Honda said that it expects sales to grow in 2012 with the Honda brand targeting a 23.6 percent sales increase and Acura targeting a 40 percent sales increase. According to Tetsuo Iwamura, president and CEO of American Honda, the gains will be lead by new cars and trucks that the company plans to update for both brands.

“It looks quite high jump, but because of the availability problem, we had a really low year this year,” Iwamura said. “To us, it is a natural growth.”

In 2011, Honda had a lot of difficulty with parts shortages caused by the earthquake and tsunami in March. The company’s U.S. market share has declined 9 percent for the first 11 months in 2011.

Honda brand gains will be assisted by the new CR-V, an updated Civic and a redesigned Accord sedan and coupe next year. An Accord Coupe Concept will be shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show next month.

Acura is planning on unveiled three new cars or crossovers including a successor to the NSX and a new compact sedan called the ILX, of which it will offer a hybrid version.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Free Press