Honda has always been bold in both the design of their cars and their overall business strategy. However, even industry insiders were surprised to hear that Honda plans to hit 60,000 sales per annum by 2018. This would represent a virtual doubling of their market share and their key to success is set to be the Honda HRV. Now those in the know would tell you that Honda have already reached 60,000 sales back in 2007. This is true, but in recent years sales have dropped due to increased competition, currency exchange issues and supply problems. Australia has embraced the HRV in recent years, but the new Honda HRV 2015 edition should set a new benchmark.
In fact, the first part of Honda’s plans is already nearing completion, with the addressing of recent problems. Customer confidence is now much improved as Honda has begun their “build back” strategy. This has culminated in estimated sales of just under 40,000 units in 2015 and the announcement of the new Honda HRV crossover. Honda expects that this new vehicle will drive many of their new sales over the next three years to regain their former market dominance.
So what exactly is the new Honda HRV 2015? Australia is already familiar with the previous models so what does the term “Crossover” actually mean? Essentially Honda are positioning the HRV as a mid-sized family car that has everything that you would expect to see in a modern SUV. The engineers at Honda have designed this vehicle without compromises in both styling and engineering.
The new HRV has an emphasis on versatility and the technical aspects are very well thought out. The interior space feels enormous with a panoramic sunroof providing plenty of natural light. The “Magic Seats” are designed to fold in 18 different combinations to suit a wide variety of uses. The City Brake system will sense if a collision at low speeds is about to happen and apply the brakes automatically. There is also a 7″ touch-screen display with loads of connectivity and a rearview multi-angled camera fitted as standard in all models. The Honda HRV price will start at $27,990 driveaway for the basic model.
So the final question to be answered is whether or not Honda’s gambit will pay off. It is expected in the next few years that an element of downsizing will occur. This is a continuing trend that is in direct response to the change in the economic climate. As a direct result of this, many people will choose to go down a car size. Honda is anticipating that owners of large SUV vehicles may want to downsize to a more affordable mid-sized car. If that happens (as industry experts expect it will), the Honda HRV crossover will be perfectly placed to pick up a significant number of sales. If you would like to know more about the Honda HRV, contact us. We will be happy to arrange a test drive for you and answer any questions or queries that you may have.