Honda slashes prices

HONDA Australia has taken an axe to the prices of most models following a 34.4 per cent sales slump in May, when it sold just 2300 vehicles, driving its 2011 total down by 27.6 per cent.

The company’s new June 1 price list includes hefty cuts for the Jazz (between $1400 and $2000), CR-V (between $2900 and $3400), Odyssey ($2890 and $3570), Accord Euro ($2150) and Accord, which is now up to $6259 cheaper.

Base pricing for Honda’s smallest model, a facelifted version of which was released just two months ago, is now $2000 lower at $14,990 plus ORCs for the Jazz GLi manual, while the flagship Jazz VTi-S auto is $1700 more affordable at $20,990 plus ORCs.

Jazz sales remained 21.3 per cent down in May and 31.2 per cent down so far this year.

A $2900 price reduction for the entry-level CR-V sees Honda’s compact SUV range now open at $28,090 plus ORCs, undercutting both the $30,000 mark for the first time in generations as well as many of its front-wheel drive Japanese rivals.

The mid-range CR-V Sport auto and top-shelf CR-V Luxury auto are now $3400 less expensive at a respective $35,390 and $39,390 plus on-road costs.

Once Australia’s top-selling compact SUV, the CR-V experienced a 37.9 per cent sales slump in May and has proved 22.5 per cent less popular with buyers in 2011, making it the nation’s 10th best selling small SUV.

From top: Facelifted Honda Accord Euro and Accord V6, Honda Odyssey, Honda Civic Si.

Odyssey prices fall from $41,990 to $39,100 (plus ORCs) at base level and from $49,490 to $45,930 (plus ORCs) for the Luxury variant, pricing for which was increased by $1500 just six weeks ago when an upgraded MY11 Odyssey range was released.

Odyssey sales were 15.8 per cent down in May and are 34.7 per cent down so far in 2011, when it has been outsold by Kia’s Carnival, Hyundai’s iMax, Dodge’s Journey and Toyota’s Tarago.

Honda’s large Accord sedan is now $4291 cheaper at base level, with the Accord VTi auto ($28,199 plus ORCs) now costing less than the entry-level version of its smaller Accord Euro sedan, pricing of which drops by $2150 to $29,340 plus ORCs.

The biggest price cut is reserved for the flagship Accord V6L auto, which was priced at $49,990 but now costs $6259 less at just $43,731.

As we've reported, the flagship Accord V6 will soon receive styling and equipment upgrades as part of an MY11 facelift, while a facelifted MY11 Accord Euro - as seen at the Geneva motor show in March - will be released in the second half of this year.

Accord sales slumped a massive 71.4 per cent in May and currently lie 52.8 per cent down this year, while Accord Euro sales were 15.8 per cent off last month and are 24.8 per cent down in 2011.

The only model within Honda Australia’s mostly Thai-built vehicle range to lift sales this year is the Jazz-based City sedan, which received a $500 price trim last August, when Civic sedan prices were reduced by up to $2000.

Honda also cut $5300 from its UK-built Civic Si hatch range in March, when a new sub-$30,000 model became the only five-door model.

“This new pricing structure underlines Honda’s commitment to our customers, to deliver vehicles of exceptional quality, reliability and high levels of safety that are excellent value for money and are fun to drive,” said Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley.

When it launched the Insight hybrid in November last year, Honda Australia announced it had lowered its 2010 sales forecast from 50,000 to 42,000, but remained committed to returning to the 60,000 sales mark in 2013 with the help of four new hybrid models over the next 18 months.

Last year Honda sold 40,375 vehicles in Australia and now says both its CR-Z hybrid coupe and redesigned Civic sedan – including a new hybrid version - will not go on sale here until early 2012, leaving it without any major new model releases in 2011.

Honda Australia does not yet have a local release date for the new Jazz hybrid but a redesigned CR-V should also be forthcoming in 2012.

2011 Honda pricing:&nbsp
Jazz
GLi &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp	$14,990 (-$2000)
GLi (a)	$16,990 (-$2000)
VTi	$17,790 (-$1400)
VTi (a)	$19,790&nbsp (-$1400)
VTi-S (a)	$20,990 (-$1700)
CR-V
Base	$28,090 (-$2900)
Base (a)	$30,390 (-$2900)
Sport	$33,090 (-$3400)
Sport (a)	$35,390 (-$3400)
Luxury (a)	$39,390 (-$3400)
Odyssey
Base (a)	$39,100 (-$2890)
Luxury (a)	$45,920 (-$3570)
Accord
VTi (a)	$28,199 (-$4291)
VTi-L (a)	$34,507 (-$4483)
V6L (a)	$43,731 (-$6259)
Accord Euro
Base	$29,340 (-$2150)
Base (a)	$31,640 (-$2150)
Luxury	$36,840 (-$2150)
Luxury (a)	$39,140 (-$2150)
Luxury Navi (a)	$42,140 (-$2150)