Honda preocupación por derechos humanos
By EFE
MADRID
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Honda Freed “premium compact MPV” launched: RM112,980
http://paultan.org/2010/04/22/honda-...ched-rm112980/
Honda Malaysia has launched the Freed, which the company describes as a “premium compact MPV” in a new market segment. The “premium” slant is meant to distance this seven-seater from rivals’ compact MPVs, and the Freed’s price of RM112,980 (OTR with insurance) backs up the positioning – it’s costlier than the Nissan Grand Livina 1.8 and the much larger Toyota Innova, for instance.
The Freed has a unique trump card however – automatic sliding doors that can be operated from the key fob (and from within the car, of course). These doors come with anti-pinch sensors and open to a gap of 600 mm. Honda also points out the low 410 mm height from the ground to the Freed’s floor; this plus grip handles enable easy access for children and the elderly, it says.
The doors open to a “walkthrough cabin” that has four “captain chairs” for the first two rows and third row seats that fold up sideways, like in old scool 4X4s. Up front is a dual layer dashboard with the instrument binnacle situated ahead of the driver. Everything else is in the middle – an aftermarket 2-DIN Alpine stereo with USB port, a chunky gearknob and the air-con controls. The parking brake is a foot brake. Safety kit wise, the Freed comes with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist and “neck-shock mitigation seat” – the latter basically reduces whiplash injury in an accident, although Honda’s term for it sounds very bombastic.
The Freed sits on the Jazz/City platform, although its 2,740 mm wheelbase is quite a bit longer than the City’s 2,550 mm. The wheelbase is actually 140 mm longer than the Grand Livina’s although the Nissan is longer overall. The drivetrain is similar to the what we’re familiar with in the City – a 1.5-litre single-cam i-VTEC paired to five-speed automatic. For this application, the gear ratios are shorter and the 116 bhp/146 Nm engine makes 2 bhp less and 1 Nm more than the City. The steering is EPS, suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front and torsion beam at the rear, while the brakes are front discs and rear drums.
We’ve already driven the Freed and visited the Indonesian plant where it rolls out from, and our impressions and verdict will be coming your way soon. For the meantime, check out the live images from this morning’s launch.
By EFE
MADRID
El subsecretario de Estado para el Hemisferio Occidental, Arturo Valenzuela, manifestó el miércoles su ``honda preocupación'' por la situación de los derechos humanos en Cuba, acentuada tras la muerte en huelga de hambre del disidente Orlando Zapato Tamayo.
El responsable de la diplomacia estadounidense para Latinoamérica habló sobre Cuba por videoconferencia ante el Foro Europa-América Latina-EEUU, celebrado en Madrid y organizado por la Secretaria General Iberoamericana (SEGIB), el Real Instituto Elcano y el centro de estudios Inter-American Dialogue de Washington.
La inquietud de Valenzuela se ha acentuado ``particularmente tras la muerte de Tamayo'', fallecido el pasado febrero, tras mantener una huelga de hambre en prisión durante 85 días.
Pese a todo, puntualizó, ``hemos empezado un proceso de contactos con el Gobierno cubano sobre asuntos de interés común. Hemos hablado de migración, de servicios postales y, más recientemente, sobre cómo coordinar mejor nuestros sistemas'' ante tragedias como el terremoto que asoló Haití el pasado enero.
Al mismo tiempo, explicó, el gobierno del presidente Barack Obama ``ha revertido algunas de las medidas tomadas por la anterior administración (la de George W. Bush), en lo que respecta al levantamiento de algunas restricciones comerciales''.
``Pero debo decir que en este punto particular, estamos avanzando de forma cauta. Todavía estamos preocupados por la situación de los derechos humanos en Cuba'', dijo Valenzuela.
El responsable de la diplomacia estadounidense para Latinoamérica habló sobre Cuba por videoconferencia ante el Foro Europa-América Latina-EEUU, celebrado en Madrid y organizado por la Secretaria General Iberoamericana (SEGIB), el Real Instituto Elcano y el centro de estudios Inter-American Dialogue de Washington.
La inquietud de Valenzuela se ha acentuado ``particularmente tras la muerte de Tamayo'', fallecido el pasado febrero, tras mantener una huelga de hambre en prisión durante 85 días.
Pese a todo, puntualizó, ``hemos empezado un proceso de contactos con el Gobierno cubano sobre asuntos de interés común. Hemos hablado de migración, de servicios postales y, más recientemente, sobre cómo coordinar mejor nuestros sistemas'' ante tragedias como el terremoto que asoló Haití el pasado enero.
Al mismo tiempo, explicó, el gobierno del presidente Barack Obama ``ha revertido algunas de las medidas tomadas por la anterior administración (la de George W. Bush), en lo que respecta al levantamiento de algunas restricciones comerciales''.
``Pero debo decir que en este punto particular, estamos avanzando de forma cauta. Todavía estamos preocupados por la situación de los derechos humanos en Cuba'', dijo Valenzuela.
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REVIEWS: 2009 Honda Fit Sport - Four Seasons Wrap-Up
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews..._up/index.html - articol pe 4 pagini
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Honda Freed “premium compact MPV” launched: RM112,980
http://paultan.org/2010/04/22/honda-...ched-rm112980/
Honda Malaysia has launched the Freed, which the company describes as a “premium compact MPV” in a new market segment. The “premium” slant is meant to distance this seven-seater from rivals’ compact MPVs, and the Freed’s price of RM112,980 (OTR with insurance) backs up the positioning – it’s costlier than the Nissan Grand Livina 1.8 and the much larger Toyota Innova, for instance.
The Freed has a unique trump card however – automatic sliding doors that can be operated from the key fob (and from within the car, of course). These doors come with anti-pinch sensors and open to a gap of 600 mm. Honda also points out the low 410 mm height from the ground to the Freed’s floor; this plus grip handles enable easy access for children and the elderly, it says.
The doors open to a “walkthrough cabin” that has four “captain chairs” for the first two rows and third row seats that fold up sideways, like in old scool 4X4s. Up front is a dual layer dashboard with the instrument binnacle situated ahead of the driver. Everything else is in the middle – an aftermarket 2-DIN Alpine stereo with USB port, a chunky gearknob and the air-con controls. The parking brake is a foot brake. Safety kit wise, the Freed comes with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist and “neck-shock mitigation seat” – the latter basically reduces whiplash injury in an accident, although Honda’s term for it sounds very bombastic.
The Freed sits on the Jazz/City platform, although its 2,740 mm wheelbase is quite a bit longer than the City’s 2,550 mm. The wheelbase is actually 140 mm longer than the Grand Livina’s although the Nissan is longer overall. The drivetrain is similar to the what we’re familiar with in the City – a 1.5-litre single-cam i-VTEC paired to five-speed automatic. For this application, the gear ratios are shorter and the 116 bhp/146 Nm engine makes 2 bhp less and 1 Nm more than the City. The steering is EPS, suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front and torsion beam at the rear, while the brakes are front discs and rear drums.
We’ve already driven the Freed and visited the Indonesian plant where it rolls out from, and our impressions and verdict will be coming your way soon. For the meantime, check out the live images from this morning’s launch.
Honda CR-Z
Motor Co. said Wednesday both its group net and operating profit in fiscal 2009 soared more than 90 percent on the back of strong sales in Asia and its cost-cutting efforts.
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