Mr. Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Chief Operating Officer of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said, "Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a slowdown in consumer decisions to buy products, which led to a sluggish state for the automotive market. Nevertheless, Honda sustained the confidence and trust that our customers placed in us, which is reflected in cumulative sales of 93,041 units. Our sales growth was better than the overall passenger car market in 2020, resulting in Honda capturing a 27.5% market share*, which is higher than the previous year and made us No.1 in the passenger car market. At the end of last year, Honda launched two new models in "The City Series" lineup, which were the all-new Honda City Hatchback and the new Honda City e:HEV. Both models have received an overwhelmingly positive response with total bookings of over 5,000 units nationwide (24 November 2020 to 10 January 2021), which is just over one and a half months after the launch. The City Series models are particularly expected to broaden our customer base as they appeal to a large group of customers who will have the opportunity to experience perfection in design, driving performance, ultimate energy efficiency, and value that is beyond its class."
Honda also ranked in the No.1 position in the following four main segments:
1) Subcompact and Eco-subcompact segment, with cumulative sales of 51,375 units, or 31.1%* of this segment:
- Honda City maintained its No.1 position with cumulative sales of 35,807 units.
- Honda Jazz is still one of the popular hatchbacks with cumulative sales of 15,568 units.
2) Compact segment with cumulative sales of 20,009 units, or 62.1%* of this segment:
- Honda Civic continued to maintain its leadership with cumulative sales of 18,249 units.
- Honda Civic Hatchback had cumulative sales of 1,760 units.
3) D-Segment with cumulative sales of 5,265 units, or 49.7%* of this segment:
- Honda Accord and Accord Hybrid had cumulative sales of 5,265 units.
4) L-SUV segment with cumulative sales of 5,374 units, or 51.2%* of this segment:
- Honda CR-V had cumulative sales of 5,374 units.
In addition to this significant achievement in sales, in 2020, Honda received the "Outstanding Brand Image for a Trusted Brand" Award from the Thailand Automotive Quality Awards (TAQA) for the ninth year in a row, from 2012 to 2020, along with the "Outstanding Initial Quality Satisfaction" Award also from TAQA for the following four models: Honda City Turbo, Honda Civic, new Honda CR-V, and Honda BR-V.
For its operations in 2021, Honda will continue to improve its products, sales, and after-sales services to effectively address changes in the market and evolving consumer demands. For its showrooms and service centers, Honda is committed to strictly complying with sanitation measures that follow the government's guidelines. Honda is also providing online services to improve customer comfort and convenience to ensure their confidence when receiving services in response to the "New Normal" lifestyle. These online services include:
- Online Service Booking: An appointment scheduling solution that customers can use to make a booking prior to the day of receiving the service via online channels including servicebooking.honda.co.th and the Honda Thailand Official LINE Account (@Honda-Thailand).
- Honda Drop & Go: A service in which customers can park their car and leave the key at the service center where they made an appointment to receive the service. Customers can also get updates on the status of the service via their smartphones and make online payments.
In addition, sales activities are enhanced by Honda's "Virtual Experience" website that offers a virtual experience via online channels in which customers feel like they are actually participating in Honda's activities. The website also serves as a channel for customers to contact and chat with Honda sales consultants to request and receive information right away.
"Honda is thankful to all customers who continuously place their trust and confidence in our products and services. Honda is committed to conducting our business operations based on our 2030 Vision, in which we pledged to create and develop cutting-edge automobile innovations using the advanced mobility and safety technology of the future that is ready to support customer requirements while taking our sales activities and other services to the next level to maximize customer satisfaction," concluded Mr. Pitak.
*Remark
- Market share and sales growth rates for 2020 are estimates that include sales figure forecasts from some automakers.
Source: ABM
