Honda Cars : 2013 Ward's Best Engines: Honda 2.4L DOHC I-4 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda proves a bread-and-butter engine, its all-new 2.4L direct-injection 4-cyl. in the Accord, is more like a piled-high deli sandwich.

by Tom Murphy of www.wardsauto.com

Bread-and-butter engines make the auto industry go ’round, but they rarely dazzle us with superb refinement or sportiness.

These types of high-volume engines are in affordable cars, and their mission is simple: Deliver the occupant reliably from Point A to Point B and blend into the woodwork.

Only a handful of these unsung heroes have earned Ward’s 10 Best Engines honors over the years, and 2013’s standout among this segment is Honda’s all-new 2.4L direct-injection 4-cyl. in the Accord.

Honda’s first DI engine in North America, branded as “Earth Dreams,” is loaded with compelling technologies, including a forged-steel crankshaft with journals micropolished to reduce friction and a pair of chain-driven counter-rotating balance shafts located in the oil pan to offset harmonic vibrations inherent in 4-cyl. engines.

The addition of fuel being injected directly required a completely re-engineered combustion chamber and a new “dished” surface for the piston crowns to enable stable combustion and proper distribution of the stratified fuel charge.

The flatter, more compact combustion chamber reduces unburned hydrocarbon emissions and contributes to a higher compression ratio of 11.1:1, up from 10.5:1 on the previous 2.4L.

Within the cylinder, engineers set out to reduce sliding friction by offsetting the bores from the crankshaft by 0.3 ins. (8 mm), which gives the connecting rods a more favorable angle during each power stroke, boosting efficiency.

Mass was taken out wherever possible, resulting in a 3.5% reduction in overall engine weight compared with Honda’s previous-generation 2.4L.

Part of that weight savings comes from eliminating the exhaust manifold – an emerging trend for a number of new engines – and incorporating exhaust passages directly into the cylinder head.

This new design allows the close-coupled catalyst to mount directly to the cylinder head, on the front side of the engine, enabling it to heat up faster for reduced emissions. The transversely oriented 2.4L also stands more upright now, whereas the previous engine vented on the back side and slanted rearward 15 degrees.

All this technology adds up to an engine that caught WardsAuto editors off-guard for its power and smoothness.

Over the course of a 537-mile (864-km) test drive, two editors exceeded 33 mpg (7.1 L/100 km) in this generously proportioned sedan that gets up to speed with no problem thanks to 189 hp, ample low-end torque and a wonderful mid-range punch.

“Honda proves once again it isn’t about the numbers,” WardsAuto editor Drew Winter writes on his score sheet. “This engine is fun and sporty. It’s an excellent, practical engine that delivers both performance and fuel economy in unassuming fashion.”

Under a heavy boot, as engine speed builds past 4,800 rpm, Honda’s well-established VTEC variable valve-timing system transitions to a high-lift, long-duration intake cam profile for outstanding high-rpm engine power. And it all happens with regular unleaded gasoline.

Worthy of a shoutout are two new transmissions that help this 2.4L engine truly shine.

A 6-speed manual in the Accord Sport amps up the fun quotient, and driving enthusiasts also will eagerly accept the all-new continuously variable transmission, developed internally to demonstrate that CVTs aren’t just for poky hybrids.

With excellent transmissions, Honda’s 2.4L DI engine isn't just a bread-and-butter 4-cyl.

Now it's a piled-high deli sandwich.

Source;
http://wardsauto.com/vehicles-amp-technology/honda-24l-dohc-i-4 

Honda Cars : 2013 Ward's 10 Best Engines: Honda 3.5L SOHC V-6 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

We’ve always cherished this 60-degree titan as an unsung hero whose power surpasses the numbers on the spec sheet. The new 3.5L makes a convincing argument that modern engines do not need direct fuel injection.

 by Tom Murphy of www.wardsauto.com

A funny thing happened while Ward’s 10 Best Engines judges drove 590 miles (950 km) in the all-new ’13 Honda Accord Touring sedan: Without even trying, seven editors – most of them with lead in their boots – overshot the window-sticker combined fuel-economy rating of 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) by a wide margin.

That’s what the Environmental Protection Agency says most drivers should achieve in city/highway motoring with the extensively reworked 3.5L SOHC V-6.

The WardsAuto team of hyper-miler flunkies averaged 29.4 mpg (7.9 L/100 km) in early November – outstanding for an engine this size – while editor Christie Schweinsberg set the high bar at 31.1 mpg (7.5 L/100 km) after a weekend road trip to northern Michigan.

“I saw 35.5 mpg (6.6 L/100 km) on the trip computer after the first 100 miles (160 km) on the freeway,” Schweinsberg reports. Factor out the 258 miles (415 km) she logged, and the combined mileage still exceeds 29 mpg.

Now, aren’t consumers complaining a lot of vehicles deliver disappointing real-world fuel economy, which suggests the EPA test cycle represents something other than the real world? Oh, the folks at Hyundai must be eating their hearts out.

For delivering exemplary fuel economy and simultaneously pulling like a freight train at hard throttle, Honda’s improved 3.5L V-6 earns its fourth Ward’s 10 Best Engines trophy since 2005.

We’ve always cherished this 60-degree titan as an unsung hero whose power easily surpasses the numbers on the spec sheet.

