Honda favours sedan for sub-Jazz entrant

Honda Australia will seek to add a sub-Jazz-sized car to its local line-up -- and it will be a sedan, not a hatch. That's the news from Honda Australia boss, Yasuhide Mizuno.

The key to the new car's configuration is the changing face of Australia, says Mizuno. Indeed, the Honda Australia boss contends with a strong and growing group of Asian influenced consumers Down Under, and many of those consumers favouring Light and sub-Light vehicles, the car needs to be a sedan to be successful.

"Australia is a unique market. More than 20 per cent of households speak a language other than English -- four million people mostly Asian, Middle Eastern or Indian," Mizuno opined.

"To date, basically, we have focussed on a European-style line-up. With these 'other language' buyers we need to look at more 'Asian' vehicles -- four-door sedans rather than hatches, even in smaller cars."

According to Mizuno, Honda is not planning wholesale changes to its line-up or cars, nor to provide individual specifications, however, the changing consumer focus will see multiple vehicle options introduced in some segments... Hence the idea of a Light car sedan to run alongside, or more likely (at least in price), under the Jazz.

And Honda's new sub-Jazz sedan could arrive as soon as early next year, says the boss.

Honda sells just such a car (pictured) under the CityZX badge in markets like Thailand, Malaysia and India. Powered by twin-plug eight and VTEC 16-valve versions of Honda's venerable 1500cc four, mated to a CVT transmission with 'seven-speed' sport mode, the compact four-door is essentially a booted version of the current generation Jazz (Ed: soon-to-be superseded).

With ethnic populations growing so quickly Down Under, Mizuno says the car industry and companies like Honda cannot afford to ignore the opportunity. He says Honda dealerships are gearing up and targeting key groups such as younger ethnic Chinese buyers (for example), with Mandarin-speaking sales personnel and community-based initiatives.

This emerging market's penchant for sedans does not rule out the opportunity to add more Euro-centric models such as a Civic hatch, Mizuno says, however.

According to Mizuno, Honda Australia is still "very positive" towards the introduction of both three and five-door versions of the UK-built Civic hatch. However, this would not take place until late 2009, he says.

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