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Honda at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show Review

March 2007
Filed under: HONDA Car News | HONDA Headlines

Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 6, 2007–Honda's stand at this year's Geneva motor show is focused around two themes that represent the true spirit of Honda – its advanced technology and its sporting heritage. Linking both is an exciting new concept car developed entirely in Europe, the Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept which is making its world premiere. It is joined by the latest, fully driveable Honda FCX Concept fuel cell car and the brand new RA107.

The Show takes place against the backdrop of a particularly vibrant period for Honda, with its European operations currently enjoying record sales – at just under 310,000 units, 2006 saw an 8 per cent increase, setting a record for the company for a third consecutive year. Honda expects sales of approximately 350,000 units during 2007, up 13 per cent, with a full contribution from the brand new Honda CR-V as well as the completed Honda Civic line-up including the exciting Type R to be launched during the spring.
Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept blends sports performance and low emissions
Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept, making its world debut in Europe, represents Honda's proposal for a future hybrid model. The Concept demonstrates a unique fusion of advanced hybrid technology and fun-to-drive sports car characteristics featuring the IMA petrol/electric hybrid system driving through the front wheels. It explores the idea that a car can have a low environmental impact yet still deliver all the driving enjoyment expected of a compact sports car.

The striking two door sports coupe features short front and rear overhangs, an accentuated, arrow-like nose and a one-piece glass roof which terminates in a concave full width glass element forming an additional vertical window.

The Hybrid Sports Concept is equipped with 165/60 section tyres mounted on 20-inch distinctive rims. Their dimension supports low rolling resistance without compromising sporty driving.

Compact external dimensions lend themselves to nimble, agile performance on the road and help to ensure a good power to weight ratio, while a 2350 mm wheelbase in conjunction with a sports suspension, delivers stable and predictable handling characteristics.

The Small Hybrid Sports Concept has been developed as a design study model by the design studio at Honda R&D Europe based in Offenbach, Germany.

Honda FCX Concept

FCX Concept brings everyday fuel cell cars closer to reality
The fully driveable Honda FCX Concept demonstrates Honda's advanced fuel cell technology. Perhaps nowhere is Honda's technical prowess and innovation better demonstrated than in its fuel cell technology, and making its European debut at the 2007 Geneva Motorshow is the fully functioning variant of the Honda FCX Concept fuel cell car previously shown in static form at the Paris Salon last year. The FCX Concept offers practical driving performance with a range of 570 km (Honda calculations when driven in LA4 mode) and a top speed limited to 160 km/h.

The latest Honda FCX loses none of the striking good looks of its static predecessor and offers a spacious, futuristic interior with everyday practicality. The FCX Concept features a newly developed compact, high-efficiency Honda FC Stack as well as a low-floor, low-riding, short-nose body. It offers a comfortably large cabin and futuristic styling along with significant improvements in power output and environmental performance.

Limited marketing of a totally new fuel cell vehicle based on the Honda FCX Concept model is to begin in Japan and the US in 2008.

Next-Generation Clean Diesel Engine
Further technical innovation is represented by Honda's next-generation diesel engine that uses world-first technology to reduce emissions to the same level of a petrol engine. A revolutionary catalytic converter reduces NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions to a level that enables the engine to meet the stringent US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II/Bin 5 requirements.

The catalytic converter features an innovative system that uses the reductive reaction of ammonia to 'detoxify' oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by converting them into harmless nitrogen (N2). However, unlike Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems which use urea injection, Honda's innovative technology uses ammonia generated within the catalytic converter.

Honda plans to introduce its next-generation diesel engine within three years.

Honda's Motorsports Challengers for 2007
In pride of place in the Sports-themed zone of the stand will be the Honda Racing F1 team's brand new car, the Honda RA107, which is making its show debut.

Honda's commitment to motorsport is also represented by the Civic Type R race car based on the just-launched road car. Developed in close cooperation with Italy's JAS Motorsport, Honda's official partner in customer racing support since 1998, the Honda Civic Type R is aiming for even greater success than its forebear which has proved popular in European motor sport circles since its introduction in 2002.

The car is being developed to Group N, Group A and the new Group R specifications. Group R will be introduced in 2008 and imposes price restrictions on individual components for the first time. These components will also be homologated simultaneously in GrA, allowing drivers to race and gain experience in the GrA category in 2007 before the switch to GrR on 1 January 2008, without any additional cost.

Themed Zoning
Honda's stand is themed around its twin Advanced and Sporty pillars. Displayed in the Advanced Zone alongside the Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept, the Honda FCX Concept and the new-generation clean diesel engine is the Honda Civic Hybrid cut-away car and its hybrid system to demonstrate how the system works. The Sports Zone features the F1 car, the Honda Civic Type R race car and a selection of road cars including the Civic Type R, Acura Legend and the Honda S2000.