The latest iteration comes with several significant updates and makes a convincing argument that modern engines do not need direct fuel injection to achieve benchmark performance. Besides, port-injection engines such as Honda’s V-6, as well as Chrysler’s 3.6L Pentastar, are less expensive to build.

Honda has an edge with a new cylinder-deactivation system that saves more fuel than on the previous-generation engine. The Variable Cylinder Management system used to shut down two or three cylinders at a time, depending on driving load. Now, it only switches to 3-cyl. mode.

When maximum power is required, all six cylinders are firing, and transitions between the two modes are seamless. Enabling VCM to work more often is a new, more-robust 28-volt active engine mount system that minimizes engine vibration during the transitions. An active noise-control system cancels any other undue sounds within the interior. VCM is available only with the 6-speed automatic transmission.

For the first time, this new Accord application combines VCM with Honda’s heralded Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system, which changes valve lift, timing and duration of the intake valves to deliver more torque earlier in the powerband.

Separate from VCM, the system is intelligent enough to vary valve operation based on the driving situation and engine speed. At low rpm, VTEC optimizes intake valve timing and lift for increased torque.

As the tachometer needle passes 5,150 rpm, VTEC transitions to a high-lift, long-duration intake-cam profile for superior power at high-rpm. With the manual transmission, this transition happens even earlier, at 4,900 rpm.

Each low-pressure cast-aluminum cylinder head incorporates a new “tumble port” design that enhances combustion efficiency, and an integrated exhaust manifold within each head requires fewer parts, improves flow and allows for closer coupling of the catalytic converter downstream, which reduces emissions.

Put all this technology together, and this new silky-smooth “Earth Dreams” V-6 positively storms. “It’s never lacking for acceleration,” writes WardsAuto editor Byron Pope.

Source;
http://wardsauto.com/vehicles-amp-technology/honda-35l-sohc-v-6

Honda Cars : Honda launches new engine offensive | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

by Graeme Fletcher of  National Post

TOCHIGI, JAPAN  Honda has suddenly awoken from the slumber that has seen several of its recent product launches arrive with what was essentially a carryover powertrain. Having introduced three new hybrid systems (see page DT4), Honda’s under-hood engineering is about to get a major overhaul.

The activity will see a new range of engines, each of which will now feature direct injection along with Honda’s iVTEC system and variable cam phasing. The first of the new breed is the base engine in the recently released Honda Accord — a 2.4-litre four with 185 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. The lineup will grow in the coming years to include a 1.0L three-cylinder engine, 1.5L, 1.8L and 2.0L four-cylinder engines and a range-topping 3.5L V6. More intriguing is that all, with the exception of the V6, will be offered with turbocharging.

While the horsepower and torque numbers of the three- and four-
cylinder engines will not be made available until closer to launch time, there was a hint: When I asked an engineer about the potency of the 1.0L turbocharged engine, he played coy, but he could not resist smiling broadly and nodding when I suggested it would make in excess of 120 hp.

I drove a Honda Fit equipped with the new 1.5L engine and CVT transmission. While I am still not overly enamoured with the transmission, the engine proved to be just fine. The tip-in response is crisper than the current engine and it has a noticeably stronger pull through the mid-range (a claimed 15% improvement in acceleration performance). It is also more fuel efficient — more than 10%. Expect this combination to debut when the current Fit is overhauled. This will likely happen when Honda’s new assembly plant in Mexico comes on line in 2014.

There is more known about the 3.5L V6. Along with the direct injection and iVTEC with cam phasing, it will earn cylinder deactivation. Under light loads, it shuts down three of its six cylinders and uses active noise cancelling to mask the change in the engine’s tonal quality. It also boasts plenty of power. The preliminary numbers say 310 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. This represents a 5% increase in torque and a 10% boost in fuel economy compared with the current 3.5L V6.

Another of the pleasant surprises, and one that would work very nicely in the CR-V, is a totally new 1.6L turbodiesel. While it only produces 120 hp, it twists out 221 lb-ft of torque — the CR-V’s gas engine makes 185 hp and 163 lb-ft. This means there would be little change in performance (I suspect it might actually improve at the low end), but there would be a huge step forward in fuel economy. The CR-V and its gas engine is rated at 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway; the turbodiesel is rated at 3.6 L/100 km.

The engine that truly shocked me was under the hood of the overtly funky N-One. This tiny car has surprising roominess along with the right features and flexibility — it would be a great addition to Honda Canada’s portfolio and the perfect foil for the likes of the Fiat 500, Mini and Smart fortwo. Alas, this is not likely to happen any time soon.

What surprised me was its engine. Displacing a mere 660 cubic centimetres (yes, 0.66L), I was not expecting much as I headed out on to the high-banked oval that rings Honda’s R&D facility. Cranking it to life saw it produce the grumbly sound engines with an odd number of cylinders tend to make. In short, as I pulled out on to the oval, I was prepared to be less than impressed.

