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The Honda CR-Z makes its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday, 11 January. A North American-specification model will be on the stand, but at 18.45 on Monday, Honda (UK) will release images and information on the European specification car that’s due on sale in the UK this summer.
Sales performance
Last year ended on a high for Honda (UK) with car sales reaching 74,819 units for the calendar year and on target for the financial period to end of March. Customers looking to beat the VAT increase and the Scrappage Scheme both had a positive effect on sales.
Scrappage Scheme summary
The most popular car under the Scrappage Scheme has been Jazz, which has proven to be hugely successful in attracting new customers to the Honda brand. Hailed for its reliability, practicality and frugality, over 6,600 units of the British-built and much-loved supermini have been sold via the Scrappage Scheme so far; and 86 per cent of these customers are conquests.
Civic sales have also been boosted by the Scrappage Scheme. Over 2,000 Civics have been ordered, with 80 per cent of customers new to Honda.
We’ve also seen some interesting – and peculiar – exchanges of cars, including a Jaguar Sovereign for an Insight hybrid, and a Porsche 944 for a Jazz.
Other peculiar scraps
Land Rover Defender – S2000
BMW 730 – Jazz 1.4 ES
Lexus LS400 – Insight
Alfa Romeo GTV – CR-V EX
Range Rover – Insight
Vauxhall Cavalier – S2000
Ford Fiesta – S2000
Honda CRX – Civic Hybrid
Peugeot 106 – Accord Type S saloon
If you are interested in case studies, please contact the press office.
Warranty Direct names Honda CR-V as most reliable 4×4
Earlier this week, the Honda CR-V came top of the class in a reliability study by Warranty Direct. The research used Warranty Direct’s unique Reliability Index (www.reliabilityindex.co.uk), which takes into account how often vehicles break down, average repair cost and time spent in the garage to calculate its overall reliability – the lower the Reliability Index number, the more reliable the car.
Honda’s latest version of the popular SUV has just gone on sale with the new i-DTEC diesel engine and diesel automatic transmission added to the model line-up.
Top 10 4×4/SUVs
1 Honda CR-V (01-06)
2 Suzuki Grand Vitara (98-05)
3 Toyota RAV4 (00-06)
4 Mitsubishi Shogun (00-07)
5 Kia Sorento (03-)
6 Nissan Terrano II (93-06)
7 Land Rover Freelander (03-06)
8 Lexus RX300 (03-09)
9 Nissan X-Trail (01-)
10 Toyota Landcruiser (03-)
What’s happening when in 2010?
4 Jan 2010 CR-V on sale
11 Jan Detroit Motor Show, World premiere of CR-Z production car
18 Jan Honda’s ‘Everything’ campaign launches on TV
2-3 Mar Geneva Motor Show – European premiere of CR-Z production car
Summer CR-Z on sale in UK
Motorcycles
Honda Motorcycle dealers across the country will be hosting a 2010 model launch on Valentine’s weekend, 12-14 February, providing the opportunity for Honda customers and motorcycle enthusiasts to familiarise themselves with the latest Honda two-wheelers, including the all-new VFR1200F sports-tourer and stunning VT1300CX Fury ‘Chopper’. Guests have the chance to win one of six romantic weekends for two in Paris with Honda’s ‘Start Something Special’ launch free prize draw.
Power Equipment
To kick off the New Year, Honda Power Equipment is giving away 10,000 free tickets to the prestigious London Boat Show, which runs from 8-17 January at Excel. Simply download a form from www.honda.co.uk/marine, take it to your local participating Honda Marine dealer, and claim a pair of tickets for the show. For those that can’t make it, Honda is offering its ‘show offers’ in-store, with 10% off the entire outboard and inflatable boats range until 31 January. The Honda outboard line-up starts at 2.3HP up to a mighty 225H. The range is covered by an unrivalled six year domestic warranty, and RYA training is offered free with any outboard of 50HP or higher.
Looking out at the snow and icy roads, cutting the grass might be low down the ‘to-do’ list, but spring is not far away and Honda is busy getting stocks of its leading Lawn & Garden products into dealerships ready for the first cut. Covered by an industry-leading seven year warranty and coveted by many leading authorities including Which?, Garden Answers and Garden News, the Honda range of lawn mowers and handheld equipment offers something for every gardener from beginner to professional.
