Honda has revealed the Winner of its in-house global design competition - the Project 2&4 concept.
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Honda
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British-built cars line-up for Frankfurt send-off
The UK car industry united for a unique send-off to the Frankfurt Motor Show, with a thumbs up from Business Secretary Sajid Javid.
News, People Carrier, Family Car, Concept Car
Honda unveils new Civic Tourer Active Life concept
Ricky Wilson is the voice of Civic Type R
Kaiser Chiefs' front man Ricky Wilson has picked up his new Civic Type R, as part of his role as ambassador for the hot-hatch.
Fresh from putting the Civic Type R through its paces on the famous hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the end of June, Ricky is now the owner of a Brilliant Sporty Blue model complete with the all-new +R mode button which increases the response of chassis and engine for enhanced driving skills.
The all-new 2.0 litre VTEC TURBO engine puts 310PS through the front wheels at 6,500rpm and 400Nm of torque at 2,500rpm, both higher than any previous Honda Type R model.
Speaking after taking his first spin, Ricky exclaimed; "What an amazing feeling. This is the first time I've ever had a new car and it's also the first time I've had a car that's a boy. My other two cars were girls! I got in the car and instinctively I knew where everything was, I feel at home in it already.. and I'll get home even quicker!"
Ricky was also treated to a tour of the Swindon factory adding; "It was like a movie - I could hear the Terminator theme music in my head as I walked around. The technology and scale of the operation is out of this world."
Since joining Honda as an ambassador for the Civic Type R at the beginning of summer, Ricky has not only raced the famous Goodwood hillclimb but also secured his National B race licence at Knockhill circuit in Scotland, under the expert guidance of Honda Yuasa Racing BTCC star driver, Gordon "Flash" Shedden.
The Honda Civic Type R is on sale now, from £29,995 OTR.
All-new Honda HR-V lands in the UK
The first shipment of Honda's all-new HR-V crossover has arrived in the UK at Bristol docks.
Due into dealerships at the end of the month, Honda says the new HR-V has already generated almost 350 orders despite customers not having driven, let alone even seen the car in the metal.
It is available at launch with a choice of 120 PS 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel or 130 PS 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engines, both part of Honda's Earth Dreams Technology series.
Philip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, commented: "The HR-V is back. These are some fantastic pictures of the new HR-V
being driven off the boat having arrived from Mexico and it is only a matter of weeks before we start seeing the car out on the road."
With pricing starting at £17,995 for the entry-level S grade petrol model, the new HR-V tops out at £24,945 for the flagship EX diesel.
Honda sets Guinness World Record for fuel efficiency
Honda has set a new Guinness World Record title for 'Lowest fuel consumption - all 24 contiguous EU countries (all cars)'.
Averaging 100.31 miles per gallon in a 8,387 mile drive, the record was set in a Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC. Behind the wheel for the entire journey were two members of Honda's European Research & Development (R&D) team, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, who took on the challenge to further demonstrate the real-world fuel economy of the Tourer.
The distance travelled is similar to the team driving to Australia from their home in the UK, stopping just nine times to refuel. The Civic Tourer achieved an average 932 miles on each tank of fuel, at a total fuel cost for the whole journey of just £459 (calculated on average UK diesel price during June 2015).
The team set out on their epic road trip from Aalst, Belgium, navigating the continent in a clockwise direction. They returned to their start point 25 days later, setting the fuel economy figures which exceed the Tourer's quoted efficiency of 74.3mpg by more than 25 per cent.
Fergal McGrath comments: "It was tough, but we really enjoyed it, and setting this new Guinness World Record title has made all of the hard work worthwhile. This was a huge team effort so I'd like to thank everyone involved for all of their commitment and support. After spending so much time behind the wheel Julian and I are just happy to be back behind our desks for a while!"
The official Guinness World Record title is 'Lowest Fuel Consumption - all 24 contiguous EU countries' measured in litres per 100km and miles per gallon calculated over the entire journey.
Under the rules the same two drivers must be in the car for the whole journey, giving Fergal and Warren the challenge of driving an average of approximately 380 miles, taking around 7.5 hours, each day.
Based on strict guidelines, the Guinness World Record title attempt required the car to enter each of the 24 countries specified, collecting a range of evidence including a fuel/mileage logbook, GPS readings, video and photographs and independent witness signatures to prove that it has done so. To ensure accurate monitoring of the route, journey time and distance driven, the record car was fitted with a tracking device, provided by fleet telematics and stolen vehicle recovery expert, TRACKER (part of the Tantalum Corporation).
