Mitsubishi's 5dr Shogun Pinin will go on sale next month at prices expected to be well below its main rivals. Toyota's RAV4 in NV trim, Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Honda CR-V in LS trim each costs £16,495. Land Rover's Freelander 1.8 S is £17,495.
Honda (UK)says it will record its eighth successive year of growth in 2000 with sales in excess of 68,000 cars, taking the manufacturer above 3% of the UK new car market for the first time.
Honda is to launch a new mini-MPV in the spring priced around £18,000.
Honda UK boss Ken Keir believes exporting the next generation CR-V (compact sports utility vehicle) to the US will bolster the profitability of its Swindon plant.
Honda believes aggressive pricing of the new Swindon-built Civic, on sale in the UK from January, “will blow Ford Focus out of the water”.
Honda, developing a common rail direct injection diesel engine, was determined not to repeat mistakes from the days of its Rover partnership, said UK boss Ken Keir.
I would like to congratulate Honda on delivering a car packed with the environmental information essential both to tax conscious company car drivers and to green-minded citizens.
Honda UK boss Ken Keir predicts that the new Civic, unveiled at the Paris motor show, will raise its new car sales in the UK to “around 90,000” next year.
Honda's advertising campaign for the new Civic range will harness the internet-driven “viral” e-mail strategy used to promote its HR-V sports utility vehicle.
A key for key swap has brought a far more realistic Honda Accord to the long term test fleet of Fleet News. The options list of the outgoing 1.8i VTEC SE had more ticks than the school swat's maths exam, and as a result carried the excessive on-the-road price of £19,750.
Honda is to switch 3dr Civic production from Japan to its Swindon plant, according to reports in the Japanese press. The carmaker, which currently makes 4dr and estate Civic models at Swindon, is due to launch the new Civic next month.
New corporate headquarters just off the M4 symbolises Honda's commitment to the UK as Ford prepares to end Dagenham car production.
Honda president Hiroyuki Yoshino has scotched speculation that the Japanese carmaker is poised to purchase “up to 49%” of the rescued Rover group. Honda's partnership with Rover ended in 1994 after the BMW acquisition.
##232Logo--left##The new Honda Logo is scheduled to sell between 4,000-5,000 units a year, but its success or failure will be a key factor in Honda's plans for further expansion in the UK market. The company says Logo is a “market research exercise” to help Honda learn about the B-sector.
Honda is to start building its CR-V sports utility at Swindon in an attempt to absorb excess capacity at the factory.