To Infinity … and beyond

Birchwood Honda sees bright future

By: Myron Love

http://autos.winnipegfreepress.com/index.php?action=news&step=article&id=1408

Birchwood Honda West had a double celebration on Wednesday, April 22.

On that date, more than 200 guests were on hand for both the grand re-opening of the greatly expanded Pointe West Auto Centre dealership and the official launch of Honda’s 2010 Insight Hybrid.

“The 2010 Insight Hybrid is going to be a huge car for Honda,” says Birchwood Honda West sales rep Damien Burns. “Sales in Japan have been so brisk that Honda has already doubled production.”

Burns notes the only feature in common the new model has with its predecessor is its name. The original Insight Hybrid, which was introduced in 1999, was a two-seater. The 2010 version seats five and looks like a cross between a hatchback and a wagon.

“Our new Insight is built with third-generation hybrid technology,”

Burns says. “Under ideal conditions — such as a flat road and at a certain speed — the Insight runs on electric power alone.”

The battery, he notes, is smaller than in previous models and is stored under the floor in the trunk alongside the spare tire. That creates considerably more storage capacity in the trunk.

Among the new model’s features is IMA (Integrated Motor Assist), which means that the electric motor adds power when needed and recharges itself by recapturing the energy released during braking.

Burns also points out the green ECON button — on the dashboard — which, through Honda’s Eco Assist technology, improves fuel efficiency and reduces overall energy use. The Eco Guide feature encourages better driving practices. The guide is displayed in the form of a tree, which grows leaves as a reward for better driving decisions.

Burns further notes the 2010 Insight’s aerodynamic design, which is aimed at reducing wind resistance and minimize coefficient drag.

Burns points out that with a base price of $25,210 (including freight and pdi), the 2010 Insight Hybrid LX is $3,000-$5,000 less than competing hybrid models (depending on the option package). The EX version starts at $28, 810.

Birchwood Honda West also looks quite different from its former self.

The dealership was originally built in 1999, the same year the Insight was launched. It was the first dealership built at the new Pointe West Auto Centre in Headingley.

“Since then, we have built 11 other dealerships (most of which are part of the Birchwood Auto Group) and remodelled two of them,” said Birchwood Auto Group president Steve Chipman in his address to the staff and guests gathered for the rededication of Birchwood Honda West.

“We had built-in room for expansion,” he noted, “but we didn’t expect to be expanding quite this soon.”

Expansion, he pointed out, was driven by a tremendous growth in sales.

He noted that the west-end Honda dealership is one of the top 10 dealers in Winnipeg as measured by total sales.

The $2.7-million expansion, which was completed late last year, has more than doubled the size of the Pointe West Auto Centre dealership.

The 13,000-square-foot addition brings the number of service bays to

13 and adds two new detailing areas, two new quick-lube bays, a delivery pod indoors and enough space in the showroom for 11 vehicles. “We can now showcase every vehicle in our lineup,” Chipman said.

“We hope that this expansion will hold us for another 10 years as we look forward to further growth in Honda sales.”

Waverley Chrysler general manager Steve Dennis reports that his dealership is once again supporting the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon (21.08 km), which is scheduled for this coming Sunday at the Running Room. Dennis notes the event is sold out and that the run is expected to raise $100,000 for cancer research. Waverley Chrysler dresses up a Challenger RT model to help promote the event, which is now in its fifth year.

http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr112508.html

ARLINGTON, VA – Seventy-two vehicles earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK award for 2009. This is more than double the number of 2008 recipients and more than 3 times the number of 2007 winners. TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also have to have electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows significantly reduces crash risk.

For the first time ever, winners represent every class of vehicle the Institute tests except microcars. Most car, minivan, and SUV models, midsize convertibles, and small and large pickups are eligible. Ford and its subsidiary Volvo have 16 winners, including the Ford F-150 large pickup. Thirteen winners are from Honda and its Acura division. The Honda Fit with optional ESC is the first minicar to earn TOP SAFETY PICK.

