Earlier this year, Honda Malaysia (HM) announced that it will have four launches in 2017, at the minimum. So far, the top non-national car brand in Malaysia has rolled out the Honda BR-V, Honda City facelift and today, the Honda Jazz facelift. The fifth-generation Honda CR-V has been previewed and will be the next model to be introduced.
The new models listed above have filled the quota for the minimum four launches, and HM’s MD and CEO Katsuto Hayashi revealed today that the company will launch a total of six models this year. That leaves two more new cars after the new CR-V.
Hayashi didn’t elaborate, but in the press conference after the Jazz facelift launch, group VP Akkbar Danial – when answering a question about hybrid models in Malaysia – mentioned the six new introductions in 2017 again while leaving his answer open ended. Your guess is as good as ours, but this could hint at one, or both, of the upcoming new models being hybrid.
If so, the Accord Hybrid – which is available in Thailand as a range-topping model with Honda Sensing safety kit – is a candidate. The popular HR-V comes with a hybrid option in Japan too, and both models already roll out of HM’s Melaka plant with regular petrol engines. Today, HM talked about regaining leadership of a segment it once had 55% of during the tax-free CBU hybrid “golden era”, and more hybrid models would help the cause.
HM’s sales head said at the press conference that even with the extra two models, its 2017 sales target of 100,000 units is unchanged. This could hint at the two mystery models being low volume image-building cars. Now that Honda is in rich vein of form in Malaysia, could the company be contemplating a halo model such as the Civic Type R?
Now, the King of the ‘Ring may sound like a wild guess, but unlike its regional peers, Honda’s local arm has a history with Type R models – we were the only market outside of Japan to officially get the previous JDM Civic Type R. This writer remembers being at the FD2R’s launch event, which was shared with the FD Civic Hybrid. Green on one side, red on the other – a great showcase of the company’s engineering breadth. Here’s hoping.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments focus on Honda's upcoming models and potential releases, especially hybrids like the Accord Hybrid, HRV Hybrid, and city hybrids, with many expressing enthusiasm and hope for more affordable hybrid options due to tax benefits. Demand for sporty models like the Civic Type R and Civic Si is high, seen as desirable halo models. Some comments criticize Honda Malaysia for high pricing and lack of hybrid or modern engines, suggesting they are slow to bring in newer, more efficient variants. There’s also interest in bringing iconic models like the NSX and S660, with several fans urging Honda Malaysia to introduce these. Overall, commenters are excited about the prospects of hybrids and performance models but skeptical about pricing and availability.