Entries Tagged 'honda' &darr;

Honda Insight Hybrid Concept unveiled in Paris

October 2nd, 2008 — Auto show / Motor Show, honda, hybrid vehicle

Honda has always intended Hybrid vehicles to be a bridge to a hydrogen powered future, the potential of which has already been demonstrated by the FCX Clarity. The Insight Concept has clear stylistic links to the world’s first production fuel cell car, with both vehicles’ forms shaped to maximise the efficiency of their respective drivetrains.

The Insight Concept is the stylistic inspiration for the production version which will go on sale in 2009. From this unique position in the marketplace, Insight will open hybrid technology to a new generation of customers.

The 1.3 litre Insight is powered by Honda’s acclaimed IMA system, which has been extensively modified to reduce its cost and weight. With careful engineering of key components and refinement of manufacturing processes, the cost of the hybrid system has been significantly reduced. This ensures that Insight can be sold at a very competitive price without compromising ability, quality, environmental performance or profitability.

Toyota,Honda,Nissan Join U.S. Slump as Asian Carmakers Fall

October 1st, 2008 — Auto Sale Ranking, honda, nissan, toyota

Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., the only big automakers to add U.S. sales through the first eight months of the year, couldn’t escape an industrywide plunge in September as the credit crisis deterred buyers.

Sales for Asia-based brands fell 30 percent, led by Toyota Motor Corp.’s 32 percent tumble, Honda’s 24 percent drop and a 37 percent decrease for Nissan. Toyota and Honda haven’t posted declines that large since the 1980s.

The results dragged U.S. market share for Japanese and South Korean automakers to the lowest since April 2007 after lenders tightened standards and bank failures chilled demand. Last month’s total was 39.9 percent, down from 42.1 percent a year earlier, according to industry-research firm Autodata Corp.

“The best thing we can say about September is it’s over,” Don Esmond, senior vice president of Toyota’s U.S. sales unit, said in a conference call yesterday. “We’re seeing buyers on the sidelines, hanging onto their wallets.”

Industrywide sales fell for an 11th straight month, the longest slide in 17 years. Visits to dealerships fell more than 50 percent in the last 10 days of September, after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. collapsed and debt markets seized up, said CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Oregon.

Toyota declined 1.6 percent to 4,390 yen as of 9:05 a.m. in Tokyo. Honda dropped 1.6 percent to 3,090 yen and Nissan shed 1.6 percent to 685 yen.

2009 Honda Element Facelift Minorchange pictures Gallery

September 30th, 2008 — honda

Asian automaker output lower

September 27th, 2008 — honda, nissan, toyota

Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., Japan’s three largest carmakers, cut global production last month as falling home values and gasoline near $4 a gallon crippled U.S. demand for trucks and SUVs.

Toyota reduced global production 17% in August, Honda’s output fell 4.8%, led by a 10.2% drop in the U.S., and Nissan built 5.5% fewer vehicles, the companies said in separate statements Thursday.

Toyota cut overseas production the most in 12 years, and Honda is building 50,000 fewer Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans than originally planned in the United States. Truck sales in the country plunged 22% last month as banks cut lending and drivers avoided larger vehicles.

“A recovery in the U.S. economy won’t take place until the second half of next year,” said Koichi Ogawa, chief portfolio manager at Tokyo-based Daiwa SB Investments Ltd., which manages $28 billion. “The U.S. economic slump may also slow down China and other emerging markets.”

Toyota fell 2.5% to close at 4,690 yen, Honda declined 3.8% to 3,300 yen and Nissan slipped 5% to 763 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

New vehicle sales in the world’s largest car market may fall to 14.2 million units, the lowest total in 15 years, according to market researcher J.D. Power & Associates.

Slumping US market production and sale hurts Japanese automakers

September 25th, 2008 — honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota

The slumping U.S. auto market reduced vehicle production in August at most major Japanese automakers, according to data released Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp., the nation’s top automaker, saw worldwide production dive 15.5 percent last month from a year earlier at 626,745 vehicles.

Toyota marked its on-year overseas production decrease in more than six years amid a slowdown in Europe and North America, while production in sluggish Japan also dropped on year, it said.

Honda Motor Co. reported its best vehicle production ever in China for August but saw production in troubled U.S. plunge 10.2 percent from the previous year. Japan’s second biggest automaker produced 295,541 vehicles worldwide in August, down 4.8 percent on year.

