10,000 Honda hybrids on Malaysian roads
Honda recently reached a significant milestone in its production of hybrid vehicles, having rolled out its one millionth hybrid-powered car since launching the first generation Insight in November 1999. Coincidentally, at about the same time, Honda Malaysia also approached a milestone of its own having sold its 10,000th hybrid vehicle since launching the Civic Hybrid in 2007.
Commenting on the overwhelming market acceptance of Honda’s Hybrid technology, Mr. Yoichiro Ueno, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd said, “Being the pioneer of hybrid technology in Malaysia with the launch of the Civic Hybrid in 2007, we are very pleased to see that hybrid vehicles have received positive response. Honda Malaysia is proud that Malaysians are part of the global movement of one million Honda Hybrid owners.”
Honda Malaysia’s milestone customer is Tengku Mohd Ean Nasrun, better known to the Malaysian public as radio announcer Ean of Hitz.FM. Ean had bought a Honda CR-Z, and his reward for timing his purchase right was a 2D/1N holiday package.
Expressing his happiness on the delivery of his Honda CR-Z, Ean shared, “I am excited and proud to know that I am among 10,000 Honda Hybrid owners in Malaysia contributing to a cleaner and greener Malaysia. I was attracted to the sporty looks of the CR-Z, which is combined with eco-friendliness. And the visit to the Honda dealer where I test-drove the car sealed the deal for me. This stylish CR-Z is easy to handle and has heaps of cool features which makes it really fun for everyday driving.”
Honda’s current line-up of hybrid vehicles consist of four models, namely the Insight, Jazz Hybrid, CR-Z, and Civic Hybrid. The Insight’s launch in 2010 boosted Honda’s hybrid market share to 54.4% in 2011, a figure that has since increased to 66% as of August 2012. Currently, the Insight accounts for over 60% of all Honda hybrids in Malaysia, with 6,339 units on the road as of Sept 2012. The remaining Honda hybrids on the road consist of 1,786 units of the Jazz Hybrid, 2,109 units of the CR-Z, and 1,238 units of the Civic Hybrid.
Despite its relative success, Honda’s ascendency in the hybrid segment has not been without incident. A protracted court case with a disgruntled customer insisting that Honda Malaysia buy back what she claimed to be a faulty unit of the Civic Hybrid was one notable incident. Having won the court case, Honda has nevertheless taken the initiative to offer all its hybrid cars with a 5-year / 140,000km warranty for their IMA batteries, giving customers added peace of mind.
Pictures: Official Honda release.
