced technology of the Toyota Prius.

Taking centre stage at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show is Mazda's latest design concept, Mazda Sassou. Conceived and designed at Mazda's European Design Centre in Frankfurt, Germany, it is a lightweight, urban vehicle for young, first car customers that makes every day city driving fun, highly practical and economical. A sleek, three-door hatchback, it employs evolved Zoom-Zoom exterior design language with youthful lightness and surprising hidden features. These, combined with advanced interior systems using a USB stick key and an ingenious rear seat morphing system, hint at where Mazda might be heading with a future B-segment vehicle.

Mazda Sassou is the first design concept from a unique approach to show cars for Mazda Motor Corporation this year at three major motor shows - this year's IAA, the Tokyo Motor Show in October and the 2006 North American International Automobile Show next January.

"This is the first of a number of concept cars to be designed consecutively at our regional design centres, namely: Frankfurt (Germany), Yokohama (Japan) and Irvine (California)," says Moray Callum, Executive Officer in charge of Design at Mazda Motor Corporation. "However, despite the design environment in which it may be conceived, you will intuitively identify that this is a car from Mazda. Its characteristics being uniquely Mazda; reflecting the essence of Zoom-Zoom, something we have communicated throughout the World".

"Mazda Sassou was designed to appeal to young, first car-buyers" said Peter Birtwhistle, Chief Designer at Mazda Motor Europe GmbH. "It is a look over the Mazda horizon and what it proposes is new and exciting. It is the result of asking ourselves what stimulates young Europeans today. We feel that they would ideally prefer a vehicle that supports and expresses their lifestyle and at the same time would meet the changing demands of the growing European B-segment. Sassou, then, not only evolves Mazda small car design in a lightweight, fun-looking B-car package, it also represents a new way to express some traditional automotive attributes and provides a first Zoom-Zoom driving experience for young buyers."

The name "Sassou" is a Japanese term that was chosen because it means having a positive state of mind, of looking to the future with optimism. On the horizon, then, is something positive and exciting. Mazda Sassou is not only an advanced evolution of Mazda's Zoom-Zoom design language, but is a symbol of the forward-thinking optimism of the entire organization as communicated by its recently announced Mazda Momentum business plan.

Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that it will exhibit a compact SUV, the D-Compact 4X4, and a hybrid sports car, the HVS, along with a number of other new models at the 61st Frankfurt Motor Show.

D-Compact 4X4 (concept car world premier)
The D-Compact 4X4 is Daihatsu's proposal for a new compact SUV that's more powerful, more dynamic and more handsome. Its dynamic and sophisticated styling is an expression of the car's pure SUV performance and ease of use in the city. The newly developed 1.5-litre engine supports nimble acceleration in all speed ranges and delivers the powerful driving performance you'd expect of an SUV.

HVS (concept car world premiere)
A new lightweight sports car that reconciles environmentally friendly performance with the joy of driving at an unprecedented high level, the HVS combines a 1.5-litre engine and an advanced electrically operated 4WD hybrid system to draw out the full potential of hybrid technology. The result is a powerful and exhilarating drive reminiscent of a 2-litre car but with fuel economy exceeding that of a conventional 1-litre car. The rear electric motor transmits power via a drive-control mechanism that drives the left and right wheels separately for increased stability during high-speed cornering.

Marble flooring, orchids and bowing receptionists welcome customers at the Lexus car dealerships opening Tuesday in Japan, marking the introduction of Toyota's luxury brand in its home market 16 years after the Lexus was introduced in the United States, where it has become a big hit.

Sales staff received training much like they would get at a five-star hotel to cater to picky Japanese drivers -- a very different experience from what Americans get at U.S. Lexus showrooms, according to Toyota Motor Corp.

New Lexus owners receive their purchase in a special "presentation room" with a wall-to-wall mirror that allows the proud drivers to admire themselves, and the dealer may give buyers a bouquet of flowers or golf balls for that personal touch.

"We want our customers to be moved by the whole experience," said general manager Yukihiro Fujimori, a former Toyota dealer who acknowledged that shifting from his past aggressive sales push took some adjusting.

Fujimori's showroom, one of more than 140 Lexus dealers opening nationwide, is in an upper-class Tokyo suburb, where imports such as BMW and Mercedes Benz are popular.

The challenge for Toyota is breaking into that luxury import market, which has stayed flat at about 270,000 cars a year, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association.

Fujimori says the Lexus still lacks brand power in Japan. "There are no quick fixes. It will take time, and it's not going to be easy," he said. READ MORE...

Some bill it one of the biggest events in the auto industry this year.

Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) -- already close to unseating General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) as the world's No. 1 seller of automobiles -- will usher in the 16-year-old Lexus brand to its home market on Tuesday in what it says is a major step toward taking on top luxury marques everywhere else.

"(Lexus) has been in the United States for almost 20 years," Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe told a news conference last month to unveil the GS, SC and IS cars -- the first Lexus models to be sold through 143 dealerships in Japan starting Aug. 30.

"It's now time to turn it into a globally accepted premium brand."

That's a tall order for a company primarily known for its reliable but run-of-the-mill mass-market vehicles.

For all its success in the U.S. market, the world's biggest for luxury cars, Lexus is a lightweight elsewhere: global sales of 359,000 units in 2004 pale in comparison to the 1 million-plus sold annually by both Mercedes-Benz (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) and BMW (BMWG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research). READ MORE...