After news that it was shutting down its Santa Rosa plant, Honda Philippines (HPI) said it would be ramping up production of the Honda BeAT scooter. Manufactured at its Batangas plant, HPI said it forecasts a production volume of 130,000 units per year with scooters rolling off the line in March.
Production is intended for Philippines domestic consumption, reports website Philstar Global. “We are excited to announce that HPI will manufacture the new BeAT to immediately address the fast-paced demand of the Filipino customers. Young riders are becoming more demanding in terms of their riding needs – from style to technology, which is why we want to prioritize this model as one of the high-selling AT model that suits the Philippine road traffic condition,” said HPI president Susumu Mitsuishi.
Honda shut down its vehicle plant due to low production volume and the automaker wanting to make better use of its resources. The facility began operations in 1992 and currently produces BR-V and City models with a workforce of around 650 personnel.
The Honda BeAT scooter comes in three variants in the Philippines – Premium, Street and Fashion Sport. Pricing for the Premium BeAT is 70,400 PHP (RM5,816) while the Street and Fashion Sport models share identical pricing at 66,900 PHP (RM5,527).
For Malaysia, the Honda BeAT is priced at a recommended retail of RM5,365 with neighbouring Indonesia getting it at the equivalent of RM4,892 for the base model. The BeAT is powered by a Euro 3, SOHC, 109.5 cc, single-cylinder, eSP engine that produces 8.8 hp at 7,500 rpm and 9.3 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm.
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So demand is shifting from cars to scooters and mopeds? This is very alarming for the market indeed. A regional economic recession is incoming?