Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

Back in 2007,  Honda had revealed its Sporty Hybrid Honda CR-Z Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show.  Honda has kept its promise to launch the production version of Honda CR-Z Hybrid in early 2010.  Honda has now unveiled the ‘CR-Z hybrid sports coupe’!

The hybrid cars which came out first were boring, bland and what not! Honda has decided to change all that with its next generation hybrids.  It has decided to mix environment friendliness and driving fun.

For the sports car enthusiast, Honda CRZ is the world’s first hybrid sports car with a 6 speed manual transmission although you can still choose to order a hybrid with paddle shifts and CVT auto transmission.

‘CRZ’ is an abbreviation for Compact Renaissance Zero. This green fuel efficient car has a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine with ‘Integrated Motor Assist’ which is actually a hybrid system.  Although 25 km/liter from the vehicle is quite good, what blows your mind is the way the vehicle is styled. It looks futuristic, cool and sharp!

It is also the first hybrid with ‘NORMAL/ECON/SPORT’ driving modes. The ‘SPORT’ mode increases the gear ratios, steering and throttle response whereas ‘ECON’ mode brings the car into economy mode offering you maximum kilometers to the liter.

In Japan, the Honda CR-Z basic model is priced at 2,250,000 Yen and the top model at 2,500,000 Yen.  It will be released in Japan first and then in other parts of the world.  The price for other countries has not been decided yet.

The Honda CRZ debut comes at an apt time barely two weeks after arch rival Toyota recalled almost 44 thousand Priuses and other hybrid cars for complaints of faulty breaks and delay in response of breaks on bumpy roads and cold conditions.

Honda claims that the braking system of its Hybrids is different from Toyota and that Honda has not received any complaints in its hybrid models about braking.  Honda plans to sell over 250,000 hybrids a year by 2010.  Honda CR-Z is a global hybrid car that will make the gasoline-electric technology more available and affordable to sports car lovers.

Technorati Tags: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, hybrid cars, Honda CRZ, Japan, Toyota, Honda

As per the latest survey released by Parker’s – the leading used car magazine from UK – Honda Jazz was declared Britain’s best car for retaining its for 2009.  Honda Jazz was selected from about 300 different car models Parker’s tested in their annual survey.  According to Parker’s, the Japanese automaker Honda’s popular hatchback “Honda Jazz” has been voted number one for resale value as it  suffers theleast from depreciation.

Honda Jazz loses just about US$2,200 in value during the first 12 months, having done minimum 10,000 miles, as per the research conducted by Used Car Expert magazine.  Depreciation for luxury cars like Maybach 62 can be as high as US$205,500.  These figures suggest that not all luxury cars and supercars are good from the point of view of long-term investment, small cars have much better resale value than larger ones.

This survey was carried out by Parker on the basis of average values of one year old cars driven 10,000 miles.  Out of the top 40 positions 35 were occupied by small cars.  Suzuki Swift and Kia Picanto appeared in list of top 10 while Hyundai’s i10 occupied fourth position following Fiat 500 and SEAT Ibiza respectively.  The survey points out the fact that during the first year of ownership, most of the cars depreciated more slowly compared to following years.

Honda Jazz is known as Honda Fit in South and North America as well as in Japan and China.  The car is called the Honda Jazz in Oceania, Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and India.

People interested in buying used cars should definitely consider buying used Honda Jazz (Honda Fit) as it has a high resale value.  Investing money on Honda Jazz is one of the safest investments on 4 wheels, as Honda Jazz has the reputation of being the most desirable used car.

Features of Honda Jazz

Honda Jazz comprises whole lots of features such as incredible flexibility, larger interior space and low running costs making it quiet appealing to new car buyers as well as used car buyers.

