Honda surprises with wild Concept C and Concept S showcars in China

Honda has used the 2012 Beijing Motor Show to launch two new concept cars that it says "show the direction of mass-production models Honda will introduce to the market next year."

First up is the imaginatively named Concept C. According to the automaker, 'C' stands for "Cool, "Challenge" and "China." As much as we wish we were making that up, we aren't. The car itself, though, looks pretty bold, with striking character lines down each side and a fascia that would look right at home on the next Battlestar Gallactica spinoff. We're curious to see how much of the C's conceptual styling makes it into production when a mass-market version hits the Chinese market in 2013 – if it were toned down just a bit, we think Honda could do worse than inject some of this boldness in its American lineup, though some might suggest the grille has overtones of the controversial styling decisions seen at Acura.
Moving along, we have the Concept S, which supposedly stands for "Stylish," "Smart" and "Surprise." Like the Concept C, Honda says Concept S will spawn a production model that will debut in China in 2013, with global sales following thereafter. Honda isn't saying exactly what is powering the S other than mentioning it's a hybrid.

Scroll down below for the complete press blast from Honda, but not before perusing our two high-res image galleries of the Concept C and Concept S.

 

BEIJING, China, April 23, 2012 - Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. today exhibited at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show the world premiere of the Concept C and the Concept S, two concept models that show the direction of mass-production models Honda will introduce to the market next year. (The 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, press days: April 23 -24, public days: April 27 - May 2, 2012)

Concept C
Concept C is a concept model for a middle-class sedan Honda is developing specially for the Chinese market. The "C" represents "Cool," "Challenge," and "China." The Concept C features a stately, distinctive and sporty design that was inspired by the image of a dragon. The product planning for this model was led by Honda's Chinese associates and the development was done through cooperation between development teams in China and Japan. Honda is planning to introduce a mass-production model based on this Concept C next year through Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.

Concept S
Concept S is a global concept model of a new-value passenger mover that was developed primarily for the Chinese market and will go on sale first in China. The "S" stands for "Stylish," "Smart" and "Surprise." Adopting a hybrid powertrain, this concept model realizes both the "fun of driving" and excellent environmental performance at the same time. A spacious cabin was realized by Honda's packaging technologies, which is one of the distinctive strengths of Honda. A mass-production model based on this Concept S is scheduled for introduction to the Chinese market through Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. next year, followed by a global release.

Introducing Acura ILX and RDX this fall
Also at the Beijing Motor Show, the Acura brand introduced the Acura ILX, a small-sized sedan and the RDX, a small-sized SUV for the first time in China. Both models are scheduled to go on sale in China this fall. Also an all-new Acura NSX Concept supercar will be displayed in China for the first time. The new NSX will be launched in China after it is launched in the U.S. within the next three years.

Strengthening China-original development models
Last year, Guangqi Honda launched the mass production model of its original brand named Li Nian. And yesterday, Dongfeng Honda introduced CIIMO, its originally developed middle-class sedan.

Comment of Takanobu Ito, President and CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
"What continues to drive Honda forward is our passion to take on new challenges with our technologies without being limited by what came before, and to create products that make our customers say, 'I wanted this kind of car!' We will concentrate this driving force here in China and build vehicles tailored to the needs of our Chinese customers. Toward this end, Honda and our joint venture companies will work together to further localize our development, production and parts sourcing in China."

 

Courtesy of Autoblog.com