Honda to Sell Only 400 Civic Hybrids Annually in China

SHANGHAI - September 24, 2007:

Dongfeng Honda plans to sell the imported Honda Civic hybrid in China by the end of this year, and sales volume of the model is forecast at 400 units annually, a senior company executive said yesterday.

"We has yet to set a price target for it, but it may slot in higher than Toyota Prius sold here, " said Mitsuru Ozaki, general manager of Dongfeng Honda at a recent test drive activity for Civic hybrid in the northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Toyota Prius is currently sold at about 300,000 yuan (US$40,000), and Civic hybrid may be priced a bit higher than that.

"Chinese consumers may walk away because of its high price," Ozaki admitted. "It's really a money-losing business."

Equipped with all the standard components, Civic hybrid will help to promote the company's image, which has not only cutting-edge technology, but also environmental-friendly products.

Ozaki also denies an earlier report that the company is ready to launch its eighth generation of Accord or the Civic hatchback by the end of this year in China, saying the company has no such plans.

For more information about the burgeoning auto industry in China please visit http://www.gasgoo.com/Autobiz/list/7/China-News.html