For the safety of the car occupants, Japanese car maker Honda have utilized Advanced Compatibility Engineering’ (ACE), G-Force Control (G-CON) construction and anti-lock braking to build up their cars.  This engineering provides improved protection  in case of collisions.  The Honda Jazz is powered by a 1.2 litre engine and equipped with the pretensioner seat belt.  The new Jazz has with ample space,  spacious head and leg room,  good looks is great with turns and easy to park.  The Honda Jazz is a small but powerful and efficient car.

Despite recession Honda Jazz has managed to retain good depreciation value, so Honda Jazz is the ideal car with great looks, good performance which is comfortable to drive.  This versatile car can not only provide you good performance, but also fetch you good resale value when you try to sell it to second hand market.  Honda Jazz, therefore,  is an ideal investment to make!  If you are looking for a used Honda Fit from Japan, please inquire with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Honda Fit, used cars, Honda Jazz, used Honda Fit, Japan

The automotive world is not just made of luxury vehicles and fancy sports cars which are made for cities.  There are also vehicles for enjoying the nature in the wildest conditions.  Last weekend I had a chance to test drive Mitsubishi Pajero 2007 – the fourth generation Pajero SUV.  At present, Mitsubishi Pajero is the most successful SUV to compete in the Dakar Rally – a grueling competition under the harshest conditions to be found on the earth.  Pajero won the legendary race twelve times including seven straight victories since 2001,  and carved a name for itself in the off-road circles.  I was therefore very happy that I could experience the thrill of driving such an incredible machine.

In Japan, most of the roads and highways are of very fine quality and so it is very difficult to test an SUV in rough conditions.  We therefore decided to drive the vehicle in Oze National park area in Tochigi and Fukushima prefecture.  After driving for 6 hours on the highways we finally reached the hilly plains of Tochigi prefecture.  It was snowing already, roads were slippery and the weather condition was awful, just right environment to test the Mitsubishi Pajero!

I would like to stress on the unbelievable off-road capabilities of Mitsubishi Pajero.  We went through a lot of natural obstacles like streams, bumps, boulders, hilly terrains and we could manage these situations at ease even in a snowy weather!  Despite the slippery roads and hilly terrains, we could easily maneuver the Car.  This just proved to us that the SUV had a simply incredible potential.

If you look at the Japanese domestic car market, the Japanese car makers do not offer that many true 4×4 vehicles though they may be offering many models in their lineups. Mitsubishi and Toyota are the only car manufactures in Japan, which offer trur 4×4 SUVS – Pajero and Land Cruiser, both of which are highly acclaimed in the International market too.

A first look at the Pajero will convince you that the car is strong looking yet elegant. Mitsubishi Pajero SUV offers rugged off-road capabilities as well as high levels of passenger comfort.  Rugged yet refined, with advanced design and technology offers increased safety, heightened comfort and strength, and superb performance.  With its tall, impressing looks, the Mitsubishi Pajero SUV surely catches attention whether you are climbing hills or cruising on city roads.

If you are planning to buy a four wheel drive SUV not just for city drives, but also to enjoy nature on all kinds of terrain,  we wholeheartedly recommend Mitsubishi Pajero 2007 SUV.  If you are interested in importing used Mitsubishi Pajero, please get in touch with us with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Pajero SUV, Mitsubishi Pajero, Japanese car

I happened to visit the Tokyo Motor show 2009 last weekend.  Though I could see many concept cars displayed by Japanese car makers like Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and Honda at the Show, I was particularly impressed by Nissan’s Land Glider electric vehicle.  This zero emission electric car has a unique design that bends on the turns much like a motorcycle.  If you are a bike fan, then, I feel, this may be the right car for you!

Nissan has designed this concept car – Land Glider -- for use in congested urban areas and narrow alleys, which are very typical in Japan.  In this car, the driver seats centrally and the passenger sits behind the driver, just like on a motorbike.  This tiny electric vehicle has computer controlled steering system that leans the car on the turns.  The driver controls the vehicle through a drive-by-wire system that is controlled through a two-handle wheel.  And, instead of the back view mirrors, they have monitors and cameras.

