Honda Malaysia (HM) had its annual media gathering yesterday where the company announced its sales performance for last year and its targets for this year. 2018 was a rollercoaster year for the auto industry, thanks to a surprise three-month tax holiday, but Honda ended up in its now customary position as the top non-national marque (four consecutive years now) and number two in the overall standings (three years running) behind Perodua.
En route, the company sold 102,282 units in 2018, which is 6.6% lower than in 2017 and short of its 109,000 sales target for the year. The marque’s 2018 market share was 17.1%, slightly short of the 18% target.
However, Honda managed to surpass the 100k units mark, which was first breached in 2017. All HM’s locally assembled models ended the year as segment leaders, and the City B-segment sedan contributed 32% to the final tally, followed by the Civic (16%) and CR-V (13%).
Over the past few years, HM has been introducing its three pillars of technology: Honda Sensing, VTEC Turbo and Sport Hybrid i-DCD. Acceptance of these have been growing; the company says that the Accord with Honda Sensing contributed to 18% of model sales (of over 3,600 units) in 2017-2018, and the figure goes up to 33% of the 20,600 CR-Vs sold during the period.
As for turbo, Honda was the first Japanese carmaker to introduce a downsized turbo engine in the mass market C-segment with the Civic FC in 2016. The company has shifted over 41,000 units of the segment leader since, and of the total, 58% have the 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo engine, which is also available in the CR-V.
The company says that its Sport Hybrid i-DCD-equipped models (City and Jazz) “also received good acceptance from the market.” Last year, HM launched the Honda Odyssey facelift, a premium CBU imported MPV with Honda Sensing as standard.
On the after-sales front, HM saw 11% growth in service intake last year over 2017. It’s the highest ever level for the company, complemented by another record in the sales of Honda Genuine Parts, which saw a jump of 25%.
Looking ahead, HM anticipates a 2019 total industry volume (TIV) of 580,000 units; based on that, it’s targeting sales of 95,000 units with target market share of 16%. A challenging market is the reason for the lower projections.
The company has outlined three key strategies for continued growth, and they are the improvement of customer service standards, the strengthening of its dealership network and the introduction of new models. Unlike the media gatherings of previous years, HM did not release any news/teaser of upcoming new models yesterday.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Honda Malaysia under DRB is best non-national,
For 20 years Proton very arrogant and action. They say we will always be No 1
Now jatuh to No 4. Malu malu malu
Local university grads must sapot & buy P1 car
I thought one of HM key pillars should be improving the QC on its vehicles? For FY2019 I think they only have the all new Accord to introduce and maybe a product update for the BRV to better compete with the Aruz. Then there’s the all new Freed if they plan to add the model line up….
From new car owners feedback, Honda QC has went down the drain, playing in the gutters with Toyota’s abysmal QC.
The car manufacturing plant left to Drb own devices to be blamed for abysmal Honda QC.
The car manufacturing is run by Honda Japs. The problems they feedback aren’t so much assembly quality but more to parts quality. Reverse sensors need to replace all of them at least once in 3 years. Where got such poor quality in other brands, not even for Proton.
Agreed..god fit and finish but low quality parts. A HRV at home got its rear brake caliper changed. Yes its under warranty but how often does u heard of caliper failure?
Next up i suspect will be the power steering as its starting to produce straining sound.
Normally sales targets are expected to increase even higher than last year. With 102k sales numbers, target for this year would have been set at 115k or so, so 115k down to the expected 95k is a huge drop, a 15k in reduction. It tells me 2 things, either they expect really strong competition to rob them of their 15k customers, and for this I see no reason from their main competition; Toyota. I don’t see any wow models that will pull the 15k from Honda not even by new Vios & Yaris models. The only one I foresee that will potentially pull 15k from Honda is Proton, with their outstanding X70 sales and expected incoming X50 this year.
Either that, or Honda is expecting the economy to tank in 2019. So take heed boys and girls, we are heading to a recession sooner rather than later this year.
Missed out *110-115k*.
Congratulation Honda, this is despite defamation attempts by loser.
Complaints by new Honda car owners is called defamation attempts by loser? You have quite a peculiar way of understanding.
100k units mark, so its wheel-to-wheel racing this year for both national car Proton & Honda.
The reap Game Changing sales from Honda. Habisla dissapointing Proton sales!
As long as it is not UMW then it ig good.
This year Perodua to surpass the 300k units .
Perhaps they will finally start listening to their potential customers and address their concerns.
I stated on this site last year that Honda sales were going to drop this year and I am certainly not an industry insider. So if a layman like myself can see it, you have to wonder why HM management are so blind to the obvious.
Hrv hybrid should get LEDs headlamps and tail lights
aruz over brv
camry over accord
x70 over crv
i couldn’t help myself but to praise Honda for good marketing strategies and good products. their cars are as good as continental and i dare to say better.
Well, you are working for Honda, aren’t you? That is pretty obvious to everyone here, Mr ‘My Civic Turbo will smoke everyone’.
Honda:The power of marketing and branding.
Malaysians are paying premium for a great brand with Capital H emblems located throughout the car but with piss poor built quality.
HM know the real game changer is here. Better declare it first before being boom by others.
The fact is, I saw more new register X70 compare to new register CRV or CX5 or Xtrail.
Looking forward X50, HRV and XV will have tough time..
Proton target is 60k only.. Next year 500k
Buy a new Honda. Take delivery of the car. Oh my gosh… what happened to Honda? The quality is absurb. Car parts are not welded and put properly. Noise intrusion is below average. Car media system tem keep shutting off.. Etc… Honda is famed for its quality. What happened? A Honda in any country should carries the Honda quality irrespective where it is made.. I heard it is bad.. But didn’t expect this bad.. Bicycle welding is way better than my new CRV..
You are right about Honda quality should be irrespective where it is made. Unfortunately, even Hondas made in USA suffers the same poor quality as you did. So in a way, they do share the same quality; which is all round bad.
Target if target but quality must 1st. If problem the car Don’t say it normal. Like burn smell,suspension n other side ekkk eookk like low cost car. Don’t make customer blame u with reason at S.A.C Honda while customer send to service he want the best not stupid reason
Honda now not aim for quality but is sale quantity…the after sales service disappointed… service manager and technician not professional at all.