Honda has developed a technology to join steel and aluminium that will enable the use of aluminium rather than steel outer door panels to reduce vehicle weight.
Using the technology, the combined weight of the four door panels of the new Acura RLX luxury sedan, headed for US showrooms next month, has been reduced by 11kg, or 17%, helping to improve fuel economy, Honda told Kyodo News.
As for models sold in Japan, the new ‘3D lock seam’ technology will first be applied to the next Legend luxury sedan to be released in 2014, Honda said.