WongKN wrote: Thanks for posting all these updates. I attended the annual media appreciation event last Friday and according to Honda Malaysia, all countries in ASEAN will resume normal production levels by next month (April 2012). The only issue for Honda Malaysia is that they have accumulated a big backlog over the past few months and waiting time (i.e. delivery lag) is more than 3 months by now. I expect the same is true for all other countries in ASEAN.
Well, Honda said in a while that Thailand factory would be back online by the end of March, so I guess the info you got at the meeting confirms they'll be on time.
Personally, I won't be surprised if several all time production records start falling through the year...
In Japan the next "big thing" is going to be the MMC StepWGN coming next month, which will get auto idle-stop for the first time (enough to set it ahead of the Serena and claim class leading FE) and aim to regain it's segment-leader crown.
Didn't know the StepWGN will be getting a stop start engine tech on its mid cycle change. But how intricate a start stop tech is? How does the A/C works when the engine shuts off? And how come Honda able to add such system to the existing R20? Is the mid cycle change StepWGN will use ED tech O.O
I'm all for new tech and everything, but if it comes at the sake of just because, hell, just leave them be. The direct injection K20 on the Stream is prove just how poor Honda at following the trend. Wanted to put RDX K23T together with the K20i, but I'm fairly certain it just need better electronic management and a proper lighter car so it doesn't run on boost all the time.
I haven't tried any, but Honda is clearly bringing idle-stop accross the board for non-hybrid drivetrains (Euro Civic has it, Euro Fit will, Stream is coming, etc.).
I don't think they'll do it in the US, but both the European and Japanese cycles are pretty sensible to that tech, and over here the FE leader gets most of the sales nowadays. So Honda did whatever they needed to bring the StepWGN up front against the similarly idle-stop powered competition (Serena). Japan is very competitive market, ain't no many models selling in big numbers, and the best gets most of the cake regardless of how good the rest.
PS: Sorry if I did not answer more directly but yes, it's going to be an R20+CVT+idle-stop in there from April (and they may have tweaked some other bits like aero-friction-etc.)
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