Honda Malaysia Aims For Higher Sales Target in 2009

Honda Malaysia has expected this year to be a tough and challenging year for the industry at large and they are aware that there are lots to be done in order to continue to perform in the market. However,according to Honda Malaysia Managing Director & Chief Executive Officier Mr. Atsushi Fujimoto they remain confident that they will achieve an increased annual target of 35,000 units, which could be translated into 8.8% of Total Industry Volume (TIV) market share with a forecast TIV of 400,000 units for the year.

Speaking at the "Beyond Limits Media Gathering 2009" nite, Mr Atsushi said "Water Elements" will be their continuing guiding principal and theme for this year as it reflects clarity and transparency.He also believes the challenging spirit "Power of Dream" instilled in them by their founder will continue to stir them in achieving this year target. Furthermore, he believe that the looming challenges will only present them with more opportunities to excel and advance ahead of times as proven last year especially during the turmoil of final quarter,where Honda Malaysia has managed to achieve an annual growth of 14% with a registered total sales of 32,486 units in 2008,although slightly below their target of 33,000 units set in January.

Moving on Mr Atsushi reveals despite all the negativity from the market, Honda Malaysia will continue to introduce new, refined products and innovations to the market this year, in hope to boost the market excitement level amid the gloomy situation.The weakening market condition,

also will not stop us from doing our part for the society. Honda Malaysia will continue to serve the people in Malaysia wholeheartedly through our corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Key Highlights for Honda Malaysia in 2008 include the sucessful products launched of the well received All-New Record on 22 April 2008 ,the sophisticated performance luxury sedan with advanced technology which meets World Safety Standards and attains maximum Fuel Efficiency has been awarded with accolades such as Autocar Asean Car of the Year Awards 2008 – Large Sedan Category and Asian Auto-VCA Auto Industry Awards 2008 – Best local assembly luxury sedan.A total sales of 7,310 units was recorded, 52% beyond its initial target of 4800 units up to December 2008. Next ,the All-New Jazz launched on 20 August 2008
has registered a remarkable total sales of 870 units up to December 2008.It has also been awarded with Autocar Asean Car of the Year Awards 2008 - Compact Sedan/Hatchback Category and New Straits Times/Maybank Car of the Year 2008 Awards – Premium Small Car. Meanwhile ,the recent All-New City with dynamic stylish design, class-leading performance, and ingenious practicality, the All-New City was the final milestone made in 2008. The complete value-for-money package aims to achieve 1500 units per month within the next one year. The All-New City had received booking of more than 4,500 units in 3 weeks after its launch.

On the other hand, despite its annual busy schedule, Honda has done its part in giving back to the society in its Corporate Social Responsibility program, such as, organising Honda Dreams Fund Year 2 - a non-binding full scholarship for eligible underprivileged youth based on their dreams, Rhino Rescue Project in its 3rd Year-a project that enhanced environment conservation in collaboration with WWF, signing MOU with Road Safety Department that allows Honda Malaysia stands out to become the first non-national car manufacturer in its commitment to support the government move for safer road, safer cars and safer drivers in Malaysia and lastly the launch of ASIMO - Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, the world’s first humanoid robot that has inspired all Malaysian to reach for their dreams.

Blossom in Pink and Prosper in Red with Pavillion Kuala Lumpur

Pavillion Kuala Lumpur has officially launched its Chinese New Year Celebrations 2009 themed "Blossom in Pink and Prosper in Red" on the 8th January 2009 to the vibrant beat of traditional drums and the exhilarating jumps and flips from a world champion acrobatic lion dance troupe.Vibrating to the beat of the drums,Pavillion Kuala Lumpur has unveiled a majestic 11-foot Golden Bull at it's Bukit Bintang entrance much to the delight of guests and passer-by.

Pavillion Kuala Lumpur Acting Chief Executive Officer Mrs Joyce Yap who officially launched the 2009 Chinese New Year Festivities said "The Bull in Chinese tradition is an icon that signifies strength and energy.They are classic sophisticated in style with an iron-willed heart; they remain true to their beliefs by being a strong support inspiring others with hardwork and dedication.In reflection of that ,let us embrace the challenges this year and charge foward together".
Pavillion Kuala Lumpur has lined up an intriguing Chinese New Year celebration for its shoppers and visitors beginning 8 January until 8 February 2009.Among the exciting events are-Pink Blossoms Walk (for those who want to capture the spirit of spring),World Champion Kun Seng Keng Acrobatic Lion Dance Troupe,The largest Golden Bull of prosperity Sculpture,Hands Percussion Group,Arts and Craft & Fortune Reading,Festive Fashion Show which will be on the 10 & 11 January at 1pm & 5 pm and 17 & 18 January at 3pm & 5pm

Drive in Style & Performance with the Gutsy Looking All-New City

Dynamic stylish 3rd Generation new Honda City with new value-added features for class-leading performance and ingenious practicality was recently unveiled to the Malaysian consumers seeking for value-for-money sedans.



