Honda Hybrid Family Road Trip: 3 days 2 nights with Honda Civic Hybrid

#1 Let's Discover Honda Hybrid

Hello! I'm with a Crystal Black Pearl Honda Civic Hybrid, the latest addition of the Honda Family. It has 3 Hybrid siblings: Jazz, Insight, and CR-Z. For upcoming weeks, the team from Honda Hybrid Family Road Trip 2013 will be travelling around Malaysia, and I'm here to join them at the first stop- Malacca, the heritage town!

#2 My First Time Driving a Hybrid Car

One of the most exciting news is, Honda Malaysia is having a special promotion now- You can have an exclusive opportunity to test drive a Honda Hybrid for 3 days 2 nights. Yes, I'm not kidding you! You can drive wherever you wish for 3 days and enjoy a short getaway with Honda Hybrid. 

#3 I'm proud to own a Hybrid for 3 days, and drive it from KL to Malacca! 

I am currently driving a small local car. So, in terms of size, performance and comfort, a Honda Hybrid is totally a 360-degree change for me, and the experience is awesome! Let me share with you my 3 days experience with Civic Hybrid...

The Honda Hybrid Family Road Trip 2013 @ Dataran Pahlawan, Melaka

#4 Map of 'Hybridville' where the discovery of Honda Hybrid begins...

As soon as I stepped into the town of Malacca, I visited the roadshow at Dataran Pahlawan, where there were lots of activities lining up during the weekend: Car exhibition, test drive session, games, eco green bazaar and performances from local artists.

#5 Honda's Green Auto Technology Milestone

At the exhibition hall, I learned that Honda's eco-friendly automobile technology began as early as 1970. Till 2013, it introduces a whole new Hybrid family- Jazz, Civic, CR-Z and Insight- the widest range of Hybrid cars in Malaysia, with the longest battery warranty period in Malaysia. 

What is HYBRID?

#6 How Honda Hybrid System Works

A Honda Hybrid means a car that is powered by an engine and assisted by an electric motor, so that you can save petrol whenever you travel in a car. I've put it in a simple way about how the system works:

1. Start the engine: The electric motor supports the engine to give a more powerful acceleration.
2. Low speed driving: The car uses the electric motor power alone. No petrol is needed!
3. High speed driving: The electric motor stops and switches to engine for a fuel efficient driving.
4. Braking: Time for the electric motor to recharge the battery. 

#7 Tandem Bicycle, the Power of Two

Like how two persons on a Tandem Bicycle have to work together to generate power and speed, the Honda's i-VTEC engine is assisted by an Intelligent Motor Assist (IMA) to generate powerful acceleration and impressive performance! 

#8 As much as I enjoy cycling because it's eco-friendly, now I can drive greener too!

#9 Hop on, and give it a try!

#10 Honda Hybrid Exhibition 

#11 Honda Hybrid Quiz: Win Honda Merchandise!

#12 Honda Hybrid: Jazz, CR-Z, Insight and Civic

Since Honda Hybrid's electric motor recharges automatically whenever you press on the brake pedal, you may wonder how long is the shelf life. Well, another great news is, it's given 8-years warranty, making Honda the one and only company that offers the longest warranty term in Malaysia. 

#13 Eco Green Market Bazaar

The Honda Hybrid roadshow was not just about cars, cars and cars. We then went for a stroll along the green spacious Dataran Pahlawan which was filled with various eco vendor booths, mainly selling handmade and recyclable items to promote the idea of going green.

#14 Honda Genuine Accessories

I know that Honda Hybrid is priced slightly higher than the normal variants, but how about its spare parts and maintenance? Rest assured, I was told that the maintenance doesn't vary much with the ordinary engine vehicle, because the maintenance procedure and time taken are the same as the conventional cars. 

#15 Let's Pick a Car and Go for Test Driving!

During the roadshow, you can pick Jazz Hybrid, CR-Z, Insight, or Civic Hybrid for a test drive around 10-15 minutes each. Just complete the journey and you'll get a piece of Honda T-shirt for free!

#16 Performance Time: Kopi 林国伟

The 2-day Honda roadshow was definitely a fun event 

with the presence of Lim, Awi Rafael, Premo Supremo, Waris and Soo Wincci. 

#17 ...not forgetting HotFM and oneFM to give away attractive prizes! 