Standing on the gas, however, saw this retro-styled box pick up its side sills and romp off toward the first corner. While this diminutive mill only puts out 63 hp and 77 lb-ft of torque at 2,600 rpm, it is enough to deliver impressive performance in this application. Firing its power through a broad-ratio CVT, the N-One scooted to 100 kilometres an hour as quickly as any self-respecting car with a naturally aspirated 1.3L engine under the hood. Hitting the back straightaway saw the speedometer needle sweep past its 140-km/h maximum and point straight down. Here was a tiny ride scooting along at 150 km/h or so and feeling entirely comfortable in the process. At the end of the lap, I pulled into the pit lane mightily impressed. Not only did it have surprising alacrity in posting a speed I did not expect to see, it delivers a claimed average fuel economy of 5.4 L/100 km in the process.

The smile-inducing ride proved to be a race-prepared CR-Z — a racing suspension (as in virtually no travel!), a roll cage and deep-dish front seats with five-point harnesses. While the engine was stock, meaning 122 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque at 1,000 rpm, it had a very neat feature — a lone paddle shifter on the right side of the steering wheel. Rather than altering the CVT’s ratios, it offered a pull-to-pass function. Running down the long straight of the banked oval at 130 km/h, I pulled said paddle and the electric motor kicked in to give the CR-Z the benefit of its ponies. In the normal CR-Z, the computer determines when and how the electric motor assists. True, the ability to tinker with the hybrid’s operational characteristics runs contrary to the green theme of this sporty runabout, but it would be a very welcome addition to the road-going version.

Source;
 http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/11/19/honda-launches-new-engine-offensive/

Honda Cars : A possible roadmap for Honda’s diesel engined car foray in India emerges | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Just yesterday, we brought you buzz about the Honda Brio diesel being tested in India. While official confirmation of the same might never arrive due to Honda being fearful of losing sales of petrol engined Brio models, more such spottings in the coming months could reaffirm the presence of a diesel engined model in the Japanese car brand’s scheme of things. Talking of which, Honda definitely has big plans for diesel engined car models in the future. Not for nothing has the automaker put a bunch of ex-F1 engineers on the job to come up with a range of new generation turbo diesel engines to power future car models.

Coming to the possible roadmap for Honda’s diesel engined cars to be launched in India, a news report carried by the EconomicTimes suggests that the Brio might indeed be the first Honda car model in India to be outfitted with a diesel engine. The City sedan is another car that could see a diesel engine under the hood. Once a best seller in the C-segment sedan space, the lack of a diesel engined variant has seen the model slowly losing market share to rivals like Hyundai, Volkswagen and Nissan. So, a diesel engine is very much needed to resurrect the Honda City’s stature as a top selling car in its class.

The story goes on to assert that the Brio diesel will debut by the middle of 2013, which is just a year away. A 1.2 Liter, three cylinder version and a 1.5 Liter, four potter turbo diesel could be in the works. The Jazz could be the other car that could get a diesel engine, with a likely launch at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The brand already has diesel engines ready to be deployed in its other cars such as the Civic, the Accord and the CR-V crossover. In fact, Honda sells diesel versions of all the three aforementioned cars in the European market, which is extremely diesel friendly.

Likewise, Honda indeed needs diesel cars in its portfolio if the brand wants to remain relevant in India, as the cost difference between petrol and diesel has further widened to an unprecedented high with the latest hike in petrol prices, days ago. Honda currently has no diesel engined cars in its India portfolio and the new range of turbo diesel engines are seen as a saviour for the brand, which has clearly lost its way,amidst plummeting sales over the past couple of years. Honda for its part continues to officially deny that it is planning to launch diesel engined cars in 2013.

Source;

http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/cars/a-possible-roadmap-for-hondas-diesel-engined-car-foray-in-india-emerges-59467/#more-59467

Honda Cars : What are the advantages of the Honda diesel power train for cars? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

As the demand to adapt to greener lifestyles and environmentally-cleaner ways of living is increasing, there are a growing number of motorists opting for cars that are cleaner to the environment and more fuel-efficient. As Honda are widely acclaimed for pioneering the way in ‘greener’ forms of vehicles, if you are on the market for an eco-friendly car, the chances are you are considering one from Honda.

To help you understand the interior complexities of what makes Honda’s eco cars as beneficial as they are it is important to look at the manufacturer’’ development across all areas of the motor industry.

Between 2004 and 2009 the Tier II emission standard regulations were phased in in the United States. Within the Tier II ranking, there is a sub-rating which ranges from BIN 1 – 10, with 10 being the dirtiest emissions that a vehicle can emit into the atmosphere and 1 being the cleanest and is a Zero Emission Vehicle.

In 2007 the U.S. implemented new Tier II Bin 5 regulations and in order to comply with these regulations Honda announced the development of a diesel power train that is as clean as a traditional gasoline vehicle.

So what exactly are the advantages of the Honda diesel power train for cars?

Diesel is more fuel efficient than gasoline engines
With the price of petrol now at unprecedented levels, budget-conscious motorists are increasingly looking for alternatives to petrol driven vehicles. As diesel engines are approximately 30% more fuel efficient than petrol, diesel cars have always been a popular alternative for motorists wanting to see their fuel go further. Is this sense Honda cars that are powered by an impressive diesel power train, are more fuel efficient than many of the vehicles that do not have this system.

Less greenhouse emissions
As diesel cars are notoriously harmful to the environment, spewing out greater amounts of harmful gases than petrol cars, you may be wondering how Honda vehicles that are powered by a diesel power train are environmentally friendly.

