Honda to Export CR-V to US and Europe

12/27/96

Comline reports that Honda Motor has planned to export 50,000 of its off-road four-wheel drive CR-V's to the US market annually, starting in January. The company began exporting the CR-V to Thailand in August, and will begin sending them to Europe in March. Honda's US market research for the CR-V has provided positive feedback, leading Honda to try to export so many of the vehicles. Honda plans cumulative exports to all three regions at more than 70,000 annually. The CR-V is a sport utility based on the carmaker's Civic model. It sells at a rate of more than 8000 units monthly in Japan. Honda sells another off-road four-wheel drive vehicle in the US--the Acura SLX, but that model was made for Honda by Isuzu. Concurrently with Honda's plans for the CR-V, Toyota will export the RAV4 to the US at a rate of about 55,000 units annually.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel