PT Honda Prospects Motor (HPM), Honda car assembler in Indonesia, said Honda CR-V had a 52 per cent share of the SUV market in the country in the first six months of this year.

Last months HPM recorded sales at 1,950 units of Honda CR-V, up 11 per cent from 1,760 units in the previous month, the newspaper Investor Daily reported.

HPM marketing director Jonfis Fandy said he was optimistic Honda CR-V will maintain the lead until the end of this year.

Honda CR-V contributed to a 29 per cent increase in the total sales of Honda cars to 24.667 units in the first six months of this year from 19,100 units in the same period last year.

(ANTARA)

The other three situated in the US, Europe and China.

It was expected that the centre would be completed and begin operations in the first half of 2009.

Mr. Suwit suggested that such investment would help develop and upgrade the competitiveness of the Thai auto industry in terms of overall research and development, as well as the development of auto parts in particular.

Currently, the global economy had changed as the sub-prime lending crisis in the US had repercussions on other regions.

But Asia, he said, still had much room for further expansion.

The competition in various business sectors - including vehicles - had grown to be more intense.

So, operators in the industrial sector needed to rely upon R&D for the industry to adapt to the changing business environment.

Investment in building the centre by Honda would confirm other automakers' confidence in the Thai economy and they may consider committing to further investment in the country.

Such development would lead to new employment and a transfer of technology, and help boost the country's competitiveness, he said.

(TNA-OANA)

Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co. will expand its sites by 24 per cent to 450. Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co. will have 230, up 21 per cent. Stores selling the Acura luxury brand will increase from eight to 20.

Dongfeng Honda will raise annual capacity from the current 120,000 units to 240,000 as early as this year. Investing about 10 billion yen (US$95.5 million), it will add production lines for the Civic subcompact and the CR-V sport utility vehicle at an existing plant.

Honda manufactures autos at the two subsidiaries, whose capacity totals 530,000 vehicles a year. It expects to sell roughly 490,000 units in China alone in 2008, up 15 per cent from 2007.

The Chinese automobile market grew 18 per cent to 8.5 million vehicles last year, becoming the world's second-largest, trailing only the U.S. The figure is estimated to reach about 10 million vehicles this year.

(Nikkei)