Honda ups prices, adds value pack
BY BRUCE NEWTON | 3rd Apr 2001
Currency pressures mean recommended retail prices have risen on every Honda model - from as little as $1000 for the Civic range to more than $40,000 for the exotic NSX sports car! The CR-V Classic and Classic Sport are claimed to add $2500 worth of extras for $1500 more than the normal price - that's if you use the new April 1 pricing as your baseline.
The new pricing means the cost of the popular base model rises from $29,990 to $31,990 and the Sport from $34,490 to $36,490. Automatic transmission remains a $2000 option.
By comparison, the five-speed manual transmission version of the Classic retails for $33,490 and the Classic Sport for $37,990.
The Classic adds an in-dash CD player, alloy wheels, roof rack and hard spare wheel cover, while the Classic Sport gets a 6-CD in-dash player, side step set, cross bar set, X-bar set and luggage cover.
Honda Australia sales and marketing director Tony Devers blamed currency pressure for the prices rises.
"Some car companies are having bites at price rises over two or three months, but we wanted consumers to know exactly where we are so that we can work out our business for a longer period of time," he said.
"I don't like trying to sneak price rises in and hide them. People come along and get a bit of a shock, we'd prefer to make our stance and do business as normal."Price rises vary dramatically, with the escalation getting more dramatic the further up the range you go, with around $5000 added to V6 Accords, $5000 to the S2000 sports car, and about $6000 to the Legend saloon.
But it's the NSX which cops the biggest dollar rise, the base model climbing from $202,800 to $243,000. However, none of the all-alloy V6 two-doors had been sold in the first two months of 2001.
The Classic promotion runs until July 1 and comes as the CR-V's position as the top-selling compact 4WD is under more significant pressure than ever with the launch of the Mazda Tribute, Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe.
Subaru also responded to the increased pressure by launching the Forester Limited Special Edition in March, which adds climate control air-conditioning, six-CD in-dash player, alloy wheels and fog lamps. Recommended retail for the manual is $33,800, while the auto is $35,670.
Honda will unveil a new generation CR-V at the Tokyo Motor in October and it will be on sale here in the first quarter of 2002. It will continue to use four-cylinder power and retain roughly the same dimensions.