The Product Zone includes a selection of examples of the brand new Honda CR-V, together with Honda Jazz and Honda FR-V. Furthermore, the first floor of the stand is devoted to showcasing Honda's comprehensive range of accessories, including the Aero Performance Pack fitted to the new Honda CR-V; this includes front and rear sports bumpers, aerodynamic running boards, a tailgate spoiler, sports suspension and 19 inch bright machine finished alloy wheels.

Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept - A Fun-To-Drive, Highly Efficient Concept Model
Honda's interpretation of how a future hybrid model might appear is making its world premiere at Geneva. Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept, a design study model, demonstrates a unique fusion of advanced environmental technology, exciting styling and fun-to-drive characteristics.

The Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept is conceived around a front-wheel drive, small car platform and is powered by a Honda IMA 4-cylinder petrol/electric hybrid system driving through a CVT transmission. It explores the idea that a car can have a low environmental impact yet still deliver all the driving enjoyment expected of a compact sports car.

The aerodynamically efficient and curvaceous two-door sports coupe is characterised by short front and rear overhangs, wheelarches that wrap tightly around large wheels, and curvaceous, subtly contoured surfaces contrasting with sharp 'folded' edges along the waistline and at each corner. An accentuated, arrow-like nose features a full width air intake with Honda Civic family overtones. This sweeps forward into a distinct protruding centre section complete with 'H' logo.

The Concept model's fluid lines are created by a steeply raked windscreen which extends back above the occupants' heads where it meets a one piece glass roof. This in turn flows rearwards to give the car its fastback styling, terminating in a distinctive and futuristic 3D floating glass design – a concave element which forms an additional vertical window. At its base, further distinction is provided by a 'floating' LED tail light unit that stretches across the full width of the car. At its centre, the glass panel extends downwards and contains an illuminated 'Small Hybrid Sports' name plate.

The Honda Hybrid Sports Concept is equipped with 165/60 section tyres mounted on 20-inch distinctive rims. Their dimension supports low rolling resistance without compromising sporty driving.

Compact external dimensions lend themselves to nimble, agile performance on the road and help to ensure a good power to weight ratio. 4000 mm in length, 1270 mm tall and 1760 mm wide, and the 2350 mm wheelbase, in conjunction with a sports suspension, delivers stable and predictable handling characteristics.

The body is particularly aerodynamically efficient and compact. Rear-facing digital cameras take the place of conventional door mirrors.

The Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept has been developed as a design study model by the design studio at Honda R&D Europe based in Offenbach, Germany.

Honda's FCX Concept Now Ready For The Road: Fully functional next–generation fuel cell vehicle
Honda's fully driveable Honda FCX Concept fuel cell car is making its European debut at this year's Geneva Show. Already displayed in its previous static guise at last year's Paris Show, this new version is fully functioning and fully equipped and is powered by Honda's next-generation FC Stack. The Honda FCX Concept offers practical driving performance with a range of 570 km (Honda calculations when driven in LA4 mode) and a top speed limited to 160 km/h. Limited marketing of a totally new fuel cell vehicle based on the Honda FCX Concept model is to begin in Japan and the US in 2008.

Despite the demanding packaging requirements of fuel cells, the Honda FCX Concept features a striking design characterised by a short nose, a windscreen raked forward and a low roof line culminating in a sloping rear deck. Inside, the styling is equally futuristic, with a low-floored and comfortably large cabin.

The elegant, low-riding saloon form as well as its spacious interior dimensions are possible thanks to the V Flow fuel cell platform at the heart of the Honda FCX Concept. Its compact, high-efficiency Honda FC Stack neatly arranged in an innovative centre tunnel layout brings significant gains in both environmental and driving performance.

Unlike previous fuel cell stacks in which the hydrogen and the water formed in electricity generation flowed horizontally, the new Honda FCX Concept features a vertical-flow design allowing gravity to assist in water drainage, key to high efficiency performance. The result is stable power generation under a broad range of conditions, and higher output from a 20 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter package than Honda's current FCX FC Stack, yet its power output is 14 kW greater.

The motor and gearbox have been positioned coaxially for a more compact design and motor output is increased by 15 kW to now 95 kW. Overall the power plant is 180 kg lighter and 40 per cent smaller.

Energy storage and auxiliary power are provided by a high-efficiency lithium ion battery which captures energy in regenerative braking. The improvements to major power plant components give the vehicle a travel range approximately 30 per cent greater than the current 2005 Honda FCX.

The system's energy efficiency of around 60 per cent is about three times that of a gasoline-engined vehicle, twice that of a hybrid, and 10 per cent better than the previous Honda FCX. Cold weather starting is now far better, too – from as low as -30°C.

Other improvements include a shift-by-wire transmission and a newly designed instrument panel with an easy-to-read display of hydrogen fuel consumption. In keeping with the Honda FCX Concept's strong environmental credentials, the seat upholstery and door linings are made from Honda Bio-Fabric, a plant-based material that offers outstanding durability and resistance to sunlight damage.

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