Japanese Auto industry News Briefs

08/30/96

Suzuki Releases New Wagon R Models, No Price Change

Nikkei English News has reported that Suzuki Motor Company introduced modified versions of its Wagon R mini sport utility vehicle in Japan on Tuesday. The company added three new models to the series, but did not modify its price range.

Suzuki added a remote-control locking system and aluminum wheels to the series as standard equipment. The items had been options for the Wagon RX mass-market model.

The company has sold about 455,000 Wagon Rs since its debut in September 1993. The company is trying to attract more customer's with the add-ons, because Daihatsu's Move mini sport-utility, which debuted in August 1995, is catching up to the Wagon R series in the marketplace. Suzuki aims to sell 15,000 Wagon Rs a month.

Honda to Introduce City Car in Indonesia

Nikkei English News reported that Honda Motor Company will start selling its Indonesia-made City car in Indonesia on Saturday. Honda designed and marketed The City as a low-cost "Asia car" and debuted it in Thailand last April, although the car was not considered inexpensive by Thai standards.

Honda has planned initial production of the Indonesian City car at about 100 cars per month. PT Imora Honda Inc. will handle sales, while PT Prospect Motor, an Imora affiliate, will do assembly work. Parts will be provided by Honda affiliates in Thailand, Japan and other countries, although 30-35% of its content will be made locally in Indonesia

Honda Clio Dealer to Add Coastal Outlets in Kawasaki

Nikkei English News has reported that Japan's Honda Clio Kyoritsu KK will open dealerships in the coastal area of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. The company hopes to boost sales by 40% to 2,000 vehicles a year. until now outlets selling Clio cars in Kawasaki have been located inland, due to high land prices in the commercial and industrial coastal district.

Toyota Motor Will Lend Special Vehicles to Disabled Drivers

Nikkei English News has reported that Toyota Motor Corporation plans to lease its special vehicles for the disabled to elderly and disabled customers, free of charge, from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30. The measure will apply to all areas in Japan, except Tokushima, Kochi and Okinawa prefectures, company officials said. The vehicle's special features include automatic seat adjustments that allow people in wheel chairs to board the vehicle more easily.

As of the end of July, Toyota had already placed 83 vehicles for the disabled at its car-rental posts across Japan. It has been leasing the special vehicles at about half the cost of regular cars.

Toyota Will Introduce New RV Model

Comline has reported that Toyota Motor Corporation will outsource production of a new RV based on the Corolla to Kanto Automotive Industries as early as next year.

Kanto Automotive, a Toyota affiliated autobody maker, will submit a plan and development ideas to Toyota for approval. Toyota expects its plan to strengthen its RV lineup and boost Kanto's efficiency. In fiscal year 1995, Kanto Automotive produced only 300,000 vehicles, 160,000 less than it made at its peak in 1990. Toyota will target the new RV at young women.

Volkswagen-Audi Nippon Debuts Polo

Comline reported that Volkswagen-Audi Nippon (VAN) started selling the 1600cc compact Polo on August 19. The company says the car sells in Tokyo for roughly the same amount it fetches in Germany. The company's target market for the car is young drivers. Available Polo versions include three-door, five-speed manual transmission units and three- or five-door, four-speed automatic transmissions. All are right-hand drive. VAN set sales goals of 6,400 Polos by the end of the year, and 12,000 next year. Volkswagen-Audi delayed the release of the Polo in Japan for two years while they satisfied brisk demand in Europe. During that delay, a similar-sized car by Opel grabbed a share of the Japanese market.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel