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CR-Z, Crosstour, Insight sales hurting – Odyssey lone bright spot among new Honda models

Filed under: Car Buying, Honda, Earnings/Financials

2011 Honda CR-Z

2011 Honda CR-Z – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda has hit rough water with sales of its new CR-Z, Accord Crosstour and Insight models According to Automotive News, the three models are underperforming in a big way.

Take the Insight hybrid, which is falling 40,000 units short of even the most conservative estimates inside the company. Outsold 8-to-1 by its Toyota Prius rival, Honda has only managed to shift 19,325 units through November – the company originally targeted sales of 60,000 to 80,000.

Likewise, thus far this year, Honda has sold nearly 20,000 fewer Crosstour models than its biggest competitor – the Toyota Venza, selling just 25,927 units compared to the Toyota’s 43,325. Need we remind you, Honda’s original sales goal for the Crosstour was 40,000 units per year, a number we were deeply skeptical of after first driving the vehicle at its launch last November.

Although it hasn’t been on the market that long, early sales for Honda’s new CR-Z hybrid coupe aren’t any more encouraging. Automotive News reports that Honda had conservatively intended to sell around 15,000 of the two-seat hybrids per year, but so far, only 4,373 have made their way off of dealer lots and another 3,000 are currently sitting in inventory. Thankfully, there is one bright spot in the Honda stable – the 2011 Odyssey. The minivan bowed in September, and it’s performing well against a minivan segment that has heated up with a range of new competitors.

Automotive News suggests that the problem boils down to a change in Honda’s image from a company with compelling products to one that plays it safe. Throw in styling that isn’t for everyone and aging (but still selling) models like the CR-V and Accord, and you’ve got a recipe for decreased market share.

Honda, meanwhile, says that it doesn’t focus on market share because that leads to bad habits (read: incentives), instead opting to focus on percentage-increases in vehicles sold. That’s a fair strategy, but slow sales of key new models suggest that Honda needs to do some soul-searching. Might we suggest getting back to its roots as an engineering-driven car company?

Gallery: 2011 Honda CR-Z: Review

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

CR-Z, Crosstour, Insight sales hurting – Odyssey lone bright spot among new Honda models originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Insight gets much cheaper base model, new features for 2011

Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Honda

2011 Honda Insight

2011 Honda Insight – Click above for high-res image gallery

The slow-selling Honda Insight hasn’t exactly stolen any of the Toyota Prius’ thunder since its introduction last year, and with new green cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf ready to join the battle, the future of Honda’s hybrid hatch doesn’t look too bright. Still, the Japanese automaker has given the Insight a host of improvements for the 2011 model year, including a new base model that retails for $18,950 (including the $750 destination charge).

So, what do you ~~lose~~ gain with the base Insight? For starters, a downgraded stereo system is on hand, with a single CD player and two – yes, two – speakers. Audiophiles need not apply. Remote entry is standard on the base Insight, but if you want amenities like cruise control, a USB audio interface, center armrest and floor mats, you’ll need to opt for the mid-grade LX trim. In other words, the new price leader is something of a municipal and fleet special. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the pricier EX now comes standard with steering wheel-mounted audio controls and can be optioned with navigation.

The Insight’s 1.3-liter inline-four with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist carries over largely unchanged, with fuel economy rated at 40/43 miles per gallon, city/highway. 2011 Insight models are arriving at Honda dealers as you read this, and for the full details on what’s new, follow the jump for Honda’s press release.

Gallery: 2011 Honda Insight

2011 Honda Insight

[Source: Honda]

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Honda Insight gets much cheaper base model, new features for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Honda Canada discontinuing Insight and Civic hybrid

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Honda, Canada

2010 Honda Insight

It’s no secret that the revived 2010 Honda Insight has been a huge sales disappointment in North America. The once-robust sales of the Civic hybrid have also evaporated in the last two years. Apparently, things are far worse for Honda’s hybrids in Canada where higher fuel prices typically cause people to buy more efficient vehicles.

An unconfirmed report from a Canadian web site indicates that both the Civic hybrid and the Insight are being discontinued there. Checking the Canadian sales charts, the Civic as a whole is one of the top-selling cars in Canada with 31,604 units sold in 2010 through July.

While hybrid sales are not broken out by Honda Canada, we can do a little educated guessing. Since only 643 of those Civic sales were imports and the hybrids come from Japan, we can figure that those 643 were the hybrid models. Similarly, Canadians only bought 748 Insights in the same period. When it launched, Honda projected 10,000 annual sales in Canada. Evidently Canadians just aren’t taken with hybrids – even the mighty Prius has only found 2,272 Canadian buyers this year.

Honda hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment on the cancellation of these two models. Apparently, Honda Canada will still proceed with the launch of the CR-Z there, maybe leaving it as the company’s only hybrid. A tip of the hat to Mario!

Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX

[Source: Monvolant]

Report: Honda Canada discontinuing Insight and Civic hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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