P/S: I was holding a Honda mug in the picture.

Let's Explore Malacca with Honda Civic Hybrid

#18 Let Intuition Lead Your Conscience

To be frank, this is my first experience driving a Honda car. First time driving a Hybrid car. First attempt driving to Malacca. At first, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle this car since I was not used to it. But now, I'm glad that driving a Hybrid is easier than usual! Plus, it gives more fun and saves the environment.

#19 Spacious, Comfortable and Youthful Travelling Companion

I believe a good car is a great travelling companion, and Honda Civic Hybrid serves well especially for long hours drive. The interior of the car is ultra spacious, where I can turn the plush leather seats into my sleeping sofa or even sleep in the boot without any disturbance lol.

#20 Interior of Honda Civic Hybrid

Look, there is an aircond-like 'window' at the side of the rear seats. It is the Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) airflow vent that keeps the electric motor battery cool and lengthens its battery life.

Heritage Visit with Honda Civic Hybrid

#21 Stadhuys (Dutch Square)

Since we were already in Malacca, why not explore the historical town with Honda Hybrid? Passing by lots of heritage landmarks around the town, I realized they are preserved over a hundred years long! How to continue preserving the beauty of historical city? That's the reason why Honda Hybrid comes in-- Save Fuel, Less Pollution, Greener Environment. 

#22 ECO Assist System

As long as I make my fuel efficiency top priority with the ECON Mode button, the car is able to maximise the full potential of Honda's Hybrid Technology. Every moment I hit the brake, the engine will automatically turn off and the electrical motor take over the job. 

#23 Let's drive greener, in style!

#24 Melaka River

My journey to experience the beauty of nature around Malacca was made more enjoyable because of the Hybrid! Even at the most bumpy and winding road there, the advanced MacPherson suspension system offers stability and riding comfort to me. Sharp corners are not an issue now!

Food Hunt with Honda Civic Hybrid

#25 Famous Local Temptations at Bukit Beruang, Melaka

A trip down to Malacca means a pampering day for my stomach with good food such as traditional Nyonya kuih, asam laksa and more. But many eateries were flooded with people, so we had to hop from one place to another. Luckily the Civic Hybrid was very efficient in fuel saving, else the petrol money would cost us a bomb!

#26 Shopping at Jonker Walk: Traditional Nyonya Delicacy

#27 Jonker Walk

I actually took most of the pictures when the Civic Hybrid was accelerating! With this car, I could cruise around Malacca at low speed, without worrying the excessive fuel consumption and exhaust gas. 

Overall Experience with Honda Civic Hybrid

#28 Keyless Smart Entry 

The best thing I love bout this car. This feature is the most convenient advantage for ladies who cannot locate their car keys inside the bag. As long as the car and its remote are near to each other, now you don't need a remote / key to lock or unlock your vehicle anymore! Same goes to the Engine Start/Stop Button that requires no key.

#29 Intelligent Multi Information Display (i-MID)

Moving on to the dashboard, I love this 5" i-MID that displays all the necessary information about the eco guide, fuel consumption and more. It gives a clear picture to me on how the car performs and keep track of my driving practices. 

#30 Guidance Function

The color-changing speedometer measures the fuel efficiency when driving. The greener the color, the higher the level of eco-drive. There is also a fuel consumption indicator at the side, showing my average fuel consumption is 14.2km / litre. Amazing right?

#31 1.5L i-VTEC + IMA System

If you're a Honda car driver, you'd notice the combination of 1.5L i-VTEC engine and an electric motor will not affect the Civic Hybrid's performance when going uphill, because the petrol engine will take over the job, similar to any Honda cars. 

At the end of the day...will I consider buying a Honda Hybrid?

Pros:

1. Less pollution

2. Hybrid system is simpler, fuel efficient and more cost effective

3. Performance wise, it is powerful and stable

Cons:

1. Price factor 

Wanna test drive a Honda Hybrid for 3 days 2 nights? Register yourself at http://bit.ly/IQcsrI, and it is absolutely FREE of charge. As long as you own a valid MyKad and Driving Licence, you can experience Honda, the power of dreams!

Honda Hybrid family will be heading down to Tebrau City, Johor on 31 Aug - 1 Sept 2013,

See you there!

For more information about HONDA, please visit:
Website: www.honda.com.my

Facebook: fb.com/hondamalaysia