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Honda banks on Crossroad SUV to
check sales dip
BY A CORRESPONDENT
February 25, 2006: In a bid to
check the decline in domestic sales,
Japanese auto major Honda Motor Co has
come up with plans to launch its new
sport utility vehicle, Crossroad.
The new Crossroad SUV has been
developed to address the diversifying
tastes of consumers, said a report
quoting top officials at the
automobile major in Tokyo. After
having hit the global market with
popular models like Accord and Civic ,
Honda has positioned Crossroad as
combining the look of a sport utility
vehicle with the seven-seat capacity
of a minivan, yet in compact size.
Designed to appeal to young couples in
their 20s and 30s with small children,
the Crossroad comes in versions
carrying a 1.8- or 2-liter engine, and
will retail for between 1.93 million
yen and 2.92 million yen. The company,
according to reports, hopes to sell
3,000 units a month
Significantly, reports also added that
the carmaker has no plans at the
moment to market the car overseas. The
company had last year zoomed ahead of
rival Nissan Motor Co to regain the
No. 2 slot in global vehicle
production. With auto sales remain
sluggish, it would need some
aggressive marketing for Honda to see
its Crossroad making gains at the
market place.
As per reports, the overall auto sales
in Japan have fallen for 19 straight
months. Honda expects to reverse the
trend with its new SUV.
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