Honda Cars PHL gives Jazz a push

Sales of the Jazz hatchback should grow at least 10 percent this year, helped by the launch of a new generation model, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. said Wednesday.

 

The Philippine unit of Japan’s Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is eyeing to sell around 1,000 more of Jazz from July to December and keep a lead in the hatchback segment of its class. The model accounts for over 10 percent of Honda Cars' total annual sales.

 

“Our target market is the young people looking for something that is the best in class and those starting a family,” Toshio Kuwahara, Honda Cars president and general manager, told reporters at the launch of the new Jazz model.

 

“I said earlier that I would like to see 10 percent more than last year for overall sales in Honda... So, I would also like to sell 10 percent more than last year’s sales of Jazz,” Kuwahara said.

 

The company sold 1,500 units of Jazz last year.

 

The new Jazz, imported from Thailand, is available in four variations and sells from P768,000 to P948,000.

 

Citing those numbers, Kuwahara noted while the Jazz may appear expensive compared with the range of other models in its class, it actually carries a full-range of safety features as well as more legroom that makes the car really worth it.  

 

The company is also introducing the Brio into the Philippine's subcompact hatchback market in the third quarter, and expects the model to encroach on the demand for the Jazz. This means Jazz sales will like be lower year-on-year.

 

Honda Cars is betting more Filipino buyers are into the subcompact level, and Brio is its bet, Kuwahara said. “With the stable growth of Philippine macroeconomy, more people will buy subcompact cars.”

 

With the Jazz and Brio, the company is also betting a leadership position in the subcompact category. “We will try our best to maintain number one position in the subcompact market,” he said. – VS, GMA News