It looks like 2016 was a truly good year for the automotive industry. This is true not just for a particular country, but for the Asian region as a whole. More specifically, players like Asian Honda Motor Co. Ltd, the automotive arm of the Japanese car and motorcycle maker, posted significant gains in its sales for the said year.
Total vehicle sales for the Southeast Asian region reached 431,832 units. This is a 7% rise compared to the 405,158 vehicles sold over the same period in 2015. This can be attributed to the strong showing of models like the all-new Honda Civic, as well as the equally fresh BR-V seven-seat SUV. This can be seen in countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
In Indonesia, for instance, some 190,229 Hondas rolled out of dealer lots, for a 44% share in total Asian sales. It was likewise a 14% rise in sales over the previous year. Honda Thailand was a strong second, with 107,342 units—for a 25% regional share. Honda Malaysia came in third, with 91,830 units. As for other markets, Vietnam and the Philippines were equally stellar performers, showing sales growth of 38% and 20%, respectively. Honda Vietnam sold 11,501 vehicles while its Philippine counterpart rolled out 23,199 Hondas in 2016.
As for the various models, the all-new 10th-generation Honda Civic had a stunning 200% sales increase—essentially one of the biggest in its history in the ASEAN region. The all-new BR-V, meanwhile, despite being a new entry, has already racked up about 45,000 deliveries—accounting for 10% of total volume in the region. And there are the HR-V, City, and Jazz that are likewise favorites in their respective classes.
Yes, the year that was can truly be one for the record books. And it looks like there\s room for more. So it seems like there’s nowhere to go but up for Honda in the Asian region in 2017.
