Honda Malaysia recently hosted an adrenaline pumping test drive aptly themed Driving the Honda’s DNA in Sepang International Circuit. Conducted in four separate stages, the specially designed stages around the track were aimed at testing the maximum potential of Honda’s renowned i-VTEC engine, along with its advanced safety technology.
The unique test drive event was made up of two main categories: On Track and Advanced Driving.
On track, four models were put to test. Besides the much loved Civic Type R, a model that is literally born on track, the Accord, Civic and City were also prepared to prove their worth. The renowned race track became the testing ground for all four models’ acceleration, response to throttle, cornering ability, braking system as well as overall stability. The key impression in this track was high speed performance, so I took the Type R out first.
The FD2R Civic Type R really needs no introduction, it’s too stiff for everyday use, it’s incredibly quick in corners, and the experience of driving one will never be forgotten. It is in fact a car that you crave to drive ever so often. So out on track, the Type R is in its natural habitat – the close ratio gearbox makes shifting quick and the 220hp K20A powerplant helps in the acceleration department, when combined this helps make for an exciting dash from pit exit to first corner.
So first corner, second gear, mild throttle, feel the Bridgestone Potenza RE070 grip, clip the apex, position yourself and accelerate out to the second corner. No drama. The second corner is a slight downhill slope, and thanks to the stiffened set up, if taken too tightly while accelerating you will understeer at the exit, ruining your line for the third corner which can really be taken flat out in the Type R. Such is the stability of the car.
Heading fast towards Turn 4, you will probably be doing around 150-170km/h here, and this is where the “big-balls” syndrome comes into play because what you do here will basically decide your fate in Turn 5. Even at about 80 meters from the corner, the 4-pot Brembo brakes help kill speed in no time and the pedal positioning helps ensure that maximum pressure can be maintained on the brakes while you heel-and-toe into 3rd gear. This and the next corner is where you rely on the torque-sensitive helical LSD to get you out of corners safely. The system limits wheel spin in hard corners and distributes power evenly to the two front wheels while accelerating out of a corner.
So get out of Turn 4 perfectly carrying a lot of speed and neutralise the balance of the car, then aim for that vanishing point and chase it at full throttle. But the problem here is that Turn 5 is a hard, fast, sweeping, left-hander that gets tighter as you commit to it, totally testing the balance of the car and the sensitivity of the throttle.
Cars that are not well balanced will most likely spin out here if not in familiar hands. In the Type R, you downshift to 4th, gun it into the entry of the corner then lift off a little, letting the momentum of the car and the downhill slope carry the speed. This is were the Type R’s LSD system channels power to wheels that need it and the chassis design minimises body roll, giving the driver confidence in holding his line. The tyres do an excellent job at maintaining grip here as well. Get out of Turn 5 and brake a little for Turn 6 and because we were only driving on the 2.75km north track, this is basically the last corner of the track before heading out onto the pit straight and Turn 1 again. If you got all the sequence of corners correctly, you can easily be riding on the 180km/h speed limiter on the straight, which is super annoying but incredibly intoxicating in the Type R.
So that’s that with the Type R, I also managed to go out on track in the City, Civic 2.0 and the Accord 2.0. All these cars were not designed for the track but I still pushed hard to see what would happen, and to my surprise, all held up really well especially the City and Civic 2.0 in the braking and handling department. But because of their softer suspension set up, understeer in all cars is inevitable unless you’re willing to take it slow.
In Advanced Driving, three stages namely Slalom, Wet Track and Skid Control had been designed specifically to highlight Honda’s best-in-class safety features, agility, maneuverability and overall handling of Accord, CR-V, Jazz and the new Stream RSZ.
The U-shaped Slalom was a zig-zagged track that simulated a tight and narrow driving condition. CR-V, a SUV that is bigger and taller than normal sedans took centre stage in this section. The key objective of the track was to assess the unbeatable advantages of the CR-V in handling sharp turnings, narrow lanes and tight cornering, despite the size. Simply put, CR-V was there to prove that its drive, maneuverability and handling are like that of a sedan, only bigger but yet it performed really well. Sudden lane changing is no problem, hard braking no sweat, sudden turns at speed, it will naturally understeer but everything stays manageable.
Covered with plastic sheets sprinkled with water, the Wet Track, as its name suggests, simulated a wet and slippery track. The track aimed to test the safety technology offered by Honda: the vehicle stability assist (VSA) and antilock braking system (ABS) through two models including Accord 2.4 and the new Stream RSZ. Without these two crucial safety features, a driver is most likely to lose control over the vehicle in such unpredictable driving condition. Here, you accelerate towards the wet track, get two tyres on the road and the other two on the plastic sheet, slam on the brakes and shift lanes suddenly. Key point here is to remember to turn back towards where you want to head and if done correctly, both cars change directions with no fuss.
Skid Control was the final section within the Advanced Driving category that featured an internationally known ‘Half Circle’ test. Accord and Jazz were the demo vehicles used to demonstrate Honda’s technology in countering such emergency situation. A combination of oil, soap and other gooey stuff was splattered across the entry of the half circle so the point here is to accelerate towards the half circle, lift off, pull the handbrake at the corner and try to minimise the spin. Depending on your speed, the spin can be corrected in just one turn of opposite lock and because you want to come to a standstill in such an emergency, the throttle should be left alone.
At the end of the day, one message was clear – although each and every model was made to fulfill different target markets’ needs and demands, Honda has successfully embedded its singular powerful DNA in its products that spells best-in-class performance, practicality and style.
