India Auto News: Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander facing tough times- Here is why

I always find it interesting how different parts of the world have such different market demands and sometimes seeing what is available elsewhere leaves me wanting (diesel CRV!)....
The next big launch of the year will the 2012 Honda CR-V. The SUV that will also debut in India and is what most Honda fans in the country will be waiting with bated breath. Honda has already revealed the car although, just a single picture has been released by the auto maker, most of the exterior details a clearly visible. It is still not clear though if the car would seat seven or five. Anyway, the hot news of the day came in the form of engine specifications that were leaked ahead of the SUVs official unveiling.

Mitsubishi Outlander and Honda CR-V

The new Honda CR-V will get next generation engines which Honda term as K24 and K25. The K24 engine is a 2.4 litre 16 valve DOHC petrol that puts out 175 bhp of maximum power and 170 lb-ft of torque. That leaves us with the K25 which most of you might have guessed is a 2.5 litre 16 valve DOHC with 201 bhp @ 6000 rpm and 177 lb-ft pr torque. Both engines will be coupled to a 5-speed automatic gearbox.

That is all about the technical tit-bits. Of course, the Indian version of the 2012 Honda CR-V is expected to get a diesel engine. There is also a buzz going about the toys that will be offered inside the new car. The new SUV could get a rear seat entertainment package along with a DVD player. Now, what all would make it into the Indian version isn’t actually clear. One thing that the new Honda CR-V could benefit with apart from a diesel engine is seating for seven.

The Honda CR-V will rival the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Chevrolet Captiva and the recently launched Renault Koleos among others. A seven seat configuration will give it an advantage over its rivals. A diesel engine was always missed on the CR-V and now we could get one given the popularity of oil burners among Indians. Until now, apart from the popular Honda, the two other SUVs that came with a petrol engine were the Mitsubishi Outlander and the BMW X1.

Now, sales of petrol cars has slumped in recent times. In fact, neither Mitsubishi nor Honda is clocking descent volumes of the their products. Mitsubishi sold just 32 units of the Outlander last month while Honda sold just 26 units. Compare these figures with their diesel powered rivals and the picture becomes clear. The biggest player in this segment, Toyota has been doing extremely well with the Fortuner. The company sold close to 900 units of the Fortuner in the month of August.

The only factor to blame for the dismal sales of the CR-V and the Outlander is the absence of a diesel engine. This might change with the 2012 Honda CR-V coming by. A 2.2 litre i-CTDI engine seems to be the most probable. The 4-cylinder diesel engine puts out 140 bhp and 251 lb-ft of torque. With Honda introducing a diesel CR-V, Mitsubishi will have get its act together quickly before the CR-V runs away with its market share.

At present, a 2.4 litre 170 bhp petrol engine powers the Mitsubishi Outlander. A petrol SUV, in the current scenario isn’t viable even for those who can afford to own one. 80 percent of the sales of the more expensive BMW X1 consists of the diesel sDrive20d version. This shows that even the people who can afford a premium crossover like the BMW X1 are feeling the pinch of the petrol price hike.

Coming back to the 2012 Honda CR-V, some reports suggest that the new SUV might get seven seats given the larger proportions of the car. If this is true then, the CR-V does stand a fair chance to take on the might of the Toyota Fortuner which has been selling like hot cakes. The new CR-V is expected to make its international debut at the Los Angeles motor in December.

Source;
http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/cars/2012-honda-crv-engine-specifications-leaked-49035/#more-49035

Burlapp find: 2013 Mitsubishi EVO Illustration

Gotta say, nice looking illustration....
"Another illustration, so who know what it will look like.But Road and Track reports that the Evo is not dead.And the new version would be powered by a Hybrid system, paired with a 1.6 Liter Turbo engine.Why not?We still need fun cars around. I just wish they also looked more fun. So far it's just been tricked out versions of the boring Lancer.How about its own design, for once. "

Source;
http://www.burlappcars.com/2011/06/2013-mitsubishi-evo.html

Japan’s carmakers halt domestic operations

By John Reed, Motor Industry Correspondent
Published: March 14 2011 13:00 Last updated: March 14 2011 13:00
Japan’s four biggest carmakers have said they are suspending production at their domestic plants through to at least Wednesday to cope with the after-effects of Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.

Honda, Japan’s second-largest carmaker, said on Monday that it was halting domestic production for a week and that damage to its suppliers’ plants might disrupt its UK production.

The announcement was an early sign of the disaster’s potential knock-on effect on the global supply chain in one of the world’s largest industries. Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Motors also extended shutdowns of their plants in order to assess and deal with damage from the quake.

Honda on Monday said that it had shut down its plants to check safety, power supply and infrastructure issues, along with the state of its local suppliers.

Honda said that it had 113 suppliers around the area in north-east Japan where the main tremors from the earthquake were felt. The carmaker said that it had been in touch with 44 of them, but was still trying to contact the remaining 69.

A UK spokesman for Honda said there were “potential supply issues” at its car plant in Swindon, England, where it makes its CR-V sport utility vehicle, its Jazz small car, and its Civic mid-size model.

“There will be a knock-on effect for car production in the UK, but we don’t yet know what it is,” he said.

Honda said that it had established emergency co-ordination centres in Swindon and at its plant in Tochigi in Japan in order to liaise on business issues concerning its supply of components and the well-being of its employees.

Toyota, Japan’s and the global car industry’s biggest producer, on Monday said that a shutdown already planned for Monday at all of its Japanese plants – including those of its Hino and Daihatsu subsidiaries – would be extended through to Wednesday.

The company makes some of its most popular models – including the bulk of its Prius hybrid model and Lexus luxury marque’s cars – in Japan.

Toyota said that the current three-day halt to production would not immediately affect its overseas operations. “The current production stop is for three days”, said a Toyota spokesman based in Brussels. “As such this doesn’t have an impact outside Japan, but we need to assess further.”

Nissan, Japan’s third-largest carmaker, said that it would halt operations at its Oppama, Kyushu, Shatai, and Yokahama plants south of Tokyo until Wednesday and at its Tochigi and Iwaki plants north of Tokyo until Friday.

The company also said that it would do its utmost to support “restoration activities” in Japan, including by conserving electricity usage in all of its activities.

Mitsubishi said that it was suspending plant operations on Monday and Tuesday to check safety at its suppliers. The producer’s main production hubs are located in Japan’s Aichi, Gifu, and Okayama prefectures, and were not affected by the earthquake.

However, it said that some of its suppliers had reported damage.

Japan’s car industry is one of the world’s largest. North-eastern Japan has become a major car-production centre in recent years, with Toyota, Honda, Nissan and operating plants there.

Most global carmakers, including Japan’s, produce and source parts for most of their cars in the regions where they build them.

However, Japan’s producers in particular are known for producing some of their models destined for export locally in order to preserve jobs and expertise at home in the face of declining domestic demand for cars.

Source;
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8d5f631e-4e2a-11e0-a9fa-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Ga6cJOuQ