Honda, Acura, and Subaru, which picked up 4 awards, are standouts for 2009 because they have at least 1 TOP SAFETY PICK in every vehicle class in which they compete.

“Consumers are the biggest winners,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “No matter what kind of vehicle buyers may be considering, now they can walk into just about any dealership and find one that affords the best overall protection in serious crashes.”

Front and side impacts are the most common kinds of fatal crashes, killing about three-quarters of the 28,896 passenger vehicle occupants who died in 2007. Rear-end crashes usually aren’t fatal, but they result in a large proportion of crash injuries. Neck sprain or strain is the most commonly reported injury in two thirds of insurance claims for injuries in all kinds of crashes.

Automakers improve protection: TOP SAFETY PICK provides an incentive for manufacturers to offer safer vehicle designs that go far beyond basic federal standards.

“In order to win, automakers have beefed up the side structures of vehicles and added side airbags to do a better job of protecting people in serious side crashes,” Lund says. “They’re rapidly adding ESC to prevent crashes, and they’re designing seats and head restraints that do a better job of protecting against whiplash.”

The changes are evident in the safety equipment that is increasingly standard. For the 2009 model year, 84 percent of passenger cars, 99 percent of SUVs, and 23 percent of pickups have standard side airbags with head protection. The same is true for ESC. It’s standard on 74 percent of passenger cars, 99 percent of SUVs, and 37 percent of pickups.

Crash avoidance is required: The Institute began the TOP SAFETY PICK program in 2006, initially giving out 2 tiers of awards. Gold winners scored good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection. Silver winners had good ratings in front and side tests and acceptable ratings in rear evaluations.

For 2007, the Institute raised the bar to win by requiring good rear impact results and ESC as either standard or optional equipment. ESC helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles in the worst situation – loss of control at high speed – by engaging automatically when it senses vehicle instability and helping to bring a vehicle back in the intended line of travel. ESC lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half, and it lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 70 percent.

Rear, side performance still lags: Crash tests have driven major improvements in the designs of all kinds and sizes of passenger vehicles. The Institute began conducting frontal tests for consumer information in 1995. Side tests were added in 2003 and rear tests in 2004. Most vehicles earn good ratings based on the frontal crash test, but significant differences remain among vehicles’ performance in side and rear tests.

Twenty-six models fall short of earning TOP SAFETY PICK because of inadequate head restraint designs. The Smart Fortwo, the only microcar in the US market, missed because of its head restraints. The same goes for Toyota’s hybrid Prius, which performed well in the Institute’s front and side crash tests but came up short for rear crash protection.

Chrysler is the only major automaker lacking a single TOP SAFETY PICK. It could have picked up 5 awards if the head restraints were better in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible, and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.

A 2008 Institute analysis of insurance claims found that, all other factors being the same, drivers of vehicles with seat/head restraint combinations rated good in Institute evaluations were 15 percent less likely to sustain neck injuries in rear-end crashes than drivers of vehicles with poor head restraints.

Eleven vehicles missed the mark because they didn’t earn a good rating for occupant protection in side crashes. Many of these vehicles are smaller cars whose size puts them at a disadvantage in the challenging test compared with larger, heavier vehicles.

Still, the sheer number of this year’s winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection to achieve TOP SAFETY PICK designation,” Lund says. “For years Toyota had more also-rans than winners. For 2009 this automaker has come on strong by updating seats and head restraints in the Avalon, Corolla, FJ Cruiser, and RAV4 to earn good ratings. Volkswagen has done the same with the Eos, Jetta, Passat, and Rabbit.”

Winners include 8 large cars, 13 midsize cars, 6 small cars, 1 minicar, 3 midsize convertibles, and 3 minivans. Among SUVs, 19 are midsize, 10 are small, and 5 are large. The 2008 Toyota Tundra was the first large pickup to earn TOP SAFETY PICK. For 2009, the Tundra is joined by the Ford F-150 and the Honda Ridgeline. The Toyota Tacoma is the only small pickup winner.

