Honda still Malaysia’s #1 non-national car brand despite 29% fewer cars sold in 2020

Honda Malaysia announced that it sold a total of 60,469 cars in 2020. However, a quick check on its 2020 sales figures against 2019 data from the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), reveals that the Japanese automaker actually sold 24,949 fewer cars or a drop of 29% compared to the previous year.

Despite this, Honda has managed to maintain its position as the top non-national brand for the sixth consecutive year. Honda said the main contributor to its success in 2020 was the City which commanded 34% of total sales. This was followed by the Civic and HR-V which contributed 20% and 17% of total sales respectively.

It should be noted that the City has sold very well considering Honda sold the previous generation model for most of the year until October when the fifth-generation of the B-segment sedan was introduced.

According to Honda Malaysia, it sold 5,500 units of the new City in December 2020 and has received 15,200 bookings to date. Between October and December 2020, the company delivered close to 10,800 units of the locally assembled sedan to its customers across Malaysia.

The Honda City V variant is the most popular model with 52% of buyers choosing this spec. Prices for this model start from RM86,561. Just to recap, the new City comes powered by a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle DOHC i-VTEC engine that outputs 121PS and 145Nm of Torque. It has a maximum speed of 195km/h and is able to go from 0-100km/h in 10.4 seconds.

In the cabin, it boasts an 8″ infotainment system that supports both Apple Car Play and Android Auto. As for safety, the variant comes with six airbags and Honda LaneWatch Camera that projects a live feed of the vehicle’s left-side blind spot on the infotainment system.

The highest demand for the new City came from the central region of Peninsula Malaysia which contributed to 48% of sales. This was followed by the southern region at 19% and the northern region at 18%.

In terms of colours, Honda said the Platinum White Pearl was the most popular colour choice for most buyers, representing 26% of models sold.

Honda Malaysia’s managing director and chief executive officer Toichi Ishiyama said 2020 was a challenging year, but the City continues to prove its position as the most popular non-national B-segment model among Malaysians.

Ishiyama also thanks the government for extending the sales tax exemption period until June 30, 2021 which will allow many Malaysians to purchase cars with extra savings.

“As we move on in 2021, we will continue to support the government’s efforts to curb the pandemic which is still active nationwide,” he added.

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