Oz Again Receiving Thailand-Built Hondas

Honda Australia receives its first delivery of Thai-built Hondas since floodwaters swamped the auto maker’s plant there last October.

Honda Australia Director and Sales and Marketing General Manager Stephen Collins says the delivery is significant, strengthening the company’s strategy of reaching 40,000 sales this year.

“The Ayutthaya factory in Thailand is vital to the success of Honda Australia, with 80% of stock sourced from this factory,” Collins says in a statement.

The new shipment includes Jazz (Fit), Civic, CR-V and new-look City models.

Collins says shipments from the plant benefit customers in two ways: “They receive high-quality products built to Honda’s stringent global standards, as well as competitive pricing as a result of the Australia-Thai Free Trade Agreement.”

Honda Australia also imports vehicles from Japan and the U.K.

Collins says 2011 was a challenging year as, apart from the Thai flooding, the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan affected Honda’s research-and-development facility and some production.

Honda Australia nevertheless continued to roll out new cars during the period, including the all-new, ninth-generation Honda Civic small car launched in February, as well as the limited-edition B-segment Jazz Vibe, Odyssey minivan and Honda CR-Z Hybrid cross/utility vehicle.

Collins says supplies will return to normal in July, just after Honda releases the all-new, European-built Civic hatchback. In the year’s final quarter, the auto maker will launch the all-new CR-V.