Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the launch of its redesigned Mazda AZ-Wagon i, a special needs vehicle equipped with a sloping access ramp for wheelchairs. The new model is based on the fully redesigned AZ-Wagon micro-mini that was launched in Japan in September 2008. Sales commence today at all Mazda, Mazda Anfini, and Mazda Autozam dealerships throughout Japan.

The new AZ-Wagon i has a wide opening at the rear and a spacious cabin with a high roof. Other enhancements designed for wheelchair users include a new three-point seatbelt and a handrail on both sides of the rear cabin, as standard equipment. Additionally, user-friendliness is also improved for caregivers by a sloping entry/exit ramp that is gentler than the previous model.

Source: http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2009/200903/090312a.html

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Wagon Dealers, Japanese Vehicles

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on-sale March 24 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price1 (MSRP) of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon2. The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

“The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers.”

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight’s highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2009/4090310Honda-Insight/

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Honda Cars

Suzuki Motor Corporation is exhibiting a brand new A-segment car named the Alto at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show, which is taking place from 3 to 15 March.

Source: http://www.globalsuzuki.com/globalnews/2009/0304.html

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Japanese Cars

ASIMO, Honda’s advanced humanoid robot, will help launch the all new Insight Hybrid at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

The new Insight, which will makes its European debut at the Show, has been designed to offer a practical five-seat family car at an affordable price with excellent fuel economy and low CO2 and other emissions.

Honda’s latest hybrid vehicle revives the Insight nameplate which was first used in 1999. It also marks a return for Honda to producing hybrids in a dedicated aerodynamic body, designed to optimize the performance of the efficient petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain.

The Insight combines an optimized 1.3 liter i-VTEC engine with a compact thin electric motor. The electric motor acts as a generator during deceleration, recovering energy that is otherwise lost as heat from the brakes. This energy is stored in the batteries and then used to support the combustion engine during acceleration to save fuel and increase efficiency.

The Insight has been designed to give good real world emission and fuel economy figures. Its key element is the Eco Assist system that is fitted as standard. The upper instrument cluster where the speedometer is sited, features a color changing ambient light that illuminates green when driving ecologically, blue/green when the car is being driven acceptably and blue when driving with less regard for economy.

The ambient lighting of the speedometer combines with a bar diagram which is more than a simple instantaneous economy meter. The display in the center of the rev counter shows how aggressively the driver is accelerating or braking and encourages the driver to stay towards the middle with lighter more progressive use of the brake and accelerator pedals.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2009/c090303Geneva-Motor-Show/

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Japanese Cars

Nissan refers to its new GT-R as the super car for “anyone, anywhere, at anytime” and on March 2 that place was the famous Jebel Hafeet mountain road and the driver was Middle East rally driving legend Mohamed Ben Sulayem.

At 10:30 a.m. United Arab Emirates time (GMT+4), expert driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem who is FIA Vice President and President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE pointed the aggressive nose of the Nissan GT-R at the mountain, set the car’s electronics to full launch mode and dropped the twin clutches to unleash 485PS (357kW) through the car’s permanent all-wheel drive system. Just a few minutes later having negotiated the mountain’s 22 corners and 7kms, Ben Sulayem crossed the line to set a first ever official time for ascending the mountain of 3 minutes and 39.008 seconds.

“That was fun!” exclaimed Sulayem at the conclusion of the run. “I have been familiar with the development of the GT-R for sometime now and to achieve this first ever officially recorded time on the Jebel Hafeet mountain road is a fitting event to mark the regional launch of what I believe is one of the most capable performance cars ever developed. This car is true to its design philosophy of being a super car for anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Timed “hill climb” events like these have been popular - especially in Europe - since the very early days of the motor car and when Nissan set a new record time around the Nordschliefe at the Nürburgring we immediately thought a similar feat in our region would be appropriate…and so it has proved,” he concluded.

The Jebel Hafeet mountain road on the outskirts of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi rises approximately 4,000 ft (1,219 m) with 22 corners and three lanes (two climbing and one descending). The road scales the mountain and ends at a scenic parking lot and passes a hotel and a palace on the way. A seven-km stretch of the mountain road was used for the GT-R Jebel Hafeet Challenge.

For this very special event, Nissan received the permission of the Abu Dhabi authorities to temporarily close the road, while under the auspices of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) the closed road was monitored by marshals to Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) safety standards. Official timing of the run was also conducted to regional FIA standards.

The Nissan GT-R received the “Most Advanced Technology Award (Car of the Year Japan 2008-2009)” and was named the “2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year™ (USA),” among a number of other prestigious accolades.

The GT-R is on sale through a limited number of Nissan High Performance Centers in selected locations throughout the Middle East now.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2009/_STORY/090303-01-e.html

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DAIHATSU MOTOR CO., LTD. (Daihatsu) yesterday announced the launch of a new compact multi-purpose vehicle, the Luxio, in Indonesia. An event to mark the launch of the new vehicle was held in Jakarta on the evening of February 26.

The new Luxio is designed to attract consumers who value spaciousness and prestige, and are looking to move to more advanced vehicles. Daihatsu aims to expand the market by responding to the increasing demand in Indonesia for multi-purpose vehicles and meeting various customer needs.

The Luxio will be produced at Daihatsu’s Indonesian manufacturing base, Astra Daihatsu Motor, and will be sold by Astra International.

The monthly sales target is 1,000 units and the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices range between 136 million and 165 million rupiah (approximately 1.10 to 1.34 million yen).

Source: http://www.daihatsu.com/news/n2009/09022701/index.html

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Multipurpose Vehicles