Honda CR-V 2006 News

Only a fraction of the 1.2 million cars on Australia roads with airbags that can spray shrapnel have been fixed, new figures show.

Like Mazda, Honda is keeping its model options limited, having quietly dropped its under-performing MDX luxury SUV model last year.That just leaves the strong sales performers, which have Honda in seventh place, narrowly behind Mitsubishi, despite now having only one SUV on the market.Honda Australia managing director and CEO Yasuhide Mizuno said Civic sales are up 58 per cent, Jazz 42 per cent, Accord 75 per cent and CR-V 26 per cent.Mizuno, who began on the assembly line in 1986 and has worked for Honda in bikes and cars in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia, says worldwide revenue last year from 3.65 million cars was $111 billion, up 12 per cent.But while there are more Honda models available overseas, Australia gets a limited seven-car line-up with the Legend luxury saloon re-introduced last year.Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley says between now and 2010 they will have an update on all models, but only release three new models.The first of these is the British-built Civic Type-R hot hatch which hits the showrooms this month. The standard three-door and five-door hatches are also expected in about 18 months and the other model is possibly the seven-seater Pilot, a replacement for the MDX.“It's the same size as the MDX but more of a family large wagon rather than a luxury SUV,” Smalley said. “We haven't really studied it yet.”Smalley said diesel versions of its Accord and VR-V were a possibility when Honda introduced its cleaner generation-two diesel engines in the next two years.The Acura luxury division, like Toyota's Lexus, is also a possibility, but Smalley says it is unlikely before 2015.“We would have to be selling about 100,000 a year,” he said.Last year Honda Australia sold 56,000 unit and this year Smalley expects to sell 64,000.He said sales growth depended on getting more Honda dealers. At present they have 96 nationally, but will increase that to 125by 2010.

Outrageous styling, Euro flair and retro features have taken a grip on this year's Paris motor show, which starts next week. Many of the world's leading carmakers will unveil futuristic concept cars as well as their next generation of production cars at Europe's biggest show of 2006.Paris and Frankfurt alternate as the host every year - and with 2006 being the turn of the French capital, the local manufacturers seem set to steal the show.Renault will unveil its stunning four-seater cabriolet, the Nepta. Underneath the retro gull-wing doors is a 3.5-litre V6 twin turbo engine that puts out 313kW of power and 560Nm of torque at 3000rpm. An aluminium strip covers the hinges on the bonnet, which gives off a shooting-star effect. Renault spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says the gull-wing doors are certainly unusual and the first time a Renault has featured them."The object of designing concept vehicles is to experiment with new technology and design with a view to assessing their suitability for application to future production vehicles," she says.The Nepta is quick off the mark, accelerating from 0-100km/h in just 4.9seconds through its seven-speed automatic gearbox, which features flick shift steering-wheel-mounted controls. With fluid lines and a thoroughbred profile, the Nepta has a long body shape, accentuated by the wave-shaped side panels, the lower part of the body's aluminium colour treatment, the front and rear spoilers and the mud flaps. The rear has a longer overhang than the front and the car sits on massive 23-inch tyres.Citroen, meanwhile, will show off its masterwork, the low-riding four-door coupe, the C-Matisse. It is showcasing diesel-electric hybrid technology, a system Citroen wants to introduce on its production cars by 2008.The concept is powered by a V6 diesel engine with 150kW of power and 400Nm of torque delivered through the front wheels.There are also two electric motors that drive the rear wheels. These motors, which are powered by a bank of batteries, sit in the rear wheel hubs. Not to be outdone, Citroen's sister company, Peugeot, will display its monster 908RC concept car which, unlike the other concepts, is a pointer to the firm's racetrack future. Peugeot is going back to the Le Mans 24-hour race with a diesel.The 908RC, however, is a giant luxury limousine with futuristic looks and a swag of new technology. Its 5.5-litre V12 diesel engine will also be at the heart of Peugeot's racer.Peugeot says the concept car will reach 0-100km/h in less than five seconds, thanks to a six-speed manual gearbox and a rear-mounted powerplant that has been arranged in a similar layout to the race car. Closer to production from Peugeot is the 207 Epure, an all-white pointer to the next generation 207CC cabriolet to go on sale next year.Not to be outdone, Mercedes is unveiling the latest interpretation of its SLR supercar genre, the SLR McLaren 722 Edition. Developed with its Formula One partner McLaren, the brutish 722 is named after a famous victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia, the classic Italian road race from that golden era.Stirling Moss and Dennis Jenkinson drove a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, numbered 722 because it started the race at 7.22am.The new car has a supercharged 5.5-litre V8 that has 478kW of power on tap. It will rocket from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds, and will hit 300km/h just 25 seconds later.Maybach, Mercedes' ultra-luxury arm, will show off its first ever white model - a 5.7m-long 57 S model in mother-of-pearl finish. It will go into production this year.Red, however, is the colour of choice for Alfa Romeo owners and the first photos of the production version of its 8C Competizione supercar illustrate just how stunning the Italian machine will be. However, Alfa buyers shouldn't get too excited. The 336kW, 4.7-litre, V8-engined two-seat GT hotty will be produced in limited numbers.And as with the Mercedes SLR, it owes its naming history to the Mille Miglia race - this time the winning 1950 6C Competizione.From the other side of the Atlantic, Dodge's new Avenger may officially still be a concept, but it is on a fast track to production status. The D-Segment, or mid-sized, concept will be unveiled to what should be strong acceptance. With Dodge already announcing that an all-new D-Segment model will hit showrooms late next year, the Avenger is the US manufacturer's red-hot favourite to fill that bill. Reaction to the car has already been positive, according to DaimlerChrysler Australia's Simon Johnston."The official company line is that all concept cars will be judged on the public reaction to them ... reaction has already been positive from the limited exposure the car has had and the next sedan model for Australia will be (a new) mid-sized car late next year," he says.The styling of the Avenger is sharp and chunky, with strong sporty appeal for Dodge's declared youth demographic.The Avenger concept is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo diesel - an unusual choice of powerplant for an American-centric vehicle. GM, meanwhile, will debut a new Chevrolet concept car, which was designed by an Australian, Ewan Kingsbury.This concept, called the WTTC Ultra, features a 142kW diesel engine and is loosely based on Chev's World Touring Car Championship racing car.Korea's Hyundai is unveiling its Arnejs concept, which it hopes will eventually lead to European sales of a down-the-track production car. Arnejs - pronounced Ar-nez - is a C-segment small car competitor.Volkswagen will show off its new Iroc concept, seen as a pointer to a future generation of the old Scirocco sports coupe. The Viper, a green-coloured four-seater, marginally bigger than a Golf, has a "twin-charger" powerplant featuring a supercharger/turbocharger combination.Fuel economy unusually unites BMW and Suzuki at the show.The luxury maker is showing its new Hydrogen 7, a hydrogen-engined 7series prestige machine. Suzuki, currently enjoying a resurgence thanks to the Swift, unveils its new 1.2-litre Splash concept - aimed only at Europe - claiming petrol fuel economy of 3.6L/100km.FAST FACTSNew model production cars to be unveiled at the Paris motor show include:* Audi Q7 V12 diesel and R8* BMW Hydrogen 7 saloon* Citroen C4 Picasso* Honda Civic Type R* Honda CRV* Mini Cooper* Mitsubishi Outlander* Mitsubishi Pajero* Nissan Qashqai small 4WD 

