Honda may miss U.S. sales target for the 2010 Honda Insight

Posted: Jun 15, 2009
Filed under: Honda, Hybrids, Green News, Industry News

We’ve been hearing all good things about the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid – it’s cheaper than the 2010 Toyota Prius, was the best-selling vehicle in Japan in April and Honda even considered increasing output for the United States market. However, according to American Honda Motor Executive Vice President John Mendel, Honda may fall short of its U.S. sales goal for the Insight by a third in the models first year.

Why? Mendel says that the recession and the cheap gasoline prices have both contributed to the matter. It seems like those Americans that don’t have money aren’t purchasing cars and those that do, are back to purchasing gas-guzzling vehicles since gas is relatively cheap.

“Given some dramatic change in things, I don’t think we’ll get to 90,000. At 50,000 to 60,000, we will be just fine,” Mendel told Bloomberg.

Honda expects to sell a total of 200,000 units of the 2010 Insight worldwide in its first full year of sales (which started in later March for the U.S.). The Japanese automaker expects half of that to come from North America.

2010 Honda Insight:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Reuters

Related Posts:

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  2. Bring it on Honda Insight: 2010 Toyota Prius was Japan’s best-selling car in May
  3. 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid off to a good start in Japan
  4. Honda Insight Hybrid U.S. sales to begin April 2009
  5. No Surprise: Toyota may miss its U.S. sales target

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  • j b
    They're not buying the Insight because it over priced by about $2000.
  • zermatt
    This is not a surprise. Americans don't want to drive small cars and they don't want hybrids, for that matter.

    Honda should be really concerned about how the Obama administration is going to un-level the playing field so that Chrysler and GM can make money. Time to buy those congressional leaders so that an Insight doesn't start at $50,000.
  • GMfan87
    right on zermatt, obama needs to take note that people dont care for hyper efficient cars...on the other note, i'd rather the playing field be unlevel for imports. thats the way it is in japan...
  • zermatt
    Japan?

    Wouldn't make a difference as the Japanese don't want US made cars. If they did, we would see GM & Ford opening plants. Besides, Ford invested in Mazda to get access to Japanese cars for the US and to share technology. GM went after Daewoo to get cheap cars for the US and uses Daewoo to make cars for China.

    In Europe, US made cars don't sell well as the Europeans don't like them. Cadillacs and the Corvette have floundered for years and Opel doesn't even want to import US made vehicles branded under the Opel name. World cars from Ford and GM originate in Europe not the US.

    I would also add that many Americans don't like American cars - they prefer European or Asian brands.GM & Ford don't have any expectation of export as they have their European, Latin American, Asian, African and Australian brands and plants.

    In order for there to be an export market for US made vehicles there first have to be vehicles that the people of the world want to buy first and the key word is "want".
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