Honda expects 5% sales hike this year

MANILA, Philippines - Honda Cars Philippines Inc (HCPI) expects to post a five percent sale growth this year as it introduces new models in the market.

In an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the 2011 Honda Jazz Tuesday night, HCPI head for vehicle sales Voltaire Gonzales said that they expect to sell 17,000 units this year.

The announcement was made on the heels of the worldwide recall of Honda cars which began two weeks ago. Gonzales said that they were already able to service 1,700 of the 5,000 affected units. He said they expect to be finished by May.

Sales of Honda has dropped for the first two months of the year but Gonzales said that they are confident that the new models in the pipeline will help them boost sales and maintain their number three spot in terms of market share. The report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (CAMPI) placed Honda at third place after Toyota and Mitsubishi.

With regards to the supply of Honda cards, Gonzales said they are still in the process of assessing the impact of the tsunami in Japan. The CRV, Accord and Jazz are all imported from Thailand while the Civic and the City are assembled locally.

The local production of Honda is averaging 11,000 to 12,000 units for the past three years. This year Gonzales said they are looking at maintaining this level. He said the total production capacity of their Laguna plant is 15,000 units per year.

Meanwhile, for the new Jazz, Gonzales said they would like to sell up to 220 units per month. The Jazz is priced between P752,000 and P857,000.

The 2011 Honda Jazz features redesigned front and rear bumpers. Its front styling is further enhanced with its new mesh grille and reshaped headlights. Meanwhile, rear styling is carefully taken into account as it showcases a new rear cluster with Led tail lights. Foglamps, side sill garnish, and sport bumpers come exclusive for the 1.5 V while a new 15” alloy wheel design refreshes the 1.3 S variant. All these enhancements complement the exterior’s smooth flowing lines that give the Honda Jazz its distinctly spirited character.

“Apart from sheer styling, the Honda Jazz is a vehicle of great substance. It stays true in delivering high quality performance, as evident in any other Honda model,” said Hiroshi Shimizu, president and general manager of HCPI.