THE first pictures of the next Honda CR-V point to a raging battle with the Toyota RAV4 next year.The new soft-roader, which will be built in Thailand for Australia, is considerably bigger and much more refined.It has a wide range of new equipment and engineering advances, from an improved real-time all-wheel-drive system to side-curtain airbags and even radar cruise control and a towing stability system.A new-style tailgate lifts up vertically instead of opening door-style as in the current CR-V. The spare tyre has been moved inside the car and under the floor.But Honda Australia has warned local shoppers not to expect the full list of equipment on the European CR-V, which has just been made public ahead of its official unveiling at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month."We cannot comment on the final specification, but I cannot imagine everything being standard in Australia," Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley says."Our car is coming out of Thailand, so some of the equipment they fit as standard for Europe will not be available."He has already ruled out a diesel engine, though there is a new 2.0-litre petrol motor.And the price will be higher."The car in Australia will definitely be more expensive than the current model because of the equipment upgrades," Smalley says.The look shows a Honda closer in styling to the BMW X3 and X5 4WDs, and more similar in size to the bigger RAV4 that arrived here earlier this year than to the outgoing CR-V.The previous model was more like a jacked-up Civic sedan than a serious off-roader, but Honda says it is aiming to hit both targets with a newcomer more car-like to drive. Its centre of gravity is cut by 35mm and it has a 30mm wider track, but better off-road ability.The AWD system is now quicker to react and can transfer an extra 20 per cent of the car's torque.Equipment on the European CR-V shows the targeting of the car, with front side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control (with Trailer Stability Assist) and active front headlamps.The basics are the same, led by a body with bigger doors and a stronger crash structure for a claimed five-star NCAP safety rating.Honda in Europe says the 2.0-litre engine is more efficient and makes the car slightly quicker in a 0-100km/h sprint.Honda Australia is not confirming any of the details beyond the basic looks until sales start in the first quarter of next year.