The dashboard of this car is definitely looks like as it is a future car.  Nissan’s Land Glider is very light weight and ultra thin, it is just a 3.5 feet wide.  In fact, it just covers up only half the space of a normal traffic lane. One quality which really makes the Land Glider remarkable is that it leans around 17 degree when it turns.  Nissan Land Glider also has many safety features -- like the crash avoidance car-robotics technology with sensors mounted in the body to detect other vehicles in the same way.  This concept is the same as in Nissan Eporo robot cars which mimics fish swimming in shoals without colliding.

I like to tell you one more impressive feature of this car- which is its non-contact charging system. You can charge Nissan Land Glider at any motorway service station, where this car can be charged wireless.

Nissan has cleverly used the way motorcycle leans on curves, in their new car design for Land Glider. This vehicle is totally electrical, and a completely smart eco friendly car.

Technorati Tags: concept cars, Japanese car, electric car, Nissan, Land Glider

The Toyota Hilux Surf is an an Action Utility Vehicle (AUV) manufactured by Toyota and Hino.  Toyota sells this vehicle mainly in Japan; however, large number of used Toyoa Hilux Surf vehicles are imported into the Australia , New Zealand, UK, and Ireland.  Toyota sells the Hilux Surf  outside Japan as as the Toyota 4Runner, mainly in the United States. Toyota’s Hilux pickup truck has gone through six generations since it was first launched in the year 1968, but it still retains the core design.

In this review, we will try to find out why the Toyota Hilux Surf is referred to as ‘The Indestructible Car’ and has gained high reputation for exceptional reliability and sturdiness.  This image of a sturdy vehicle was reinforced when in the BBC’s Top Gear program, they put an old Toyota Hilux to extreme abuse such as being drowned in a sea, headlong crash into a tree, dropping a caravan on the vehicle, hitting it with a wrecking ball, putting the car on fire and finally putting the car on the top of a tall building which was demolished controllably. In spite of these trials by flood, fire, massive caravan, and falling tower blocks, the truck was still running in the damaged condition.  You can see a part of this show in the following video.  So, there is no doubt it is one of the sturdiest, yet compact pickup trucks around.

Toyota Hilux compact truck has a massive fan-base, not only because of its power and dependability, but also because of the comfort and action lifestyle it offers.  It has all the luxurious comforts of a car such as air-conditioning, power windows, power steering, keyless entry, cruise control, ergonomic seating, and spacious cabins.  It has got the toughness you’ve come to expect and the performance you want with all the comforts.

We have a number of used Toyota Hilux Surf models in our stock. We can also find a used Toyota Hilux from the used auto auctions, to match your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Action Utility Vehicle, Japan, Hilux Surf, Toyota Hilux Surf, Toyota Hilux, pickup trucks, compact truck, used Toyota Hilux

Japanese Sports Cars are the next generation muscle cars  – with superb performance and excellent quality.  Japanese sports cars are rapidly dominating the car shows around the world.  Nissan Skyline GTR is a star in the Japanese Sports Car world -  inexpensive to buy and easy to maintain.  The Nissan Skyline GTR has emerged as one of the most popular brands in Sports cars.  The Nissan skyline is famous not only in Japan, but also outside Japan. The car is so popular among the young people that it also features in video games like Gran Turismo.

Structure and look of Nissan Skyline is very impressive, in earlier times it was four door vehicles, but now it has more stylish looks to keep up with the modern day demands.

In 1990 GT-R comprised of straight six-cylinder with twin-turbo motor of 2.6 L  and producing 206 kW (276 hp).  Light nature of the ceramic exhaust wheel and hybrid steel or ceramic design of turbo-chargers allowed them to roll up faster.

The new model of GT-R is twin turbo VR 38, which can deliver 480 HP.  This power can accelerate GT-R from 0 to 60 in flat 3.5 seconds. Six speed duel clutch transmission transfers the power to its wheels -  through all wheel drive system.

