While Honda car sales in Ireland have shown continuous double digit growth year on year since 2003, results to date in 2007 have broken all previous records! Sales of new Honda cars in Ireland to the end of October have exceeded the 4,000 milestone for the first time, representing a 13% increase over the same period last year. In terms of local registrations the 2007 performance represents the best year ever for Honda car sales in Ireland since the introduction of the marque in 1985.
Three key factors contribute to this growth success:
- First, Honda, as part of the long term strategy to develop its share of the European passenger car market, introduced its own exclusively designed diesel engine technology in 2004 which is now available across the Accord and CR-V ranges and accounts for 10% of total local market registrations.
- Secondly, the introduction of the latest version of the Accord in 2003 began the process of developing Honda as a premium brand manufacturer. Since then the ‘premium’ treatment has been applied to other models including Civic, FR-V and CR-V. The company’s continuous commitment to leading edge technology and its leadership in creating cars for the environment ensure that the future for Honda will continue to be strong in that sector.
- Thirdly, in order to meet the European sales growth objectives, Honda set about increasing their global production capacity. Increased production in both the Swindon and Turkey production facilities along with developments in China, Japan and the United States create the potential to achieve the long term volume growth objectives.
In expressing his delight at the latest figures, Frank Kennedy, Sales and Marketing Director of Universal Honda said: “The development of Honda’s critically acclaimed diesel engine and more recently the innovative introduction of ‘Hybrid’ technology in the Civic 4 door range are key to the brand’s success in Europe and consequently in the Irish market over the coming years.
Honda’s determination to develop products equipped to compete with the limited number of premium brand manufacturers in the market place is a brave one; yet, we are already seeing the benefits with high demand for the products introduced since the programme began in 2003. Our focus over the coming years is the support of our dealer network to develop their business infrastructure and customer service processes to meet the increased demand for product and deliver the higher levels of customer satisfaction expected from premium brand outlets.
To achieve sales in excess of 4,000 units this year is a big psychological boost for the company, the dealer network and our valued customers. Thanks to the production capacity expansion developments, the double digit growth will continue at pace over the coming years and we expect it to increase by 50% over the next three years with sales of 6,000 Honda cars forecast in the Irish market by 2010.
The key to achieving this sharp increase in sales is in the development of some new products equipped with innovative environmentally friendly technology. The introduction of more ‘hybrid’ powered cars in 2009 along with the introduction of products equipped with Honda’s new iDTEC Clean Diesel engine will not only influence our sales growth but also help to reduce the Honda carbon footprint in our market and realise the corporate aspiration of achieving average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 140gm/km by 2009”
Worldwide sales of Honda Cars are expected to increase by 10% during 2007 since budgets were revised upwards earlier this year. European sales are expected to increase by 19% taking the emerging Eastern countries into account.
For further information, please contact:
Mary Patricia Gallagher
Gallagher & Associates
T: 01 298 0298
E: mp@gallagher-assoc.com
