Honda Wants to Also be Synonymous with Safety

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Washington DC May 14, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that Honda known for building fuel-efficient, reliable vehicles, now it wants to expand its good reputation to join Volvo as an automaker best known for safety.

According to the Boston Globe, Honda is promoting safety as an essential part of its public image. It is offering front and side-curtain air bags and antilock brakes on most of its models, as part of its "safety for everybody" campaign.

Eight of its vehicles, from the small CR-V sport utility to the Odyssey minivan, can claim to be among the safest cars on the road, with five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in front and side crash tests, as well as the top rankings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on a variety of crash tests.

Those results exceed the ratings for GM, Chrysler, Toyota, or even Volvo -- the company whose image Honda is striving to emulate. Volvo, which has been stressing safety since it began building cars in 1927, is not overly concerned about competition from Honda. Dan Johnston, a spokesman for Volvo Cars, said Volvo was "flattered" by Honda's efforts.