Honda’s innovative technology is based on a system that both generates and stores ammonia in a two-layered catalytic converter. The converter then turns the harmful greenhouse gas nitrogen oxide produced by the diesel into harmless nitrogen.

Carbon emissions are also heavily reduced in a number of Honda’s new hybrid creations. These combine an electric motor with a traditional combustion engine to offer drivers the performance of a conventional car with the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle.

Requires no heavy add-ons
Despite car manufacturers DaimlerChrysler having already started developing a similar process, Honda claim that its own system is superior as it is a lot less complex and does not require any heavy add-ons to make ammonia from area-based additives. This gives motorists the chance to protect the environment with as little impact on their finances and lifestyle as possible, making these cars the perfect choice.

Source;
http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/111971/what-are-the-advantages-of-the-honda-diesel-power-train-for-cars-.aspx

Honda Cars : Honda gives rare look at R&D center taking on big project under new leader | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

RAYMOND, Ohio — A mile from a rural highway and past several levels of security is the Honda complex that does some of the heavy lifting — and much of the heavy thinking — for the automaker’s operations throughout North America.

Unlike the Honda assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Honda R&D Americas in Raymond does not give tours to the public. It keeps such a low profile that even its employee count was once a secret.

That began to change in January, when Honda’s top executive announced that the Ohio research center would be in charge of developing a new “supercar,” the Acura NSX. The sports car will be built at a yet-to-be announced location in Ohio.

In light of the center’s highly publicized role with the NSX and other models, company officials opened its doors to The Dispatch for a rare look inside.

The lobby is adorned with 314 plaques representing the patents that Honda obtained based on work at the center.

“It’s like a developmental Petri dish,” said Frank Paluch, senior vice president of automobile development. “We can try new things.”

Automakers tend to do their most-sophisticated research close to their home base, which for Honda is in Japan. Honda is unusual in sending a complicated project so far away.

“It’s a testament to the competence that (the Raymond office) has,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, a research firm in Tustin, Calif.

The heart of the complex is a design room as large as four football fields and filled with hundreds of cubicles for designers and engineers. It’s separated into departments that handle specific aspects of vehicle design.

Everyone is dressed in the Honda uniform: white pants and a long-sleeved white shirt with the person’s first name ironed onto the left breast. This includes the division’s president, whose desk is out in the open with everyone else’s.

Starting on Monday, the new president will be Erik Berkman. Before him, every top executive in the history of the research division came from Honda in Japan. Berkman joined the company in 1982 as an engineer in Marysville. His promotion might signal a growing role for the executives who have spent their careers in North America.

Berkman will oversee a Raymond office that has about 1,300 employees, most of them engineers; 200 more engineers are to be hired in the next few years.

The head count makes this the largest facility of its type in the Americas operated by a foreign-based company. The closest parallel is probably Toyota’s center in Ann Arbor, Mich., which has 1,100 employees.

Honda R&D also has 12 smaller offices in the Americas.

On the levels below the design floor in Raymond, workers make prototype versions of the vehicles and then test them. In this way, the complex is like a miniature assembly plant.
Several of the labs look like sets from a science-fiction movie.

This includes a chamber the size of a small gymnasium whose walls are covered with white foam squares. The walls block out all outside electromagnetic signals, such as those from cellphones, television and radio. In this space, researchers measure the level of electromagnetic activity coming from a vehicle, and they test how it responds when bombarded with intense levels of radio waves.

Elsewhere in the complex, employees maintain a room full of crash-test dummies (officially, they’re called “anthropomorphic test devices”) built to look like women, men and children of various sizes and shapes. Each dummy wears black dress shoes that look as if they came from a thrift store.

The main crash-test space is a long corridor with a slab at one end. Before a crash, workers put on safety glasses and stand behind a series of clear plastic barriers.

“Blink, and you’ll miss it,” one said.

In less than a second, an Odyssey minivan streaks across the room and smacks head-on into the slab. The front crumples, but the rest is almost completely undamaged. Employees wait for a moment and then gather around the wreck to take readings. The room smells like charred nylon, which comes from the material that deploys the airbags.

“Odds are that the occupant would get up and walk out of the car,” said Chuck Thomas, chief engineer for vehicle safety.

Across the hall is a smaller crash-test site that simulates different impact angles. Unlike the main test area, this one doesn’t use whole vehicles. It studies the parts, such as seats and dash components, which get placed in the frame of a vehicle.

The center started in 1991 with a suite of offices that is now the far corner of the complex. At that time, most of the work involved making derivatives of existing models, such as the Accord wagon, which had most of the same components as the Accord sedan.

That changed in 2001 when the office did almost all the development work for the Acura MDX, a completely new model. The center also led the way on the Pilot SUV, the Ridgeline pickup truck and the 2011 redesign of the Odyssey minivan. Of the 18 Honda or Acura models in the current lineup, six were developed at the Raymond office, representing 25 percent of sales.

The NSX is not designed to be a big seller, but it might be the most eagerly awaited vehicle to come out of the center, said Peterson of AutoPacific. The original NSX sold from 1990 to 2005. With a sticker price of about $90,000, the vehicle was a showpiece; sales never topped 2,000 in a year.

The new version will be a gas-electric hybrid, adding another level of complexity to a difficult assignment.

Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, unveiled a preliminary version of the NSX in January, which was when he said the model will be developed and assembled in Ohio.

