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Honda renders three-row MPV for Jakarta reveal

In preparation for the Indonesia International Motor Show coming up in September, Honda has released a teaser sketch (click to enlarge) of a new three-row MPV - specifically designed for this region - set to debut at the show. Honda says this yet-to-be-named people mover will be positioned in the entry-level MPV segment, which it says is a crucial part of the Indonesian auto market.
While there is no way to tell the size of the vehicle based off this rendering, it does appear to be far more stylish than the Honda CR-V, although the stepped-down beltline and the pinched shape of the rear quarter window have us thinking that Honda designers have been staring at the BMW i3 a little bit too much. The New Honda MPV will be powered by a 1.5-liter gas engine, and it goes on sale (and production) in Indonesia early next year. Honda has released a short press release for the new model, which is posted below.

Japanese automakers welcome North American trade deal, fear what's next

TOKYO — Toyota, Nissan and Mazda welcomed on Tuesday the revised North America trade deal that left Japanese automakers unscathed, but they may face a bumpy ride when Washington and Tokyo hold new talks on over $40 billion of annual U.S. auto imports from Japan. The United States and Canada reached an agreement on Sunday to update the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement after Washington had forged a separate trade deal with Mexico in August. The updated deal effectively maintains the auto industry's current footprint in North America, and spares Canada and Mexico from the prospect of U.S. national security tariffs on their vehicles. Mazda, which ships cars to the United States from Mexico and Japan, called the deal a "big step forward". Nissan, which makes the cars it sells in the United States locally as well as in Mexico, Japan and other countries, said it was "encouraged" by the agreement. Toyota, Japan's biggest automaker, said it was "pleased" that a basic deal was reached. Other automakers were not immediately available for comment. While the deal has removed the risk that the disintegration of the pact would have posed to automakers, bigger risks loom large for Japanese firms as a chunk of the roughly 7 million cars they sold in the U.S. last year were shipped from Japan, and a trade deal between Washington and Tokyo has yet to be agreed. The United States and Japan last week agreed to begin fresh trade talks, with U.S. President Donald Trump seeking to address Japan's $69 billion trade surplus, of which nearly two-thirds comes from auto exports. Washington is also investigating the possibility of slapping 25 percent tariffs on auto imports on national security grounds, although it has agreed with Japan to put any new tariffs on hold during the talks. Analysts say the United States may take a tougher stance on auto imports from Japan than from its neighbors. "If Japan requests an exemption from the 25 percent tariffs under consideration, Washington could propose a more strict cap on imports than it agreed to with Mexico and Canada," said Koji Endo, senior analyst at SBI Securities. "That would be a risk." This could be a big blow to Japan, as the United States is a key source of revenue for Japanese automakers including Toyota, Nissan and Honda. The U.S. market accounts for a quarter or more of their annual global vehicle sales, and of their total U.S.

Honda reveals Mobilio MPV, Brio Satya hatchback for Asian markets

Sometimes, vehicles developed for mainstream markets don't work as well in emerging markets due to a lack of infrastructure for which they were originally designed. Indonesia is one of those environs where vehicles that are low, long and wide struggle cover the country's often rough terrain, let alone fit into the nation's compact parking spaces. Taking this into account, Honda has been developing the Mobilio multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which it teased in July, based on research conducted on the country's roads and weather conditions. Today the Japanese automaker unveiled a prototype of the MPV at the Indonesia International Motor Show.
The Mobilio has three rows of seating for seven occupants, is compact enough to fit into the country's parking spaces, which are often less than 14.4 feet in length, and has a sports utility vehicle-like ground clearance of 7.3 inches to handle most road conditions. It's equipped with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine, which should give the MPV good fuel economy.
On September 11, Honda also introduced the Brio Satya five-door hatchback (shown at right) for the Indonesian market, which features an i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that Honda says will help the car net a fuel economy rating of 20 kilometers per liter of gasoline (equivalent to 47 miles per gallon). The model is closely related to the Brio budget hatchback, which was first revealed back in 2011.