Honda’s Thai Unit Sees 27% Jump in H1 Export Value

The value of Honda’s first-half vehicle exports from Thailand jumped 27% year-on-year to 40.8 billion baht ($1.16 billion).

The automaker attributes the growth to increasing demand for both its City model in Asia and Oceania and for its recently launched all-new HR-V CUV.

Honda’s first-half exports jumped 78% to TB19 billion ($540 million), driven by strong demand in Australia and Middle East. The City, HR-V and Jazz were the top export models, accounting for about 70% of the total.

The 6-month export results “reflect the remarkable success in Australia with models such as HR-V, Jazz, and CR-V, in the Philippines with Jazz and Mobilio, and in the Middle East with the City,” Honda says in a statement.

Exports of complete-knocked-down units rose 3% to TB19.7 billion ($560 million), reflecting demand from Honda plants in Indonesia, Malaysia and South America for assembly of their domestic models.

Honda Automobile (Thailand) operates the automaker’s largest plant in Asia and Oceania with a capacity of 300,000 units a year.

The facility produces 11 Honda models including the Brio, Brio Amaze, Jazz, City, City CNG, Civic, Accord, Accord Hybrid, Mobilio, HR-V and CR-V, as well as CKD and parts components for export to more than 70 countries in Asia and Oceania, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean.

In neighboring Malaysia, Honda’s first-half sales rose 17% to 43,597 units, putting it on track to reach its 85,000-unit target for the year. The result left Honda at the top of non-national segment, accounting for 13.5% of the Malaysian market.

Honda Malaysia is expanding its 82-dealer network nationwide and aims to reach 90 by 2016 as it works to raise its annual sales to 100,000 units.