Japanese car company Honda have been producing cars since the 1940s. They currently have four popular models in the UK from compact everyday cars like the Honda Jazz to the crowd-pleasing Honda Civic. If you fancy trying one, local Honda dealers provide the opportunity to test drive all their vehicles. Honda has recently announced their exciting plans for the future.
They are continuing the Civic range with a new addition. The Type R Civic was unveiled in March at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. It has the look of a racing car and is all about finding the perfect balance between performance and comfort. The new Type R boasts an impressive VTEC Turbo Engine which is capable of 0-60 MPH in 5.8 seconds. The top speed is 169 MPH.
Honda is focusing on making their cars more efficient. The new Type R is 20% more efficient than before due to a fuel economy of 36.7mpg with 176g/km CO2. Yet it produces 6g/km more CO2 emissions so they still have a way to go with making future cars more environmentally friendly.
The Type R has three new driving modes with various driving styles in mind: ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘R+’ for driving on the track. Each mode adapts the response of the car based on the driving conditions. This makes the car even more flexible in how it is used, widening its appeal.
The new model has been labelled ‘2017s most anticipated car release’ and been awarded the ‘What car?’ reader award for this year.
Another exciting release from Honda is the Clarity Fuel Cell. This was released at last year’s Geneva Motor show and is considered the world’s most advanced car of its type. The Clarity Fuel Cell is an innovative and eco-friendly hydrogen fuel-cell powered car. The fuel cell power-train is positioned entirely in beneath the bonnet of the saloon car, which means there is still enough room to seat five inside comfortably.
The car comes with two driving modes: ‘Normal’, for everyday driving with fast responses while maintaining fuel economy, and ‘Sport’ which is all about speed. It is quick to refuel and can run for 385 miles which is major progress for fuel-cell cars.
As hydrogen refueling points become more widely available in the UK this could definitely be the next big thing for Honda. However, it is not yet available to purchase. The Clarity Fuel Cell is available for lease in Japan soon, then the US. The UK and Denmark will follow in 2017, although it will be initially be exclusively available in limited numbers.
The Honda NeuV concept is also worth mentioning. The electric car is another feat of innovation with an ‘emotional engine’ which aims to learn about the driver. It uses AI to detect how the driver’s emotions are influencing their driving. It stores this information and helps to shape future decisions.
Honda is exploring options for making car ownership financially beneficial for owners through an automatic carpool system when owners are not using their car. It is also possible for customers to sell unused energy back to the grid when the car isn’t in use.