Each year the Institute offers to test TOP SAFETY PICK candidates early in the model year. The policy is for manufacturers to reimburse the Institute for the cost of vehicles if the tests aren’t part of the group’s regular schedule. TOP SAFETY PICK is presented by vehicle size because size and weight are closely related, and both influence how well occupants will be protected in serious crashes. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford better protection in crashes than smaller, lighter ones.

“Just because small cars are TOP SAFETY PICKs doesn’t make them as crashworthy as larger vehicles,” Lund says. “Rather, it’s all the more important to choose a small car that rates highly for safety because you give up the protection of size and weight.”

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute’s frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry – the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can’t be positioned to protect many people.

ALL 72 WINNERS

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit

Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma

ALSO-RANS
These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have ESC, standard or optional. They would be 2009 TOP SAFETY PICK winners if their seat/head restraints also earn good ratings:

Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, Town & Country
Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan
Infiniti G35, M35
Kia Amanti
Lexus ES, GS,IS
Mazda CX-7, CX-9
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor
Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra
Saturn AURA
Smart Fortwo
Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCorp/en/innovation1.asp?navIndex=2&subNavIndex=1

At Honda, what started with a dream now moves and improves people’s mobility in every conceivable way.

Today, Honda innovation takes many forms: from a range of award-and-race-winning motorcycles, automobiles and trucks, to generators and the first full line of fuel efficient low emission 4-stroke outboard motors, to the high-flying efficiency of the HondaJet. There’s even ASIMO, the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, and the Honda FCX Concept car – a zero emissions fuel-cell vehicle that only emits water vapour.

What’s more, Honda is also at the forefront of safety innovation with a “Safety for Everyone” commitment that strives to provide the highest level of standard safety features regardless of vehicle price or size. So as long as people have places to go, or tasks to perform, Honda will continue to invent and innovate safer, cleaner products for a better future.

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/StoryPopUp.asp?L=E&P=Splash_Storyboard&N=1

TORONTO (September 5, 2008) – Honda will reveal a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle, to be named Insight, at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show on October 2. The new Insight Concept shares styling cues with the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and provides an early look at the new five-passenger hybrid vehicle due to arrive in Canada next spring.

The all-new, purpose-built Insight will come to market at a price below current hybrids available today. From this unique position in the marketplace, the Honda Insight will advance the affordability and accessibility of hybrid technology to a new generation of buyers.

“The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in North America and remains a symbol of Honda’s commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency,” said Takeo Fukui, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Chief Executive Officer. “This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value.”

The Insight Concept defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology by utilizing a more cost-efficient version of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist^TM (IMA^TM) hybrid technology, resulting in a new level of affordability for hybrid customers worldwide. Evoking the innovative styling cues first seen in the FCX Clarity, the Insight Concept is designed with a low center of gravity and a generous five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving pleasure and roomy interior that customers have come to expect from Honda.

While the Insight Concept’s aerodynamic design clearly identifies its fuel-efficient purpose, its five-door access and folding rear seats speak to functionality that is designed to meet the needs of customers with an active lifestyle. The Insight Concept is a small, fuel-efficient hybrid car that delivers big style and functionality with a healthy dose of fun.

Honda has achieved a significant cost reduction in Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) components which will allow Insight to be most affordable hybrid vehicle to date. The production Insight will be offered as a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. Numerous technologies, including a function to assist customers in achieving more fuel-efficient driving habits, will be applied to achieve a further improvement in real world fuel efficiency. With its affordable price, the new hybrid vehicle will represent the best value in its segment. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at the Suzuka factory in Japan.

The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year with half of those in North America. Following the launch of the new Insight, Honda also plans to introduce a unique sporty hybrid vehicle based on the CR-Z, first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. All together, Honda’s global sales of hybrids are expected to increase to approximately 500,000 units a year (more than 10 per cent of its total worldwide annual automobile sales).