The All-New City now runs on the newly developed i-VTEC engine, which adopts a more advanced technology. Producing 120PS at 6,600 rpm, and 145Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm, is currently considered the most powerful in its segment. It is also the first in the 1.5-liter sedan segment to come with the 5 Speed Automatic Gear Transmission. Both fuel efficiency and power output have been improved and balanced, without compromising one or the other, to achieve environmental-friendly performance. Fuel efficiency has been pursued from various angles, from improving oil retention, friction reduction, reducing fuel consumption in the high-speed and high-load ranges to reducing the overall weight of the car, thereby contributing to the model’s fuel efficiency. In terms of environmental performance, the All-New City meets the Euro 4 level of emission.

Interior spaciousness and comfort are greatly enhanced in the All-New City with a 100mm extended wheelbase that provides better styling and efficient space usage.It has a more adjustable and variable driving position to provide better driving comfort, especially during long-distance drives as it now comes equipped with a tilt and telescopic steering column (adjustment ranges have increased from 10 to 40 mm for each direction) and driver seat height adjuster(height can be altered within a 50 mm range).The vehicle’s trunk capacity now has also been developed to an astonishing 506-liter for the best balance between maximum capacity and practical usage, providing a lofty carriage space in cars of its 1.5-liter segment.

Drivers of the All-New City will further be delighted by its new and multi-format compatible entertainment feature -- the revolutionary ‘Advanced Audio’ digital media system is developed to be compatible with iPod, MP3 players and other sources of digital audio sound to allow driver and passengers to enjoy entertainment at their convenience. All major operations, such as song selection and volume adjustment, are controlled using four push buttons and a rotary selector similar to the Jog Dial function on an iPod. The system also provides high quality sound output with sophisticated acoustic tuning.

Honda in addition has also incorporated All-New City with the revolutionary Advanced Compatibility Engineering or ACE body structure, which is an extension of Honda’s G-Force Control (G-CON) technology, designed to spread out and disperse collision impact so as to limit cabin intrusion and to effectively minimise driver and passengers as well as pedestrian injuries. Other safety features include SRS airbags, active headrests to prevent whiplash injuries and ABS and EBD.

Launching at the All-New City’s ceremony, Mr. Atsushi Fujimoto, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Honda Malaysia, said the new Honda City will caters for both work and leisure to the out-going or family-oriented Malaysian.He emphasised Honda had significantly enriched the All-New City with qualities and values that surpassed customers’ expectation in a sedan of its class. Explaining the All-New City’s marketing campaign, led by the tagline "Excitement in the City" , Mr. Fujimoto said: “We hope to enthuse and motivate our customers to approach the All-New City with a heart of discovering the excitement of a metropolis.

Mr Takeshi Nakamura, Chief Engineer of Honda R&D Co. Ltd explained that the new model’s exterior styling had adopted the concept of the ‘Arrowshot Form’, which originated from the idea of an energetic arrow stringed on a bow and ready to be released. “The dynamic form and theme moved all the developing vectors in one direction and as a result, the design now features an imposing and ambitious look,” he said.

The All-New City is now available in the 1.5-liter i-VTEC Grade E and Grade S variants at all Honda authorised dealers nationwide. While the Grade S offers essential features of the All-New City, the Grade E variant offers additional features such as paddle shift, rear reclining seat, rear underseat tray and 16-inch alloy wheels. These two variants come in a selection of five colours: Alabaster Silver Metallic, Bold Beige Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl and Deep Lapis Blue Metallic, of which the last two are new colours. The City Grade-S, which is the entry level, is priced at RM84,980, while its premium model Grade-E is retailed at RM89,980.

Starting today, customers can visit all authorised Honda showrooms nearby to view and test-drive the All-New City. For more information, please call Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020, or log on to http://www.excitementinthecity.com.my/ for more details.