New And Used Honda Cars

Honda is one of Japan’s biggest manufacturers of cars, motorcycles and much more. It’s for the cars though that the brand is best known for globally, producing a small but thorough catalogue of good value vehicles. The company has a strong reputation for building solid and dependable cars, regularly topping customer satisfaction surveys. Honda were one of the first adopters of electric vehicle technology adding hybrids to their range early on, anticipating the growing demand for lower CO² emissions and better fuel economy.

Honda Design

The company slogan, ‘The Power of Dreams’, is perhaps overstating the point but that’s the brand’s philosophy, designing cars that people actually want to buy and use. An example of this is the clever design of Honda’s ‘Magic Seats’. This smart innovation has been around for a while now and is yet to be bettered when it comes to interior practicality.

The rear bench seat splits and folds, as is common, but the seat squab bases can also be folded up. This helps to increase the available floor space for bulky or awkward packages. The seats can be configured variously and lock into place. It’s great idea that can turn the inside of, say a Civic hatchback, into an almost van-like space. Clever.

Honda Hybrid Drive

Throughout the range, Honda’s latest e:HEV hybrid set-up is being deployed. Their plan is that all Honda cars will be hybrid or fully electric by 2022. The hybrid system, iMMD (multi-mode drive), they say, seamlessly selects from three interchangeable drive modes:

EV Drive: the lithium-ion battery supplies power to the electric propulsion motor directly.

Hybrid Drive: the engine supplies power to the electric generator motor, which in turn supplies it to the electric propulsion motor.

Engine Drive: the petrol engine is connected directly to the wheels via a lock-up clutch.

With the engine cutting in at highway speeds, optimum efficiency is otherwise achieved through seamless transitions between fully-electric drive and hybrid drive, with both regenerating during deceleration and braking.

The e-HEV set up is either two-wheel drive (front) or all-wheel drive i-MMD two-motor system with an efficient 2.0 Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, switching between the three driving modes and delivering a maximum engine power output of 145PS and 315Nm of torque from its electric motor.

Honda Cars

Although one of the smallest cars in the range, it is the Jazz that spearheads the company’s sales. It is perennially popular, improving as the years pass. The latest model provides an easy, safe drive thanks to the e:HEV hybrid technology, which is standard on this model. It’s a comfortable and surprisingly roomy car that is packed with technology.

The excellent and recently award-winning CR-V SUV is similarly endowed with hybrid power. It’s the largest SUV in the Japanese company’s catalogue, currently, and it’s a well-made and reliable people mover. Originally available with either a hybrid or a petrol engine, it’s now purely hybrid– no diesel is offered at all, though four-wheel drive is.

The Honda HR-V is a sophisticated crossover. With a sporty exterior styling is complemented by upgrades to the interior design and materials, as well as a broader range of advanced technologies. Like the highly regarded Civic hatchback, the HR-V offers space and versatility and benefits from enhanced driving dynamics and a choice of fuel-efficient i-MMD engines. Older models offer a mix of conventional 1.3L, 1.5 and 2.0L petrol engines or diesel alternatives driving through manual or automatic gearboxes.

Future Honda

Although the hugely expensive and hugely desirable NSX supercar remains available with twin-turbo V6 hybrid power, the future at Honda seems to be fully electric. This is heralded by the recent introduction of the cute Honda e. This diminutive EV, where style really does meet substance, was voted City Car of the Year for 2021 and with good reason. Not a brand to deliver big surprises, buyers can expect Honda to work towards an EV future in the next few years as they develop further beyond the current i-MMD hybrid system.

MHH International can supply new or used Honda cars for buyers wishing to import cars to Kenya, New Zealand and elsewhere. See our main website for more details.