Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

Mitsubishi i 2012 – Review

Other automakers may focus on hybrids, but Mitsubishi is taking the eco-friendly route through a pure-electric minicar.  Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV belongs to a category of small size cars, also called kei cars in Japan, whose diminutive size is well suited to the urban jungle. The Japanese automaker’s battery-powered minicar has been in the market since 2006 but had not been available in the US before.  Now Mitsubishi is looking to boost its sagging US sales and image through this innovative electric vehicle.

The new Mitsubishi i 2012 is a good option for those who don’t have too much to spend on a full electric car with good passenger-car safety standards and which can perform as well as a gasoline-engine car.  With prices starting at $29,125, not including the $7,500 federal tax credit, the Mitsubishi i can claim to be the cheapest electric automobile in the U.S. market.  It is also the most efficient electric car to date, having an official EPA rating of 112 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent).

The i may look almost tiny by U.S. standards, but it has a surprisingly spacious interior.  It can accommodate four six-foot tall passengers, though for extra cargo space for luggage or groceries for example, you will have to fold down the rear seatbacks.

The Mitsubishi i has a 49-kW (66 hp) synchronous permanent magnet motor and a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery.  It offers a smooth ride quality, whereas the suspension is tuned soft.   Just like most electric cars, its performance is best during city driving. Read the rest of this entry »

Review of Honda CR-Z Hybrid

The CR-Z car introduced by Honda is a great sports car.  The Honda CR-Z is also a pleasant surprise for all the car lovers as it is one of the best hybrid versions.  The Honda CR-Z is a sleek car with only two seats and two doors.  The design of the suspension and the body structure has been well planned out.  The present CR-Z is shorter in length by a good one foot.  The height of the car has also been reduced by a few inches and the track has been widened a little bit.  The weight of the CR-Z is a good eighty pounds less than the Insight and is quite light.  We’ll discuss more details in this review of Honda CR-Z Hybrid sports car.

Honda CR-Z – Awesome Specs

The Honda CR-Z is based on the IMA hybrid setup.  The CR-Z now sports an engine that runs on gasoline and is a shade bigger than the engine of Insight.  The engine of the CR-Z consumes 1.5 liters of gasoline that generates a torque of 107 pound per feet and a horsepower of 112.  The strong electric motor of the CR-Z produces another 58 lb per feet and 13hp.  The manual transmission system has also been greatly enhanced.  The fuel efficiency is reasonably good with the car delivering a good 39 mpg on the highways and 35 mpg on the city roads.

The CR-Z 2011 with two comfortable seats is available at three levels: EX, EX accompanied with navigation features and the base model.  The popular base model consists of headlights that turn on automatically, climate control system that is automatic, alloy wheels measuring 16 inches in size, manual transmission, accessories for optimum power, manual seats along with adjustment of height options on the driver’s side, steering wheel that is telescoping and comfortable, great cruise control and a CD audio system with six speakers.

The EX model sports fog lights, xenon headlights, side mirrors that are heated, interior trim that is metallic, steering wheel wrapped in leather, advanced audio system with seven speakers and a Bluetooth.  You can also attach a navigation system.  The dealers on their part provide a satellite radio, quality tires and wheels up to 17 inches in size.  The makers of CR-Z have also taken safety in to account by including head restraints that are active, curtain airbags on the sides, airbags on both the sides of the front seat, traction control and stability along with antilock brakes.

The CR-Z 2011 will be introduced with a comfortable, yet a very small backseat, when it is ready to be sold in the car markets across the world.  The CR-Z cars to be introduced in the American car market will have some modifications in the car interiors.  cargo divider of the CR-Z on the rear side can be easily lowered.  This would help in creating a flat floor for accommodating more loads.

Driving the CR-Z is also a great experience.  It is indeed a small car, but it also makes driving simple as it becomes very easy to negotiate the heavy traffic.  The car is very light and does not occupy much parking space.  This wonderful car is definitely a great introduction on the part of Honda and those who love small cars will definitely enjoy driving CR-Z

Review of Toyota Land Cruiser 1990

The 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser is a  tough, capable workhorse that is made for rough terrain and can easily tow 1.5 tons (3500 pounds) of load.  This SUV rocks the socks off anything out there!  It is truly the Legend of any road.  It may not be the prettiest truck on the road but it definitely has the character.  With decades of off-road experience, this SUV is by far the undisputed leader in its class.  When traveling across country on a minimal budget, it can be your best friend.  There are a lot of people who would willingly pay well over 10,000 dollars for a user Land Cruiser with even 100,000 miles!

Toyota launched the 80 series generation of its 4-wheel-drive Land Cruiser way back in 1981.  By 1990, the Land Cruiser engine was changed to a fuel-injected 4.2 liter inline 6-cylinder engine, making 155 horsepower and driving a 4-speed automatic transmission.  All Land Cruisers had on-demand 4-wheel drive.  Front hubs still had to be locked and unlocked by hand.

In 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser, the old 4.0-litre OHV 3F six-cylinder unit was revised to a 4.2 liter, single overhead camshaft, 24 valve, direct injected turbo-diesel developing 125KW 380 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm.   Fuel consumption varies between 12.2L/100 km around town.  The 145 liter fuel tank gives exceptional range.

Major refinements were made in Toyota Land Cruiser 1990 model – especially in comfort, dynamic abilities,  space and safety.  Corrosion resistant steel was introduced along with long-travel coil spring suspension.  Four-wheel disc brakes and constant 4WD were made available on most variants.

Pro’s and Con’s of Toyota Land Cruiser 1990

Pros

• This vehicle is tough, practical and mechanically reliable
• classic styling, very unique looking and still draws admiring looks from bystanders.
• It has fairly luxurious interior, huge cargo space with plenty of headroom,
• Most vehicles in this class need absolutely NO mechanical repairs even after 100,000 miles!  This car is so strong that it appears that it will run forever.

