Honda gets mojo back
With four new models arriving in the next 12 months, Honda Australia is targeting 60,000 sales by 2015Honda Australia is confident it can return to its best-ever sales form by 2015 as it embarks on a new model offensive to bring customers back to the brand.
"We're starting to get our mojo back," said Honda Australia Director Stephen Collins, who noted that the CR-V is Australia's most popular petrol-powered medium SUV.
It has found around 1200 new owners per month this year and will be bolstered when a diesel-powered CR-V arrives by Christmas.
The importer plans to sell 50,000 units in 2014 then 60,000 cars in 2015 with several new models to flesh out the company's range -- four all-new models in the next 12 months according to Honda's new CEO, Noriyuki Takakura.
"We will launch four new cars in the next 12 months," said Takakura-san.
"Accord today, Odyssey in early 2014, and two other models sometime that year," he said.
Honda’s latest Accord sedan is already on sale in the US, while the next Odyssey people-mover was previewed by the Jade concept at last month’s Shanghai motor show (both pictured).
The first of the two unnamed models will be the new Jazz expected early in 2014, followed by an all-new compact SUV based on the new Jazz platform.
Previewed by the Urban SUV concept (pictured), the as-yet-unnamed city-crossover will hit the fastest growing end of Australia’s booming SUV sector.
"I want to get new product into growing segments. I will work closely with Japan to secure exciting products for our market here in Australia," said Takakura.
After a torrid few years saw its share of the Australian new car market dwindle from around 60,000 in 2007 to roughly 30,000 sales in 2011 -- due partly to natural disasters in Thailand and Japan -- the company is on track to accrue 45,000 new car sales this year, with sales up by 65 per cent thus far in 2013.
"At Honda Australia it is no secret that we have experienced severe supply issues over the last few years," said Takakura.
Honda’s local chief said the brand’s bright future in Australia would be mirrored by its resurgence on a larger scale, with a bold plan to double its global 2012 sales of three million cars within three years.
"Globally, by 2016 our aim is to sell six million cars," said Takakura.
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