Paluch, senior vice president at the Honda research center, saw the comments as an affirmation and a challenge.

“Basically, the statement Mr. Ito made is that Honda has grown up its R&D worldwide enough to build a flagship vehicle,” he said.

Source;
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/04/01/engine-of-design.html

Honda Cars : Honda Commits to Finding it's Way Back to Roots | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Chang-ran Kim And Ben Klayman, Reuters

The future of Honda Motor Co. may rest with a pair of contrarian Japanese car engineers working from a drab Tokyo suburb with a hotline to the boardroom. Their mission: just say no.

Honda's creative directors, Toshinobu Minami and Yoshinori Asahi, are out to kill any mediocre car designs rumbling down the pipeline. In short, they have been told to stop anything like the 2012 Civic, a cheapened redesign that prompted critics, consumers and rivals to wonder how Honda had so badly lost its way.

Inside Honda, in both Japan and the United States, that same question has also been asked with urgency.

Honda, many say, slipped into designing cars by committee in recent years and drifted away from the iconoclastic ambitions of its founder.

Honda had become boring.

"Somewhere along the way, we lost the ability to express ourselves more freely," Asahi said. "We have a lot of designers here, and when we ask ourselves, 'Which Honda car would we want to buy?' sometimes some of us draw a blank."

That's a startling admission at a company long praised for the quality and durability of its vehicles - a company that caught U.S. automakers flat-footed in the 1970s with inexpensive, fuel-efficient cars like the original Civic.

Touted four decades ago for its CVCC engine that boasted cleaner tailpipe emissions - as well as inspiring the Civic name - Honda has trailed with advances such as six-speed transmissions and direct fuel-injection systems.

In recent years, Honda's "car guys," the engineers that built the automotive upstart into a powerhouse, were overshadowed by the "bean counters," financial executives more willing to cut corners on vehicle content to shore up margins, insiders say.

That approach looks good on a spreadsheet, but it also carries the risk of a backlash. Consumers can turn on a debased version of a popular car and the resulting publicity can burn a brand - a lesson GM, Ford and Chrysler all learned the hard way in the slide to crisis in 2008.

Ironically, Detroit's willingness to settle for also-ran status in small-car quality created the opening for Honda in the 1970s and 1980s. Now, analysts and industry executives wonder whether Honda can rekindle the underdog ambition of founder Soichiro Honda.

Changes at Honda can't come soon enough after a terrible year. Slow to recover from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan a year ago, Honda's U.S. sales tumbled seven per cent in 2011. By contrast, Nissan bounced back with a 14 per cent sales gain to almost match Honda's market share. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. have overtaken Japanese automakers as the benchmark for value-for-money.

"Honda somehow managed to get very, very far away from their engineering discipline," AutoTrends Consulting president Joseph Phillippi said, adding it could take three years for Honda to show it has turned the corner in car development.

Honda's earnings remain supported by a strong finance arm and its leading motorcycle business. In addition, the automaker is taking steps to shift more production to North America to shore up profitability.

In another move that shows the importance Honda attaches to getting it right in the United States, the board last month promoted North America chief Tetsuo Iwamura to become the No. 2 global executive, the first time that job has been based outside Japan.

But behind the scenes, the battle for Honda's automotive soul is being played out in places like Asahi and Minami's sprawling third-floor studio in the Tokyo suburb of Wako. If the upscale Aoyama neighbourhood that houses Honda's headquarters can be likened to New York's Fifth Avenue, then Wako would be a dreary town in New Jersey.

Since September, when they were promoted to fix Honda's car designs, Asahi, 47, and Minami, 44, have been working from Wako with a mission to shake things up. Both worked in the early 1990s on the fourth-generation Accord, a bigger Honda that won praise for its simplicity and a near-indestructible fourcylinder engine.

Honda's creative duo now have a direct line to chief executive Takanobu Ito. Frustrated with the pace of decision-making at Honda, Ito has put himself in charge of Honda's car operations, splitting the core of the company into three units headed by engineers: the Acura brand, mid-sized vehicles and small cars.

Honda is rushing a redesigned Civic to market late this year, essentially a facelift to protect the image of a car that is key to both Honda's future and heritage.

Source;
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Honda+will+revamp+after+dent+from+Civic/6245829/story.html

Honda Cars : Honda back in the innovation game | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Richard Russell @ Globe and Mail

Although Honda built its reputation in engineering and innovation, in recent years it has strayed from that path – there have been no new engines, transmissions, hybrid, electric or plug-in systems in an era when the competition is bombarding us with new thinking.

Honda Motor president and CEO Takanobu Ito admits the company has had trouble. “The real challenge facing car companies around the world is the speed at which change is taking place. To be honest, we have not been able to keep up as well as we’d like.”

He also heads up Honda R&D and in that role says his first task as president is to push for advanced technologies, advances that will put Honda ahead of the pack in the fields of batteries, hybrids and fuel cells while working on further efficiencies with the internal combustion engine. “We’re hard at work on all of these at once,” he said recently.

The previous day, at the company’s R&D centre in Motegi, 125 km north of Tokyo near the area decimated by the March earthquake and tsunami, we had sampled a steady stream of new innovations that will find their way into an array of new vehicles in the next couple of years.

