39th Tokyo Motor Show (Highlights and Sidelights Part 1)

It was the usual show of force for the Japanese automobile manufacturers — after all they were on native soil. But the 39th staging of the Tokyo Motor Show, which had its doors swung wide open exclusively for the international media Wednesday and Thursday last week, may have further confirmed the ever growing worldwide acceptance of motor vehicles from the "Land of the Rising Sun", what with the presidents of the US majors making a no-show.

World industry figures are showing a continuing slump in sales of the US majors and the current rising crude oil prices in the world are making matters worse for them. The Japanese manufacturers’ efforts of long ago of developing hybrid-cars are finally paying off as sales of Toyota and Honda of these fuel-efficient vehicles are accelerating especially in the North American market — undoubtedly the world’s largest market for automobiles.

It is the belief of world industry observers that the US automobile majors’ financial woes can be traced to their inability to have made structural changes in the last three decades despite the huge differences in the business landscape, foremost of which is the presence of keener competition with 600 models being sold currently in the US alone compared to only about 30 models 3 decades ago. This scenario has definitely decreased the share of both GM and Ford. But then, their structures remained the same causing the costs of operations to rise and the profits shrinking.

Hopes for a reversal are pinned on both of the US majors coming up with immediate worldwide best sellers to slowdown the rising sales of Japanese automobiles with the Korean makes also starting to make some little headway.

Figures for this year’s event have not come out, considering that it’s still going on but I have to concede that it’s very possible that there were more of the international media that came judging alone by the fact that the ball pens and pads that were being given out free ran out early this year — on the first hour of the opening. Or were there more Pinoy motoring journalists who came this year?

I was part of the Philippine media contingent invited by HCPI, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. to witness this year’s automotive industry milestone at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, which is now about a little over an hour’s ride from Tokyo on a fine free-flowing traffic day. Our group was composed of our very own motoring editor here at The Philippine STAR, Dong Magsajo, Auto Review’s producer/host, Ron delos Reyes, Manila Times motoring editor, Vernon Sarne — all SPMJ members, and there was also Auto Extreme’s producer/host, Ardie Lopez, Bulletin’s Aris Ilagan, Business World’s Arnold Belleza, Inquirer’s Andre Palma, Top Gear’s Pia Boren and free lance motoring journalist Ira Panganiban.

HCPI made more than sure that everything turns out all fine in this 6-day trip by having the "learning fast" Sheryll delos Santos and my "inaanak to be", the very efficient "mother hen" for local or international trips, Tin Tin Reyes making all the arrangements and making sure they were at clockwork precision. And to be doubly sure, Honda Cars Philippines aside from having its deputy head for marketing Arnel Doria in present, it had no less than its president, the very friendly and "hands on" top executive, Mr. Takashi Sekigichi with all the motoring journalists in almost every step of the way — unprecedented.

Spotlight on the all-new Honda Civic

One of the highlights of our Honda-hosted Japan trip is our introduction to the new Honda Civic that shall be launched in several countries, including the Philippines, in the coming months. This is the 8th generation Civic, which shall be produced in more countries than its predecessor. Currently, the Civic — Honda’s flagship model — is being produced in 11 countries around the world including Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippines and Japan in Asia. By the end of 2006 local production would have started in China, India and Vietnam with Taiwan following suit.

The technical presentation of the all-new Civic was made by no less than its Chief Project Leader, Shinichi Takahashi. His credentials included being engaged in the body design work of the 1st Generation City, body design Project Leader for the 2nd Generation City and 4th Generation Accord, asst. Large Project Leader for the 5th and 6th Generation Accord as well as Large Project Leader for the 7th Generation Civic Ferio and the Civic Hybrid. Together with the Civic’s test drive, we had both at the Honda R&D Tochigi, where some of the world’s most advanced automobile technology is being developed and tested (we had to deposit all our video and still cameras prior to entry for security reasons).

As presented by Mr. Takahashi, its major designer the all-new Civic’s new exterior design can be best described as having a "one-motion profile" with a sporty "mono-form" having flowing upper body lines and dynamic, solid lower body.

The interior design concept consists of a human-oriented functional layout that has a driver-oriented configuration and spacious visual feel with greatly improved visibility.

The all-new Civic will have a 1.8 liter i-VTEC, 4-valve SOHC engine with a maximum power of 103 kW (140PS) and maximum torque of 174 Nm (17.7 kg-m) with a fuel performance at cruising speed of a 1.5 engine but with the full power of a 1.8 engine.

Driving comfort comes from front suspension with high-caster/high-trail McPherson Strut and rear suspension with trailing Arm Double Wishbone.

There must be a hundred-and-one more details of new technology in the all-new Honda Civic and you’ll just have to wait for its launch in the Philippines to fully know and get a first-hand feel of this new winner from Honda. No wonder the full, ever-confident smile of Arnel-san all through out the presentation.

The Philippine media contingent, together with other media groups from the region was welcomed to the R&D facility by Mr. Satoshi Toshida, senior managing director and Chief Operating Officer, Asia-Oceania Region of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Part of his welcome address declared, "…while you will be test driving a Japan spec Civic today, when it is released in each of your markets over the coming months, specifications will vary according to our R&D team’s on-the-ground customer research."

This actually made me a little curious considering that its top competitor and the biggest auto manufacturer in Japan and now second in the world, has an entirely deferent approach in its worldwide marketing and manufacturing strategy. Toyota espouses the common platform and common model program while Honda varies its model specs depending on local market or regional market preferences.

But this was confirmed when the Pinoys were given a very rare exclusive interview right at the test track with Honda Motor Co.’s current president, Mr. Takeo Fukui, to the envy I guess of the other motoring journalists from the region who were also present but were not part of it (weather-weather lang yan). I have had the chance to interview Mr.Fukui in my past sorties with Honda and the last time was in Sepang, Malaysia when I was there for the Formula One GP and he was still the head of Honda’s R&D then, where he acknowledged to have recognized me as a regular (a regular nagging journalist with a lot of questions probably), so I felt quite comfortable with him, aside from his warm personality, of course.

When the interview finally went into the topic of Honda not having a similar approach with its competitor in its global manufacturing and marketing efforts, the Honda president, through his interpreter said that they are more into designing common equipment to produce several models rather than producing similar models for various markets. The question was just simply but effectively answered that I would rather just let it stop there and let it stay there and just think "to each his own".

Now, to me the highlight of the interview as when I asked him why Honda decided to just do it on its own in Formula 1 without its partner, BAR and what Formula 1 Team is Honda going to supply engines to, aside from its own, in the 2006 World Series.

As though at a "snap of a finger", or at the mere mention of Formula 1, the president of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. dropped protocol and forgot all about his very efficient interpreter an started speaking in very straight English. He explained to us that the philosophy of Honda in motor sports, which is "to try to keep on winning" does not change, even now that it’s going to run the team by itself and would be willing to sell the BAR shares to anyone rich enough to afford them. He kindly deferred making known what team Honda would also supply engines to next year.

And at that point, those who were running the schedules had to respectfully remind their president several times about the time — and that was several times, after all we were already talking about Formula 1 and he was already in his element. The explanation to all these was that he was once the top honcho of Honda Racing and the gentleman, I was told, used to race motorcycles.

We’ll have more from this year’s Tokyo Motor Show in our succeeding columns. Watch for them.

Happy Motoring!!!

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