Honda outselling Toyota
in China, sets up photo finish for 2016
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[December 02, 2016]
By Jake Spring and Norihiko Shirouzu
BEIJING
(Reuters) - Honda Motor Co's sales in China surpassed those of Toyota
Motor Corp for the first 11 months of 2016 as new models lured consumers
and set the Japanese rivals up for a photo finish in their rankings for
full-year sales in the world's top auto market.
Chinese consumers have flocked to Honda's raft of new models, including
a new version of the staple Civic sedan, as well as particularly strong
offerings in the booming sport-utility vehicle (SUVs) segment.
To meet rising demand, Japan's No. 3 automaker plans to break ground on
Dec. 8 on a factory in central China's Wuhan, according to a media
invitation Honda has sent out.
Auto sales in China remain under pressure from slowing economic growth,
with analysts predicting weak growth next year despite a rebound in 2016
thanks to tax incentives.
SUVs, though, have been a major exception, with the segment growing 45.6
percent year-to-date, as Chinese warm to larger cars.
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A Beijing-based Toyota spokesman declined to comment on its sales
performance vis-à-vis rivals.
"We don't have a blind focus on boosting sales," he said. "Our main
objective in China is to achieve steady growth of our business, by
focusing on customer satisfaction, including creating a quality sales
and service environment."
Honda sold roughly 14,500 cars more than Toyota for January to November
to surpass it for the first time this year, according to sales reports
released by the two firms on Friday, potentially setting up the
Tokyo-based company to narrowly overtake Toyota in full-year sales if
the trend continues.
"Beating a particular rival brand isn't our business objective in
China," a Beijing-based Honda spokeswoman said. "We focus on Chinese
consumer needs and feel the strong sales momentum we have in China now
is evidence that our strategies are working."
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![](../images/120216pics/busine31.jpg)
A security agent guards Honda Avancier SUV after it was presented
during Auto China 2016 auto show in Beijing, China April 25, 2016.
REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
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Honda has recorded nine consecutive months of double-digit sales growth
in China and is nearing its sales target of 1.18 million vehicles, which
it revised upward by roughly 100,000 units in October.
Toyota, Japan's top automaker, fell about 50,000 vehicles short of
reaching its 1.15 million vehicle sales target as of November. The
automaker has traditionally lead its rival in the Chinese market,
selling 240,000 cars more than Honda as recently as 2014.
The Japanese automakers still trail far behind market leaders General
Motors Co <GM.N> and Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE>, which both sold around
3.6 million vehicles last year in China.
(This story corrects sales figure in second to last paragraph)
(Reporting by Jake Spring and Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Muralikumar
Anantharaman)
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