We drove a variety of new and future vehicles powered by a completely new family of four- and six-cylinder engines. We tried several new transmissions, a truly innovative all-wheel-drive system, various hybrids including one without a transmission, pure electric vehicles and a sleek sedan powered by a fuel cell.

On the engine front, a unique combination of variable valve-timing, twin camshafts and direct injection has been developed allowing engines to run on the fuel-savings Atkinson Cycle without the loss of power or torque previously associated with that method. These include a quartet of new four-cylinder gasoline engines ranging in displacement from 1.0 to 2.4 litres and a new 3.5-litre V6. The new 2.4-litre will first appear in the next Accord, late in 2012, and perhaps the new CR-V shortly afterward.

We drove vehicles powered by a new 148-horsepower, 1.8-litre four that would be right at home in a mid-cycle version of the new Civic being readied for the 2013 model year and a 127-horsepower, 1.5-litre four destined for the Fit. In all cases, these preliminary power figures are on the conservative side but considerably higher than current engines of similar displacement, while consuming 10 per cent less fuel. We also sampled a Civic powered by a potent little 1.6-litre turbo diesel.

Honda engineers have developed a trio of new continuously variable transmissions for small and mid-sized cars. On road and track they exhibited less of the “motor-boating” and “rubber-band” effects associated with CVT transmissions. Only when pressed hard on the track did they assume the CVT propensity to sound like a clutch was slipping.

Honda has also come up with a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox for higher power applications.
All of these engines and transmission will appear in standalone or hybrid applications across a wide range of vehicles of all sizes and shapes in the next two years.

Honda also showed off what it says is the world’s most efficient two-motor hybrid system, one that allows a big family-size car to operate without a transmission with a resulting saving in space and cost. Headed for the North American market next year in the next-generation Accord, it can run on electric or gasoline power or a combination of the two.

The main electric motor produces 221 lb-ft of torque and is used to launch the car, which can run for up to 24 km on battery power alone. The second electric motor is used as a generator to recharge the batteries. At highway speeds, the electric motor drops out and a 134-horsepower gasoline engine takes over.

The IC engine also comes into use to drive the generator and keep the batteries charged, much like the Chevrolet Volt. With the big electric motor able to get the car to cruising speed there is no need for a transmission.

The company also turned us loose on the big oval of the adjacent Twin-Ring Motegi racetrack in an Accord-size sedan equipped with the new V-6 sending 310 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels through the seven-speed DSG gearbox and a pair of 27-horsepower electric motors powering the rear wheels.

In addition to the abundance of instant torque when accelerating, one motor is programmed to send more power to the outside wheel in a corner while the other applies negative torque to the inside wheel.

Off-the-line performance can be silent and seamless with the twin electric motors providing the go – or is truly impressive if you get into the throttle and add the V-6 to the equation. Turn-in is exemplary and transient response exceptional thanks to the rear wheels being used to pull the car into the turn. Add to this the ability to get on the power earlier when existing the corner and you’ve got a true sports sedan.

Look for this combination in a forthcoming replacement for the big Acura RL sedan and the replacement for the NSX sports car.

Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/new-cars/auto-news/honda-back-in-the-innovation-game/article2287398/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2287398

Honda Cars : Honda Commited to fuel economy | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

by John Leblanc

MOTEGI, JAPAN — Honda, like most of its rival Japanese automakers, has been taking it on the chin of late when it comes to its perceived lack of engineering and product innovation.

With up-to-date features like direct-injected and turbocharged engines and multi-gear or continuously variable (CVT) transmissions more than likely found in rivals from Germany, America or Korea, many customers perceive that Japanese automakers have lost their engineering mojo, or have forgotten how to innovate, after years of being at the top of the sales charts.

The day before it rolled out three concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show that showcased what we may be driving in 2020, Honda unveiled a slew of state-of-the-art technologies at the Twin Ring Motegi Super Speedway that will appear in new cars as early as next year.

The message was clear to the attending media: Honda is back in the business of innovation, and aims to be a leader in fuel economy.

“The first task, when I started as president, was to get ahead of (the competition), particularly in the area of hybrid batteries and fuel cells,” said Honda Motor CEO Takanobu Ito, who’s been with the company since 1978 and took over the top job in 2009.

Ito also said that Honda wants to have "the No. 1 fuel economy in each (vehicle) category within the next three years."

To get there, and under the marketing banner of “Earth Dreams,” the automaker is rolling out a family of new hybrid and gas engines, CVTs, and all-wheel-drive systems, all slated to appear in new models as early as next year.

On the hybrid front, Honda’s new 2013 midsize Accord (due late next year) will receive a plug-in electric hybrid version of the company’s new “two-mode” gas-electric system.

When mated with a four-cylinder engine, Honda is claiming equal power to the existing Toyota Camry Hybrid (200 hp), but better fuel economy than the Toyota’s 4.7L/100 km combined rating.

Technically, Honda’s new two-mode hybrid uses a twin-cam profile. However, instead of using the automaker’s traditional VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) profile for more power, the hybrid version shifts between an Atkinson cycle (for leaner fuel burning), and the traditional Otto cycle (for more power , depending on the torque load on the engine).

Honda says the system can also be combined with a V6, driven in electric-only mode for up 24 km, electric-and-gas for accelerating, or gas-only for highway cruising.

