Honda’s new mini-vehicles to feature idling stop mechanism

Honda Motor Co. said that its new wagon-type mini-vehicle scheduled for release in December will include an idling stop mechanism. The idling stop system improves fuel economy by stopping the engine when the car begins to slow down to a crawl. Although the mechanism has already been added by several Japanese carmakers, Honda is now embracing idling-stop because it wants to use fuel efficiency as a means to get a bigger share of the mini-vehicle market. Honda said that its new mini vehicle will have a best-in-class fuel economy of 26 km per liter. Over the next year, the company plans to release three new mini-vehicles, and its five-year goal is to double its mini-vehicle sales to 300,000 units per year. (September 26, 2011)