Honda Siel Cars Launch 2008 All New City in india today

September 25th, 2008 — honda

Car maker Honda Siel Cars India on Thursday launched the third generation model of its Sedan, City, priced between Rs 7.7 lakh and Rs 8.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The new Honda City would come in three different grades with both automatic and manual transmissions and would be available with a 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine.

Honda City is the one of the most successful car brands in the country. With this launch, India will become the largest market for Honda City, HSCI President and CEO M Takadegawa told reporters here.

Before India, the company has recently introduced its new City in Thailand.

Honda Motor Co. President Takeo Fukui on Thursday unveiled a new version of the City, Honda’s best-selling compact sedan in India, aiming to boost sales in this key emerging market as concern grows of a global slowdown in the auto industry.

With sales in the U.S., the world’s largest auto market, falling to their lowest levels in years, auto makers have looked to red hot markets like India and China to help pick up the slack.

But now, these other auto markets are also showing signs of weakness. In India, auto sales fell in August, the second monthly decline in a row. Sales in China also fell, marking the first decline in auto sales in two years.

“Even in India, they are not immune to the cyclical nature of the economy,” says Tatsuo Yoshida, an analyst for UBS Securities in Tokyo. “Investors have been very nervous about near term prospects of the Indian automobile market.”

Looking to draw buyers back into the dealer showrooms during the upcoming festival months in India, Honda’s new City model is part of a wave of new vehicle launches by car makers into the country’s increasingly crowded auto market.

Honda Sets All-Time August Record for Auto Production in Asia and China

September 25th, 2008 — honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the month of August 2008, including an all-time record for production in Asia and China for the month of August.
Production
Production in Japan for the month of August 2008 experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in two months (since June 2008).
Production in regions outside of Japan experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in two months (since June 2008), although production in Asia and China achieved an all-time record for the month of August.
Worldwide production experienced a year-on-year decrease for the first time in two months (since June 2008).
Japan Domestic Market Sales
Total Japan domestic market auto sales for the month of August 2008 experienced a year-on-year increase for the second consecutive month (since July 2008) due to strong sales of Fit and Freed.
New vehicle registrations experienced a year-on-year increase for the tenth consecutive month (since November 2007).
Sales of mini-vehicles experienced a year-on-year decrease for the sixth consecutive month (since March 2008).
Vehicle registrations - excluding mini-vehicles
Fit was the industry’s best-selling car among new vehicle registrations for the month of August 2008, and for the tenth consecutive month (since November 2007) with sales of 11,770 units. Freed was the industry’s fourth best-selling car with sales of 5,931 units.
Mini-vehicles - under 660cc
Life was the industry’s fifth best-selling car in the mini-vehicle category for the month of August 2008, with sales of 5,707 units.
Exports from Japan
Total exports from Japan in August 2008 experienced a year-on-year decrease for the fourth consecutive month (since May 2008).
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Toyota, GM, Honda is ‘greenest’ automakers image

September 23rd, 2008 — GM, electric vehicle, honda, hybrid vehicle, toyota

A new survey by J.D. Power and Associates has found that Toyota, General Motors and Honda have a higher than average number of positive mentions among bloggers for their environmental sustainability. The company based its research on analysis of 40 million blog posts collected during the past six months.

J.D. Power and Associates Web Intelligence Division, which specializes in blog research and consumer-generated media for market insight, has released its first comprehensive look at consumer conversations about environmental sustainability, global warming, purchase trends and user demographics, as captured from online blogosphere conversations.

GM, Honda and Toyota emerged as pacesetters and scored in the top quadrant for both volume and the percentage of positive mentions. Toyota leads GM in the total volume of posts, accounting for 14 per cent of all posts regarding automotive brands and sustainability; GM is a close second in post volume, with 11 per cent of all posts. However, GM received a higher percentage of positive mentions between January and June 2008, ranking 49 per cent compared with 46 per cent for Toyota. Honda’s rate of positive mentions is 53 per cent, but the brand receives only 7 per cent of mentions in the pacesetter quadrant.

Nissan outscores all other automotive brands in the percentage of positive discussion with 56 per cent, but receives only 2 per cent volume in the pacesetter group. Ford accounts for 8 per cent of discussion, but less than half of all comments are positive in nature.