Once a leader, Honda is catching up to the competition by adding direct-injection and double overhead cams to its mainstream gas engines.

Dubbed “i-VTEC, the new engines promise more power and “at least” a 10 per cent fuel economy advantage over the outgoing powerplants.

For example, the 2013 Accord will get a new i-VTEC 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 181 hp and 177 lb.-ft. of torque (all preliminary ratings), up 4 hp and 16 lb.-ft., respectively, from the existing Accord four.

As well, a new 1.8L i-VTEC, with 148 hp and 133 lb.-ft. (gains of 8 hp and 5 lb.-ft.) may end up in the refreshed 2013 compact Civic, while a new 1.5 i-VTEC with 127 hp and 111 lb.-ft. (10 hp and 5 lb.-ft.) could find a home in the subcompact Fit.

Shying away from CVTs in the past, Honda is now working on three new units — one for mid-sized cars such as the Accord, and two for smaller vehicles such as the Civic and Fit — that will become the base automatic transmissions for all four-cylinder engines.

While competitor CVTs have a "rubber band" feeling similar to a slipping clutch under acceleration, the Honda system I drove at Motegi, in an Acura TSX test mule with the new i-VTEC 2.4, felt more like a traditional torque converter automatic, free of the high-pitch whine usually associated with CVTs.

Honda says the new i-VTEC’s engine control software has been remapped so there is less “hunting” for revs during hard acceleration.

Honda’s premium Acura brand will also see immediate benefits from the automaker’s recommitment to new tech.

“We are not satisfied with the brand’s current positioning. We want to make it more unique and sporty. We want to make it into a ‘high-end’ brand,” said Ito.

The midsize Acura TL sports sedan will receive a new 3.5-litre i-VTEC V6, now with 310 hp and 265 lb.-ft. of torque — 30 more horsepower and 11 more lb.-ft. than the current car’s base six.

More interestingly, Honda also had on hand an Accord engineering test mule that encompassed many of the new technologies that may end up in the oft-rumoured Acura NSX replacement.
Called Electric Super Handling-All-Wheel-Drive, and in the prototype we drove, a new i-VTEC 3.5-litre V6 was mated to an also-new seven-speed dual-clutch auto box with an integrated hybrid-electric motor that also uses the energy from regenerative braking to provide the power boost. All four wheels are independently powered, depending on the car’s cornering and traction needs.

When pressed, Honda engineers told us the hybrid powertrain was rated “well above 300 hp.”
But by the way the car shot forward from rest, my seat-of-the-pants were telling me that that number could be closer to 400 hp.

Speculation in the Motegi paddock was that a new concept car, in the spirit of the Acura NSX super car, would encompass all of the Accord Electric SH-AWD test mule’s new hardware, and is set to appear at next January’s Detroit auto show.

When asked about such a car, Ito replied, “I don’t know. Stay tuned!”

Source;
http://www.wheels.ca/article/801538

Honda Cars : Tokyo Motor Show: Honda’s new technology put to the test | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Graeme FletcherTokyo • In terms of North American content, the 42nd edition of the Tokyo Motor Show was a tad thin. However, that is not to say there was little going on. On the contrary, the sprawling show provided a ton of insight into how the world is about to unfold. Honda, a company that has been criticized for being slow to advance its powertrain technology, revealed where it is heading in the next few years, while the long-awaited Subaru/Toyota collaboration finally surfaced in road-going livery.

In Honda’s case, the technology was not only on display at the show, I had the opportunity to put it through its paces. The first is a range of new engines that combine direct injection with Honda’s iVTEC valve-lift system and variable cam phasing. The net result is more power and better economy in all cases. The unit up for testing was the 2.4-litre four-cylinder. It puts out 181 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque while being five per cent more fuel-efficient that its predecessor. On the track, this engine pulled strongly over a much broader range — Hondas typically have to be revved to access their twisting power.

The bigger surprise was found in Honda’s intention to shift from traditional automatics toward a range of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). While I’m not a CVT fan, Honda’s design has two key features going for it. First, unlike most, launch is crisp because the engine’s torque is not reduced to prevent the CVT’s belt from slipping. This brings a significantly stronger tip-in response. More importantly, the shift logic is stepped (as in pre-programmed gears), which means it does not have that really annoying motorboating drone under hard acceleration.

The other engine that would serve Canada very well is an all-new 1.6L turbodiesel. This new engine produces the same output as the current 2.2L turbodiesel (140 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque) it is replacing without sacrificing the linearity and pull that defines the diesel engine. As an aside, driving a European Civic equipped with the 2.2L turbodiesel proved to be a truly rewarding experience — it has fresh looks to go along with the utility of its hatchback design. It would do well in Canada.

The second new technology was a new electric version of Honda’s Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. This iteration system uses a 3.5L V6 that’s married to a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission to drive the front wheels, while the rear wheels are driven by two separate electric motors. During cornering, the outside electric motor drives that wheel faster. At the same time, the inner motor applies a negative torque — the slowing effect amplifies turn-in response. The net result is a faster-acting torque vectoring system. The beauty of the system is the manner in which it adds that prized ride-on-rails sensation through a corner. Through the test course, the turn-in proved to be as crisp as it was immediate.

