During the launch of the new facelifted Honda City today, Honda Malaysia made a shock announcement regarding the fate of the Accord.
Honda Malaysia CEO, Mr Hironobu Yoshimura, announced that the Honda Accord will no longer be offered for sale in Malaysia.
The news comes as a surprise, but one that is not exactly unexpected.
Honda Malaysia has refocused its efforts towards its SUV models in recent times, and this was obvious with the recent discontinuation of the BRV, which was replaced by the WRV.
The launch of the WRV made Honda Malaysia the first non-national car maker to explore the small SUV segment.
And judging by the sheer number of bookings (2,500 bookings) Honda Malaysia received before the launch, the company is on track for success in the new segment.
Even globally, the demand for SUV’s continues to rise while the demand for D-segment sedans like the Accord has dropped considerably.
So it comes as no surprise then that the Honda Malaysia has pulled the plug from the Accord, marking a sad but necessary demise of a car that offered a spaciousness and comfort in a handsome package.
Few cars define the passion for driving like Honda’s iconic Type R. Some of the cars that can be put into the same category include creations by BMW’s M division, Mercedes AMG, Audi’s RS, Nissan’s Nismo, Toyota’s GR, and a few others.
While all those brands mentioned above might be fierce competitors, the one thing that all of them share is the ability to stir emotions. While their parent companies create cars for general transportation, the sub-divisions are more than just a means of transport, they are meant to create a connection between the car and one’s soul.
The Type R started off life as just that, a division meant to make one of Honda’s most iconic models into something that would seize the world – the Honda NSX Type-R. Or otherwise known as the Ferrari killer.
Back in the 80s and 90s, Ferrari made cars that were amazing to look at, but not so great to drive and worse to own (besides the F40). And it is quite safe to say that the NSX shook up the Maranello based establishment (with due credit to Nissan’s GTR of course).
Honda had the legendary Ayrton Senna on their side when the late Brazilian raced for the Mclaren-Honda Formula One team, which whom he won three World Championships with.
Senna had his way with the NSX and helped to improve the handling and overall dynamics of the car, most notably at the Suzuka circuit in Japan, which is owned by Honda.
Honda later created a wilder version of the NSX, christening it the Type R, which made the NSX Type R the first of its kind. This was the beginning of what would later command a cult like following of the Type R brand.
Type R models are generally treated to a distinct weight loss program that includes a lack of sound insulation. The entire air-conditioning system will also be removed for earlier models (Honda realized this was not practical and re-installed it in later year models), as well as the complete removal of the power steering system. The glass around the car was also generally thinner for specific Type R cars. This resulted in lighter cars that were a joy to drive.
Some of the icons from the Type R family includes the NSX Type R, the Integra Type R and of course, the Civic Type R.
But not all of them were greats though. Honda thought it would be a good idea to offer an Accord Type R but that turned out to be the least exciting of all Type R models. There is also the Civic FN2R which is considered quite ‘soft’ when compared to other JDM and Asia specific models. Good thing then that those two were only offered for the European market.
One of the greatest Type R’s is the Civic FD2R. With a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine producing 225PS and 215Nm of torque, the car came with a slick-shifting short-throw 6-speed manual gearbox. This combined with an 8,400rpm rev limit and semi-slick Bridgestone tyres, made the car feel like a race car for the road.
The FD2R is a true icon of the Type R family and one that will always be remembered with affection. Honda faced an uphill task to create a successor. With the rising demand for efficient and cleaner engines, it simply was not feasible to continue to build naturally-aspirated engines.
So, Honda had to step into the world of forced-induction and created a turbocharged successor to the FD2R, much to the dismay of Type R fans around the world since a naturally-aspirated engine was considered a hallmark of all Type R’s.
The FK8R is the spiritual successor to the iconic FD2R, but in reality, the two are only connected with each other in name and not so much in spirit.
There are things that the two share though, such as the short-shifting 6-speed manual transmission, the large rear wing, and a driving experience that will shake your internals. But the method of delivering that experience is vastly different.