Under the rules of the record title attempt the car must be a standard model in every respect, with no modifications to create an advantage, to replicate 'real world' conditions. This was judged by independent witnesses at the beginning and end of the attempt. Fuelling was carried out at regular filling stations, with the tank filled to the maximum at each stop to ensure no weight advantage. Additionally, tyres were inflated to the recommended pressures and the wheel alignment set to factory specification to represent the experience of the regular customer.
The team, both amateur drivers, were also keen to show that through adopting some simple but very effective driving techniques, anybody could achieve the record breaking fuel economy. They simply used some very logical methods including careful and sensible route planning, driving smoothly and consistently without harsh acceleration or braking, anticipating the road conditions ahead, carrying no unnecessary weight, and ensuring that the car was correctly maintained at all times. Driving speed was always within the law and keeping up with traffic conditions.
Leon Brannan, Head of Cars for Honda (UK) comments: "This is an incredible achievement and the team should all be very proud of the efforts that they have put in to set this new Guinness World Record. Driving the equivalent distance from their home in the UK to Australia in just 25 days is a huge challenge very few would take on. The fuel economy figures are remarkable - particularly when you consider that this is not a small car, but an estate with class-leading load space and vast practicality."
Honda confirms new HR-V pricing and spec
Honda has confirmed its new HR-V compact crossover will be priced from £17,995 OTR.
That's for the entry-level S grade petrol model, rising to £24,945 for the flagship EX diesel. The all-new HR-V blends coupe looks with the 'tough, solid stance' of a robust SUV says Honda. Inside, 'class-leading' boot space comes in at 453 litres with the rear seats up and 1,026 litres with the rear seats down.
The entry-level S model includes features such as climate control, cruise control and dusk-sensing automatic headlamps as standard. The mid-grade SE model, priced from £19,745, adds a range of premium features, including rain sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors and a six-speaker audio upgrade. A 'Smart Touch' interior includes touch panel controls for the upgraded dual-zone climate control.
Customers choosing the top-grade EX model (from £23,195) will get a full leather interior, smart entry and start, and a rear-view camera. A sense of spaciousness comes via a tilt-and-slide opening panoramic glass sunroof, while external styling is enhanced with 17-inch alloy wheels.
Customers opting for the SE or EX models will also gain the Honda Connect in-car infotainment system as standard. This Android-based system features an app-based 'pinch, swipe and tap' interface accessed on a seven-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash.
Honda Connect comes with pre-installed apps, with others available for download from the Honda App Centre. These give rapid access to internet-based services such as web browsing, real-time traffic information, news and weather, social media, and internet music stations. Integrated Garmin navigation is standard on EX and is available as an option on SE models.
Designed and engineered to achieve a five-star Euro NCAP rating, every new HR-V sold in Europe will be equipped with Honda's City-Brake Active System as standard. SE or EX models will feature Honda's Advanced Driver Assist System, which uses radar sensors, plus forward- and rear-facing cameras. This suite of active safety technologies includes Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter, Lane Departure Warning and High-beam Support System.
The HR-V comes with a choice of either the all-new 130 PS 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol or the 120 PS, 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel engines. Combined with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a newly developed CVT (for petrol models only), emissions are as low as 104 g/km of CO2. The CVT's driveability is given a more natural 'multi-gear' feel through the use of new control software exclusive to Europe which simulates seven speeds and provides optimised gear change mapping.
Leon Brannan, Head of Cars at Honda UK, commented: "Sixteen years after the original HR-V, Honda is returning to the crossover segment it pioneered with the exceptionally spacious, versatile and technologically advanced HR-V. And with highly competitive list prices, we are expecting huge demand for the all-new HR-V. We've boldly identified that 2015 is 'the year of Honda' and HR-V signals the third of five new and refreshed models for the brand this year. Following the arrival of the extensively upgraded CR-V - the HR-V's bigger sibling - and the recent launch of the thrilling all-new Civic Type R, we're confident the HR-V will further broaden the appeal of the Honda brand amongst a wide range of car buyers."
Full pricing of the entire range will be announced in the next few weeks, with the Honda HR-V set to arrive in showrooms in late August.