This all-wheel-drive iteration is, in a word, superb. It not only hones the European Accord tester’s handling, it transforms it into a seriously quick ride. Credit goes to two important aspects. First, the new 3.5L V6 is good for 300-plus horsepower; the electric motors then chip in with another 27 hp each. Honda is not saying how much torque they contribute to the fun factor but, based on the low-end grunt, each has to contribute at least 150 lb-ft of torque.

The design is also capable of pulling away under electric power alone. The rear motors drive the car seamlessly until the driver stands on it — then look out. Even in the Accord tester it could almost be described as too much power. The seven-speed twin-clutch also adds to overall driveability — the shifts, which are initiated through paddle shifters, are blindingly quick, which adds to the overall responsiveness.

The engineers were coy about the size of the battery the new SH-AWD system uses, but it will have to be close to a five kilowatt/hour unit. The reason is twofold. First, there must be enough oomph to provide that delicious launch. More importantly, the battery must be large enough to support the SH-AWD functions when needed after said launch. This system is said to be the driving force behind the next-generation NSX. However, if this car were to remain true to its predecessor, it would mean a mid-mounted gasoline engine with the electric motors sitting up front.

Subaru showcased its new BRZ, the lightweight sports car it shares with Toyota. It is powered by Subaru’s traditional flat-four boxer engine and produces 197 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. Power is relayed to the wheels through a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed manumatic transmission. Inside, the cabin is highlighted by its front sport bucket seats and a tachometer that takes centre stage in the instrument cluster — both speak to the BRZ’s sportier intentions. The layout is also very much 2+2 in nature. Rear-seat leg space is tight. Other anomalies? First, this is a rear-drive car.

When it lands in Canada, the BRZ’s introduction is going to pose a dilemma for Subaru given that the company stresses its advanced symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, which is standard across its lineup. Secondly, it is a stylistic orphan.

Source;
http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/12/01/tokyo-motor-show-hondas-new-technology-put-to-the-test/

Honda Cars : Honda Engineer Douglas Longhitano Honored with the SAE | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

WARRENDALE, Pa., Feb. 10, 2011 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Douglas C. Longhitano, senior engineer, Automotive Safety, Honda R&D Americas, Inc., was honored with the SAE International/InterRegs Standards & Regulations Award for Young Engineers during the SAE International 2011 Government/Industry Meeting, held earlier this year in Washington, D.C.

Established in 2000, this award recognizes a practicing engineer under the age of 40 who is involved in standards, regulations or conformity assessment systems which improved safety or reduced emissions in a ground vehicle mobility product. The nominee is required to author a 2,000 word essay detailing how this was achieved.

Since joining Honda in 1997, Longhitano's career has been dedicated to researching methods for mitigating crash related injuries, especially in the area of pedestrian protection. He has authored more than 20 technical publications related to crash injury mitigation and has presented many of his research findings at conferences such as ESV, the SAE World Congress, World Traffic Safety Symposium and SAE International Government Industry Meeting.

Longhitano earned the Ralph Boyer Young Achiever Award from the Ohio State University and the U.S. Government Award for Engineering Excellence from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for his work automotive safety research. Longhitano is a 15 year member of SAE International and is active on the Human Biomechanics and Simulation Standards Steering Committee as well as the U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to ISO supporting crash injury mitigation related standards. He supports student research as an organizer for the Injury Biomechanics Symposium hosted annually at The Ohio State University and is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, the Central Ohio Impact Biomechanics Engineering Consortium, and the Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies - Industrial Advisory Board.

Longhitano holds a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.
SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

Source;
http://www.centredaily.com/2011/02/10/2512661/honda-engineer-douglas-longhitano.html

Honda Cars : ‘Avatar’ movie release to showcase Honda engine innovation | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda UK has snapped up the advertising spot before the premiere of James Cameron’s new movie, ‘Avatar’, to promote its latest work.

The new 60-inch film, created by Wieden + Kennedy London, aims to showcase the breadth of Honda’s engineering experience; from ATVs, to marine engines, motorcycles, and the humanoid robot, ASIMO.

‘Everything’ attempts to highlight how Honda has distilled that varied knowledge and expertise into the cars it makes today – with the focus on the popular British-built Civic model.

Created by Chris Groom and Sam Heath, ‘Everything’ will debut on UK TV on 18 January, running for a period of six weeks. The film will also play out during screenings of Avatar for six weeks from Thursday, 17 December, 2009.

The film was shot over five days; on a high security Spanish test track, on water, and in Honda’s UK training facility – the Honda Institute. There are 972 edits over 17 video layers – making each section essentially an edit in itself.

The soundtrack is ‘Atlas’, by The Battles, which has been rearranged to fit to the picture and reflect the style of editing used for the advert. The sound designer, BAFTA award-wining Martin Hernandez has worked on films including Babel, Pan’s Labyrinth and 21 Grams.

“Decades of engineering innovation make Honda what it is today. As a result we are able to apply our know-how to constantly evolve the huge range of products we sell today and might sell in the future,” said Manager of Customer Communications at Honda (UK), Ian Armstrong.

“Every product with a Honda badge carries that engineering DNA – not least the hugely popular British-built Civic.”

Source (with the commercial);
http://www.utalkmarketing.com/pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16390&Title=%E2%80%98Avatar%E2%80%99_movie_release_to_showcase_Honda_engine_innovation