The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999 as North America’s first gasoline-electric hybrid car. It was designed to demonstrate the ultimate potential for fuel-economy in a two-seater subcompact automobile.

Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions, including advanced gasoline engines, gasoline-electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars.

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Financing/Graduate.htm?L=E

School’s Out. Driving’s in.

When you graduate, the world’s your oyster. New adventures. New challenges. Maybe even a new job awaits you. And there’s no better way to start a new chapter of your life than in a new or certified pre-owned Honda. In fact, we’re so sure about it, The Honda Graduate Program is offering a $500 credit towards the lease or financing of a new Honda Accord, CR-V, and Element or a Honda certified pre-owned vehicle. We’re also offering $750 towards S2000, our exhilarating two-seat roadster! You see? Earning a diploma is paying off already.

Program Details:

·Get up to a $750 cash allowance or credit towards vehicle lease or finance.
·Honda Graduate program can be used in addition to current Honda incentives in effect at the time of delivery, unless specified under the rules of another incentive program or contest.
·Graduates of a police or military school.
·This credit includes GST, HST, or QST as applicable. Any tax liability imposed on the value of an award received in this campaign is the sole responsibility of the Purchaser.
·This offer is non-transferable.
·This offer can only be used once.

Program Eligibility:

·Vehicle must be registered in the name of the Honda Graduate Program applicant.
·In the circumstance of marriage or name change, documentation of the name change may be required.
·A graduate is only eligible for one Honda Graduate Program Allowance per vehicle and is limited to a one-time lifetime approval per individual.
·Applicant must meet post-secondary requirements.

Ineligible Vehicles:

·Fleet sales will not be eligible for the Honda Graduate Program
·Any vehicle sold to a broker, middleman or third-party other than a retail customer and subsequently sold to another dealership business or purchased with the intent of exporting outside of Canada.

Eligible Vehicles:

·All new an unregistered Honda Accord, CR-V, Element and S2000 models and dealer demonstrators of the eligible models delivered to the customer by an authorized Honda dealer.
·All Honda Certified Used Vehicle delivered by an authorized Honda Dealer.

Eligible Customers:
·Canadian residents who have graduated within the last four years or are within 4 months of graduating from an accredited post-secondary institution.

Minimum Post-Secondary Requirements:

·A two-year Canadian College of Applied Arts and Technology
·A three-year CEGEP D.E.C. program in Quebec
·A three-year Canadian University Bachelor Program
·Canadian Registered Nursing Program
·Canadian Trade School
·Canadian Service Academy
·Canadian Master’s or Doctoral Program
·Please see the list of all accredited post-secondary institutions valid for the Honda Graduate Program
·Certificate and adult education courses do not apply
·Applicant will be required to provide a copy of an original official transcript and/or letter from the Registrar’s Office confirming graduation within the stated program guidelines.

Final Decision:

·In all matters relating to the interpretation and application of any rule or phrase of this program, the decision of Honda Canada Inc. shall be final. Honda Canada Inc. reserves the right to cancel, amend or revoke the program at any time. All matters of program eligibility and qualification will be conclusively resolved by Honda Canada Inc.
·All claims are subject to review by Honda Canada Inc.

Birchwood Honda adds 13,000 square feet

By: Myron Love
Updated: June 13 at 12:45 AM CDT

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/autos/story/4185792p-4776079c.html

Record sales have prompted Birchwood Honda West to embark on a $2.7-million expansion project of its Pointe West Auto Centre dealership on Portage Avenue.

“We delivered 141 new cars in May,” says general sales and lease manager Mark Stephenson. “That was 40 more than we delivered in May, 2007.”

Work began on the expansion at the beginning of May.
The dealership will grow from 11,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet and feature two Quick-Lube bays, 13 service bays and a showroom with space for 10 or 11 models.

“We should be able to house our entire lineup in the new showroom,” Stephenson says.

The expansion will be completed by sometime in the fall.

