Honda: NZ nabs CR-V first

Honda CR-V. Photo / Supplied

While Honda New Zealand is set to launch the fourth-generation CR-V soon, its Australian counterpart faces serious shortages and buyers won't get the popular compact SUV until the end of the year.

Honda Australia sources the CR-V from Thailand, where the main plant is still recovering from flood damage and won't be operational until April, and will be without run-out stocks of the current model until the all-new version comes on stream from the refurbished factory.

But Honda NZ has been largely unaffected by the flood as Japan supplies it with CR-Vs, says its head of marketing, Graeme Meyer.

"We have sold out of CR-V at the moment and are taking orders for the new model ... the arrival date isn't far off," he said.

"Due to the Japan earthquake, and component supply from Thailand ... its introduction was delayed slightly, but we're not as affected as Australia."

However, Honda Australia has managed to switch sourcing of its best-selling Jazz hatchback to Japan - now selling as the Jazz Vibe special edition - and is getting set to follow suit with the Civic sedan when the new generation arrives next month, says GoAuto. The production switch of both cars was arranged in just three months.

Ultimately, Civic sedan production will revert to Thailand, along with production of the Jazz and Accord.

Honda Australia will also resume importing the current-model Accord from the Thai plant once it becomes available, ahead of the roll-out of the American-designed model in 2013.

Meanwhile, Honda Japan is preparing to wheel out a super-efficient and powerful new 1.6-litre diesel engine under its Earth Dreams banner at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Destined for the new Civic, due in Europe later this year, the engine is one of nine new Earth Dreams engines - in both diesel and petrol forms - that the company says will make it number one in fuel economy within three years.

Honda promises less than 100g/km CO2 emissions from the new diesel, which is also good for 88kW of power and 300Nm of torque - superior to the 82kW and 270Nm of the similar-sized diesel of the Mini Cooper D, which achieves 99g/km CO2 emissions.

Honda Motor Europe says it will show a cutaway version of the latest turbo diesel, which it claims will be the lightest in its genre, delivering a "class-leading balance of fuel economy and performance".