Dongfeng Honda begins production of New Spirior in China

Dongfeng-Honda Spirior

WUHAN, China : August 19, 2009 - Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., an automobile production and sales joint venture of Honda in China, held a ceremony at its automobile production plant in Wuhan, Hubei Province, to celebrate the line-off of the new Spirior, which is scheduled to go on sale next month in China.

Celebrate the line-off of the new Spirior

Dongfeng Honda has been producing CR-V since April 2004 and Civic since 2006. The company's sales results have continued strong, with sales of 109,000 units for the first seven months of 2009 (January - July 2009), up 10.5% compared to the same period a year ago. The new Spirior will offer new value of a premium sporty sedan for sedan buyers in China.

Dongfeng-Honda Spirior Type S

Dongfeng Honda's annual production result for 2008 (January - December 2008) was 165,000 units, up 32.3% compared to 2007, marking the fourth consecutive year of increased production. In July 2009, the company's cumulative production reached 500,000 units.

Dongfeng-Honda Spirior

To accommodate the new addition of Spirior to its product lineup, Dongfeng Honda expanded annual production capacity of its auto plant in Wuhan from 120,000 units to 200,000 units. With this expansion, Honda's total annual automobile production capacity in China reaches 610,000 units, including 360,000 units for GuangqiHonda and 50,000 units for Honda Automobile (China), which produces automobiles exclusively for export.

Honda will continue strengthening its production and sales capabilities in China, where continuous growth is expected, to continue to meet customer demand in China.

About Spirior:

• 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine
  
• Grades: 2.4VTI-S NAVI, 2.4VTI-S, 2.4VTI, 2.4TYPE-S NAVI, 2.4TYPE-S
  
• Start of sales: scheduled for early September 2009
  
• 2009 sales plan: 15,000 units

[Source : HONDA]