As seen in: “Birchwood adds Kia dealership to lineup”

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/autos/story/4228113p-4867635c.html

By: Myron Love
Updated: September 19 at 09:15 AM CDT

IF you blink, you’ll miss it. That’s a strong indication of how fast the ‘09 Honda Fit is selling out.

“We received our first shipment (of ‘09 Fit models) just a week and a half ago,” says Birchwood Honda West sales rep Damien Burns, “and by the beginning of this week, we only had a couple left in stock.”

Burns adds that that first delivery was 10 days earlier than originally scheduled because local Honda dealers had sold out the ‘08 models.

The Fit has been on the road in Japan since 2001 but only became available in Canada last year, Burns notes.

The new version has a number of incremental improvements over the ‘08 model, he says. For example, the ‘09 Fit is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor. The IVTEC engine (as compared to the ‘08 model’s VTEC engine) provides 40 miles per gallon in city driving as compared to 37 mpg in the older models. Highway mileage is unchanged. Horsepower is also up slightly for ‘09.

Also new in the ‘09 Fit is a timing chain rather than a timing belt. “You have to change the belt every five years or 100,000 kilometres, or you could ruin your engine,” Burns points out. “The chain is much longer-lasting. And if it goes, you just have to replace it. You don’t have to be concerned about engine damage.”

The new model comes with an ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure better able to absorb impact from different-size vehicles. Burns notes that the body has more rounded edges, giving it a more aerodynamic and less boxy look.

Inside, the side-view mirrors are taller and the pillars in the windshield are thinner. Both features increase visibilty.

Burns notes that there is also more knee room in the back seat and the model has eight cupholders — four in front and four in back.

“The issue today is gas mileage rather than horsepower,” Burns says. “To make the ‘09 Fit lighter, Honda has taken out the spare tire. A tire repair kit is one of the options.”

The new model retails for a base price of $14,980 (not including freight and pdi). Burns notes that is just $70 more than the ‘08 model.

A fresh shipment should be coming in before long, he says.

Redesigned model more fuel efficient

By: Myron Love

Updated: June 20 at 10:14 AM CDT

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/autos/articles/general/story/4189061p-4779556c.html

Honda’s redesigned-for-2009 Pilot — which went on sale in Winnipeg about 10 days ago — is both bigger than its predecessor and more fuel efficient without costing any more.

“It is unusual for Honda to be launching a new model in June,” says Birchwood Honda on Regent sales rep Robert Swan, “but it is certainly time for a new Pilot. The first generation model was getting a little long in the tooth.”

The new Pilot comes with a 3.5 litre, 24-valve SOHC, I-VTEC V6 engine, 250 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque — both simply higher output than its predecessor.

The greater fuel efficiency is the result of the ‘09 Pilot’s advanced Variable Cylinder Management system. VCM operates on three, four or six cylinders depending whether you are driving in the city, on the highway or accelerating. The new Pilot’s Variable Torque Management four-wheel drive system anticipates the need for AWD and automatically engages the rear wheels whenever the vehicle is accelerating.

Swan points out that the ‘09 Pilot is available in a couple of new trims including the top of the line “Touring” model which has additional features such as a power tailgate, heated second row leather seats, 115-volt power outlet, front and rear parking sensors, HandsFreeLink Bluetooth wireless telephone interface and Honda satellite-linked navigation system with rearview camera.

All the new Pilot configurations have heavy duty power steering and transmission cooler and an integrated trailer hitch, features that were options on the earlier Pilot, Swan notes. The ‘09 Pilot is also the fifth Honda model that incorporates Advanced Compatibility Engineering in its structure, Swan adds. All Honda models will soon be built with ACE.

The ‘09 Pilot seats eight, although Swan points out that the third-row seating is meant mainly for children, as with all other competitors vehicles in its class. “Previous Pilot owners who have tried the new model say that its is roomier than its predecessor,” he says.

The base price for the 2wd, entry-level LX model is $36,820 (plus freight and PDI), about the same price its predecessor sold for.