Cons

• It feels little over-sized on urban streets.
• It gets poor mileage (12 in town and 17 on the road), however its durability creates a better carbon footprint than buying something new.
• It does not have airbags, factory cruise control and anti lock brakes.
• The 155 HP engine is under powered for taking on steep slopes, but the engine is as reliable as new.

Here are the Average Ratings out of 10 from US News Ratings and Reviews

• 8.2         Overall Rating
• 9.0        Quality
• 7.9        Interior
• 7.8        Styling
• 6.3        Performance
• 8.8        Recommendation

We have many happy customers worldwide who have purchased used Land Cruiser SUVs from us.  If you wish to import used Land Cruiser from Japan, please get in touch with us with your requirements and we can find the best vehicle to suit your requirements.

Technorati Tags: SUV, Toyota, Toyota Land Cruiser, used Land Cruiser, Japan

During the Golden Week holidays this month I went to Mumbai, India on a business trip.  It was very hot in India as it was the peak of Indian summer.  However, I am happy that I survived the Indian summer for one week.

During this trip to India, I had a chance to  touch and feel the world’s lowest priced passenger car – The Nano made by Tata Car company of India.   In fact this car was launched just 2 years ago targeting the Indian small car market.  The Nano is a tiny car with the even tinier price-tag.  It retails in India for Rs. 100,000 (US$2,200) and is an economic choice to fit a family of four comfortably.

The Nano was the result of the vision of Mr. Ratan Tata, the Chairman of the Tata Motors.  When Mr.Tata envisioned this eco-friendly, people’s car with a price tag of just around US$2,200, most automakers around the world scoffed at him.  Japanese car makers like  Suzuki who had a big presence in Indian car market mocked at Tata saying that it was impossible to make a reliable car for Rs 100,000.  However, when the Nano was finally launched, car makers in Detroit and Japan took a serious note of it.   Even car makers like Ford admitted that the Nano is a groundbreaking product, and it will cause people to think differently about making small cars.

There are a number of features that make the Nano unique and affordable.  The car is 10 feet long, 5 feet wide – about 8% smaller bumper to bumper, than the Maruti 800 (Indian version of Suzuki Alto),  but nevertheless it has 20 % larger interior space and can sit four people comfortably.  The Nano gets 20 km/ liter in city and 26 km/ liter on highways, making it the most fuel efficient car in India.  It has a four-speed manual gearshift, and 30-liter fuel tank. The car is equipped with air conditioner, but does not have power steering.

Though the Tata Nano has a price tag of just around $2,200, it has a steel frame, sheet metal body and safety glass like most other expensive cars.  It has a rear mounted 624 CC engine and the emissions exceed regulatory requirements.

I was happy to see the cheapest car in the world. I liked the design of the car. For sure, it looks quite Jazzy.  However, I am not sure about the safety of the vehicle.  I felt the steel sheet was little thinner than that of most other small cars.  Before Tata starts exporting Nano to other countries, they would have to meet the European and American safety standards.

International car makers are now getting ready to compete with Tata Nano in the ultra cheap small car market.  Nissan and Renault has teamed up with Indian auto maker Bajaj with a plan to make a  common people’s car that will cost $2500 in India.  Nissan and Bajaj aim to provide a fuel economy of 30 km/liter compared to 23 km/liter provided by Tatas Nano. This would surely create a fierce competition in the small car segment.

Technorati Tags: Japanese car, Indian car market, Tata Nano, cheapest car, Nissan, small car

The Mazda 6 is amongst the top competitors in the run for the most affordable sportiest and sexiest midsize cars.  This conclusion has been drawn based on the test drives, published reviews, and analysis of safety data and reliability of this popular car by US News Rankings.

The Mazda 6 2010 model has been entirely redesigned and revamped last year.  It is definitely considered one of the sexiest and sportiest car available in the mid size sedan segment today.  Although, the same car tends to get expensive when one starts adding options.

Mazda 6 2010 model stand out amongst family sedans owing to  sporty dynamics and sharp styling.  It squeezes great performance from a  basic front wheel driving, 4 or 6 cylinder sedan layout.  No wonder reviewers are comparing the Mazda to mild sports sedans such as the Acura TL

This car is much more spacious then most of its rivals.  Even then its cons include hard cheap feeling plastic pieces for the interior in the lower level trim. With the exception of that; this car is as equipped as any other entry level luxury vehicle at its higher trim levels.

Mazda 6 is mediocre however in fuel economy numbers.  Although the  base price is quite reasonable the option package offers are not.  It is definitely expensive to equip.

But even then with more room and more style, the Mazda 6 seems to be the next big thing n the city.  The car has a solid driveline, spacious interiors, good handling and an amazing contemporary new exterior.  It has three trim levels. It manages to  put up a great show against current champions in the midsize car segment.

Mazda 6 2010 version is hats off in performance and offers it self as the most affordable sporty car.  It has brisk acceleration and truly sharp, above average handling even though it is a family car.  It has brilliant steering & chassis feedback.  The aggressive curves of its exterior are classy and rarely found in a car that can seat five comfortably.

The Mazda6 earns its  highest score in safety.  It has earned five stars in all government safety tests.  It has scored a “Good” on both side and frontal impact safety tests.

Mazda protects the buyers of the 2010 Mazda 6 with a 3 year 36 thousand mile limited warranty.  It also includes road side assistance during the warranty period unlike many of its competitors.

Fresh styling introduced by Mazda in Mazda 6, since 2009, has improved the Mazda6 car’s sporty nature, inside and out.

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