Honda Motor Co. will spend 485 million dollars to build a new factory complex in Japan to produce small vehicles as consumers are shifting to less fuel-hungry models, a report said Sunday.

The carmaker will build the complex in the western city of Yokkaichi at a cost of some 50 billion yen (485 million dollars), the Nikkei economic daily said without naming sources.

Honda plans to start operating an engine factory in 2009 and assembly lines around 2010 with an annual output capacity of 240,000 vehicles, it said.

The facilities will be located at a site next to the factory run by small vehicle production subsidiary Yachiyo Industry Co., which will manage the new complex as well, the daily said.

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Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata has assured British workers that his company would retain the “brand and cultures” behind Jaguar and Land Rover if it were to acquire them.

Tata Motors is in an advanced stage of negotiations with Ford to acquire the British brands and a final decision is expected next week.

Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, Tata said: “Our intentions over Jaguar Land Rover are not to take the technology, not to outsource [production] but we are interested in the brands and the cultures behind them.”

“We plan to retain the image, touch and feel of these brands and not tinker with them in any way,” he said.

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