Honda City bookings open in Malaysia Press Release

THE ALL-NEW CITY NOW OPENS FOR BOOKING AT ALL 73 DEALERS NATIONWIDE 1

__________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Sumithra Mahendran / 03-7652 2452 / [email protected] Lim Ai Yen / 012-278 4396 / [email protected]

THE ALL-NEW CITY NOW OPENS FOR BOOKING AT ALL 73 DEALERS NATIONWIDE

• The All-New City is the ideal entry sedan in Malaysia with its class-leading safety and

advanced features. • Honda Malaysia sets 76,000 units as 2014 sales target, with a 11% market share • Total dealerships will be increased to 80 with 14 Body & Paint Centers Kuala Lumpur, 20 February 2014 – In an unprecedented move, Honda Malaysia for the first time

surprised the market by giving a sneak peek into the All-New City, which is expected to hit the local

market soon, at its 2014 Media Gathering. The company also shared its 2014 targets and plans.

Honda Malaysia has set a challenging target for 2014 with 76,000 units of sales (47% higher

compare to 2012) and 11% market share. Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive

Officer, Yoichiro Ueno said, “We expect the stable economy to continue to grow by 4-5% this year

and we anticipate the TIV to hit 670,000 units with a 2.2% growth. However, we foresee that due to

the recent increase in the cost of living and weak consumer sentiment, there will be a shift towards

smaller or entry level vehicles.”

The challenging target comes after a successful year for Honda where the company reclaimed the

No.2 position in the Non-National Passenger segment with a market share of 8.9%. Honda

Malaysia President and Chief Operating Officer, En. Roslan Abdullah said, “The 2013 sales of

51,550 units was the highest ever achieved by Honda in Malaysia. The gap between Honda and

the market leader in the Non-National Passenger segment stood at 1.7% and this is a significant

increase compared to 7.1% in the previous year.”


Honda Malaysia will be focusing on 3 core areas - Introduction of New Models with

Competitive Value for Money; Expansion of Production Capacity; Expansion of Dealer

Network - to support their business growth in Malaysia. During the past year, the company has

worked on numerous projects to significantly increase the localization, improve production

efficiencies, reduce cost and improve product quality.

“We have laid the foundations to strengthen the company’s operations in order to elevate our

business to the next level in terms of sales volume, market presence and branding. With the

completion of the No.2 Line at our factory and new main models including CKD hybrid to be

introduced this year, we believe that our strategies are in line with the current market situation

where more people are longing for affordable, environment friendly and good value for money

vehicles,” said Mr. Ueno.

Honda plans to introduce a total of 5 class-leading models at a very affordable price. These

models consist of new FMC and MMC models including new CKD hybrid models to continue to

excite the market. The company remains focused on hybrid models, which are in line with the

Malaysian Government’s National Automotive Policy. In order to ensure the quality adheres to

Honda’s global standard, new manufacturing technologies and state of the art equipment were

installed in the new No.2 Line to enhance the vehicle quality and production efficiency. The

Malacca factory is now able to produce up to 100,000 units annually.

To support the anticipated growth of Honda’s sales volume, Mr. Ueno added, “By the end of this

year, we will expand our dealership network to 80 dealers and 14 Body & Paint Centers.

Furthermore, we will be increasing the number of sales advisors and service technicians who will

be fully trained to ensure service quality to our customers. This expansion will see Honda

represented in major cities and primary market areas around Malaysia.”

The first model that will be launched this year by Honda will be the All-New City. First introduced in

Malaysia in 2003, the City was an instant favorite among Malaysians and the success of this model

elevated the brand to be one of the leading automotive brands in Malaysia.

During the unveiling of the All-New City, Mr. Ueno said, “This is the first Honda Malaysia’s model to

adopt the Exciting H Design concept, which represents the ‘Human Center’ design philosophy that

puts the focus on the driver and passengers. The design concept boasts a solid wing face, and

well-toned athletic form body and finely honed surfacing on the exterior. The overall exterior is a

fine balance of sophisticated aerodynamic styling, power and sporty feeling”.


The City has always been known for its perfect balance of performance and fuel efficiency. This 4th

Generation City further enhances the advantages of the previous model. The All-New City draws

on a 1.5L i-VTEC engine, coupled with a newly designed Continuous Variable Transmission

(CVT), which was developed under Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology. The enhanced gear ratios

offer more efficient fuel consumption and exhilarating acceleration.

The packaging design of the All-New City saw the evolvement of Honda’s “Man Maximum,

Machine Minimum” philosophy to the next level. The interior space was maximized to provide

superior comfort for both driver and passengers. The rear cabin space is class leading and is the

most spacious in its segment.

In terms of safety, the All-New City also takes it one class above. This 4th generation will be the

first in its segment to offer 6-Airbags, which consists of Dual frontal airbags, Side Airbags and Side

Curtain Airbags together with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). This is in addition to the standard

comprehensive range of Honda’s active and passive safety technologies.

Honda Malaysia is confident that the All-New City would be the ideal entry sedan with the most

affordable and attractive price in the Malaysian market. Catering to a wide range of customers, the

All-New City is now open for bookings at all 73 Honda dealerships nationwide. Malaysians would

be able to get a firsthand view of the All-New City at 6 locations, ahead of its official launch.

Honda Malaysia believes that 2014 will be the year to push the boundaries to further exceed

customer’s expectations and continue to be at the forefront, setting the pace with competitive

pricing, exciting new models, efficient product-to-market time and excellent services.

# # #