While the FD2R will engage your attention by keeping you fixated as the engine screams, demanding that you bang home every gear ratio until the car reaches its electronically programmed 180km/h top speed. The FK8R on the other hand requires that you pay attention to the speedo meter, because it has a tendency of piling on speed without you knowing it. It is clinical yet refined in its power delivery.
Embracing forced-induction has allowed Honda to offer much more power than previous generation Type R’s. The Civic FK8R produces 310PS and 400Nm of torque. It does the 0-100kmh in just 5.8 seconds and will not stop accelerating until it reaches its 272km/h top speed. That is just about 100km/h faster than previous generation models.
For reference sake, the NSX Type R, which is widely regarded as the greatest Type R ever produced makes just 290hp and 304Nm of torque. Though there are some reports suggesting that those numbers were under declared.
But before you start to think that the NSX Type R is slower compared to the FK8R, it is worth remembering that the project leader for the NSX Type R was once quoted as saying, “the idea behind the R was not to create a swan song rendition with a massive dose of additional power, but to go back to basics.”
And the ‘basics’ in mention means the removal of some of the items that add to the overall weight. As such the NSX Type R was a full 84kg lighter than the standard NSX and this resulted in an impressive power to weight ratio of 220bhp per tone. With the NSX Type R weighing in at 1,274kg, we will let you do the math.
On the topic of the FK8R, it is a sublimely different machine as compared to its predecessors. While the words of choice for older Type R’s would be aggressive, noisy, engaging with a borderline trashy drive character, the FK8R is more refined, friendly yet boisterous when the road allows, and yet as engaging as previous models. To put it simply and in modern language, the FK8R is what you get when a Type R has to take on the responsibilities of an adult.
The FK8R comes with adaptive suspension, which is a first in the history of the Type R. This and the electronic steering allow Honda to offer driving modes, of which the FK8R has three – Comfort, Sport and +R mode.
The +R mode is where the car is at its best, with the suspension set at its stiffest (not so great for passenger comfort), the steering wheel at its chattiest and power is delivered with no turbo lag.
And because of the forced-induction, you can even accelerate in fourth or fifth gear on the highway with the car responding immediately. Even the interior noise is at an acceptable level, while older Type R’s were notorious for being noisy.
This is not achieved by using heavy sound deadening material but with clever trick involving the triple exhaust tips. The two exhaust tips on the sides still work like any other exhaust, but the one in the centre gives the car its sporty sound. At low speed it gives it an aggressive sound which can be heard from the inside and out. But at higher speed such as on the highway, it channels air towards the outer two pipes to keep the interior quiet and comfortable.
This makes the FK8R incredibly well placed as a comfortable touring machine, which is something the other Type R models could never achieve.
The driving modes together with the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine are the defining features of the FK8R. These features give it its character and its general purposefulness. But its four-seats, interior spaciousness and features like Apple CarPlay make it a family friendly machine, like a Doberman that always has the family’s best interest at heart.
Except that this time, that best interest in question is driving pleasure, of which the FK8R offers in abundance, and this singularity makes it a definite future classic.
The City, which is Honda Malaysia’s best-selling model, will be introduced with a facelifted version that is now available for reservations at all Honda dealerships in Malaysia. The new City is anticipated to make its debut in Malaysia in Q3 2023.
Since its release, the 5th generation City has sold more than 68,600 copies, and in the first half of 2023, Honda has sold more than 10,000 units. This iconic Honda model has undoubtedly established itself as Malaysians’ pick in its market class.
The moment has finally arrived for this long-awaited small SUV. Honda Malaysia has officially launched the WR-V, which made its global debut in Indonesia in November 2022.
The WR-V marks Honda’s first foray into the small SUV segment in the Malaysian market, making it the first non-national car maker to do so.
There will be four variants available: sitting on top is the RS variant, followed by the V, then the E and finally the S spec.
