Tochigi Closing

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. will close one of its three assembly plants in Japan next year, turning the facility into a manufacturing research center.

The assembly line and responsibility for three niche vehicles — the S2000, Insight and Acura NSX — will move from the facility in Tochigi to Honda's plant in Suzuka.

The Tochigi plant will become a “new model center” where production processes for new vehicles are developed. The plant will report to Honda R&D, also based in Tochigi.

Suzuka was built in 1960 as Honda prepared to enter the automobile industry, and today has a capacity of 800,000 vehicles and more than 8,100 employees. It tends to build Honda's small cars such as the Civic, Fit and Step Wagon.

Tochigi was opened in 1990, and its 1,100 employees have been making niche models, including electric cars. No layoffs are anticipated, a spokesman says.