The vehicle’s speed helps to control steering angle of rear wheel.  When the vehicle exceeded 80 km/hr, then HICAS system gets activated and it controls steering of the rear wheels in the same direction as the front, so as to improve turn in on entry to corners.

With all these impressive features,  Skyline GTR is ranking just below Porsche’s 911 turbo,  as the world’s fastest production turbo Four Wheel Drive car.  If you are looking for an used Nissan Skyline GT-R, please check our online stock for Used Nissan cars.

Technorati Tags: sports cars, Japanese Sports Car, Nissan skyline, Skyline GTR, used Nissan Skyline

Honda is now challenging Toyota’s hybrid crown with its new Insight, a five-passenger gasoline-electric hybrid that will get more than 17 Km per liter. That is little less than the 21 Km per liter Toyota’s new Prius can get. But Honda Insight is far cheaper than the new Prius.  In fact, you can get the joy of hybrid technology for under $20,000.

Last month Honda Motor Company launched its all-new Honda Insight Hybrid car at a price tag of 1,890,000  Japanese Yen (US$19,800).  And it ranked as the 10th best selling car in Japan last month bagging over 15,000 orders, outselling Toyota Prius.  Honda was however able to deliver only 4,906 units.

This move by Honda would force the market leader, Toyota, to bring down its prices, leading to a price war in hybrid cars. Toyota is planning to release the next-generation version of Prius this May, at a much lower price.  This will be a good sign for car buyers, as they will have more and more choices for fuel efficient hybrid vehicles at affordable prices.

How Honda achieved this feat?  Honda Insight undercuts the Prius by several thousand dollars.  It is also around $4,000 cheaper than the Honda Civic Hybrid! First of all, the Insight shares parts with other Honda models. Secondly, the Insight’s main source of power is a lightweight gasoline engine that is assisted by smaller batteries, as opposed to the more complicated hybrid system used in the Prius.  This greatly reduces the manufacturing costs, but gives the Insight lower fuel efficiency than the Prius.

Technorati Tags: Honda, Toyota’s, Honda Insight, Hybrid car, Japan, Toyota Prius

Hybrid cars are a recent phenomena in the automobile industry.  Only few car manufacturers like Honda, Toyota, and General Motors had taken this matter very seriously.  Japan’s Honda is the top hybrid automobile maker and marketer as of now.  Two decades ago, Honda was nowhere in car building sector.  Now indeed, it is a brand name for futuristic hybrid cars among the Japanese cars.

The new generation is more passionate about Hybrid cars because they are environment friendly.  According to Honda reports, the hybrid car is zero-emission.  Reduction in fuel consumption contributes a lot to a green environment.  Even Hybrid cars have more fuel efficiency than any other ordinary brand new car.  A hybrid car whether new or used has no more mechanical problems like regular cars.  During the movement of the wheels, the hybrid car creates its own energy during a process of regenerative braking.  All these features in Honda Hybrid cars have made Honda the most striking and craved cars of the new generation.

Honda has newly introduced its 2009 Civic Hybrids.  This Honda hybrid car is a combination of technical qualifications of the common Honda Civic motor cars and reduced fuel consumption as of hybrid cars. As well as it takes care of your pocket also.

Honda Accord hybrid car is among the most popular Honda hybrid cars.  Nowadays this vehicle is out in the automobile market and really enjoying giant and warm patrons from all who are crazy for hybrid car. This hybrid car by Honda is most nature friendly.  The owner of hybrid cars does not find cost as an obstruction because they are astronomical. If we compare some Japanese hybrid models, we find Honda Accord Hybrid at 69 miles per gallon very economical.  Honda is now directly competing to its fellow Toyota, which was the first Japanese company to come up with hybrid cars.

If you are looking for used hybrid cars by Honda or Toyota, please check our stock or get in touch with us with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Honda, Toyota, hybrid cars, Japanese cars, Honda Civic, Honda Accord