Exterior
The WR-V has a unique design language but shares a few similarities with the HR-V. For example, the placement of the rear door handle at the side of the door panel rather than on the door panel as with conventional handles.
The WR-V has total dimensions of 4,060mm long, 1,780mm wide, and 1,608mm in height, which makes it slightly smaller albeit wider than the Perodua Ativa.
The RS features the same exterior kit as the one introduced to the Thai market including the chrome chequered grille and 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels. Additional features include automatic LED headlights with sequential turn signals, power-adjustable door mirrors, LED daytime running lights, and LED front fog lights.
The Honda WR-V is set to make its Malaysian debut tomorrow. The highly anticipated small SUV which Honda Malaysia says sits in its own segment and does not compete with any other car maker, was already available for booking at all dealerships nationwide last month.
As of today, the WRV already has 2,500 bookings! And Honda expects to deliver all 2,500 cars in less than two months. With that, it is safe to say that Honda’s small SUV is well received prior to its official debut. Honda also reassures that the WRV is not affected by the global chip shortage and as such deliveries will be on time and spare parts are readily available.
The second-generation WRV (first-generation for Malaysia) made its global debut in Indonesia last November and was launched in Thailand in May of 2023. We took it for a test drive from Bangkok to Pattaya recently and came away impressed, you can read about that hereand watch the video below.
The long awaited small SUV from Honda is just around the corner! For the time being, Honda’s Winsome Runabout Vehicle (WR-V) will be the only small SUV competitor for the Perodua Ativa. We have driven the car before its Malaysian debut, and this is what you need to know about the highly anticipated SUV.
Although Chevrolet sales in Malaysia stopped in 2018 after Naza Quest ended its association with the brand, there is still an obligation to provide certain aftersales support where safety is concerned. In the case of Chevrolet, there is an urgent need to replace the Takata airbag inflator module which can break up when inflating and cause serious injuries or even death to the front occupants of the vehicle.
GM, as with many other carmakers, has been announcing recalls of vehicles globally for this matter. Even though the Takata issue surfaced some 20 years ago, there are still millions of vehicles around the world which have not had their inflator modules replaced.
Honda Malaysia will launch 3 all-new models as well as one updated model during 2023 with the aim of achieving a total sales volume of 80,000 units. With the Malaysian Automotive Association forecasting a Total Industry Volume of 650,000 units for this year, this would give Honda a 12.3% market share.
The target is similar to that of 2022 but last year, it exceeded the number by 290 units to take a share of 11.1%. The achievement kept Honda in the No.1 position in the non-national passenger car segment (which excludes pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles) for the ninth consecutive year since 2014. During the year, the brand also recorded its highest ever sales in Malaysia with more than 10,500 units delivered nationwide.
Speaking to the media at an event recently, Honda Malaysia President & Chief Operating Officer Sarly Adle Sarkum said that as part of the company’s strategic business direction, it will launch a new model in an entirely new segment during the third quarter of 2023.
While we await the official data from the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) for the sales and production of new motor vehicles in 2022, some of the companies are already announcing their numbers. Among them is Honda Malaysia which reports that it delivered more than 80,200 units during the year, more than the target of 80,000 units that it had set. This was a 51% increase over the previous year’s sales volume.
The achievement keeps Honda in the No.1 position in the non-national passenger car segment (which excludes pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles) for the ninth consecutive year since 2014. During the year, the brand also recorded its highest ever sales in Malaysia with more than 10,500 units delivered nationwide.
When Chin Kok Fung placed his order for a new Honda Civic e:HEV RS with authorized Honda dealer MH Prestige Auto Sdn. Bhd. In Bandar Sri Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, he probably did not think he would have the honour of a very special hand-over. However, being the first person in Malaysia to receive the new model, Mr. Chin was given a token of appreciation from Honda Malaysia when he collected his car.
He received received Honda Accessories and Official Honda Merchandise worth RM4,000 from Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director and CEO, Hironobu Yoshimura, at a simple ceremony held at the dealership’s premises.
