By HSPN News

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is facing a shortage of its hot-selling Fit small car in North America while halving production of its Accord Hybrid sedan as sales slump.

The subcompact Fit five-door has been on sale in the United States since April 20, and in the first 45 days of availability some 9,900 units have been sold. That rate exceeds the automaker’s 38,000- to 42,000-unit annual target.

At the same time, the Accord Hybrid, which went on sale in late 2004, never has achieved its annual sales target of 20,000 units. U.S. sales through May, at 2,849 units, have plunged 58.5% versus year-ago, according to Ward’s data.
A Honda spokesman says output of the vehicle has been reduced by 50% in the first five months of 2006 vs. the same period year-ago at Honda’s Sayama, Japan, plant.

Acceptance of the V6 powered Accord Hybrid, which for the ’06 model year begins at $30,990, has been hampered by its high sticker price and performance-oriented nature, says Dan Bonawitz, vice president-auto operations, for American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

“The Accord (Hybrid) is tuned to be ‘plus performance,’ and with the current gas prices and price differential, it’s just not doing that well,” he says at a media preview for the Acura RDX cross/utility vehicle.
Bonawitz won’t say whether the automaker will scrap the model when the next-generation Accord debuts next year, or if it is looking at a 4-cyl. hybrid version akin to Toyota Motor Corp.’s new Camry Hybrid. Honda does say it is monitoring sales of the Camry Hybrid closely.

At the same time, demand for the Fit subcompact is outstripping supply. “It looks like (the Fit) is going to do very well,” Bonawitz says. However, he says Honda is not upping the Fit’s U.S. sales target, which it dropped earlier this year from an initial goal of 50,000-60,000 units due to lack of capacity and a desire to better understand who the early buyers are.

“We probably have a little bit of flexibility there. But as you know, it’s a very popular vehicle globally – there’s not a lot of extra room,” Bonawitz says of production capacity for the Fit, which is being built for North America at Honda’s Suzuka, Japan, plant.

Speculation is Honda could produce the Fit at a new plant it plans to build somewhere in the U.S. Midwest.

Source: “Honda: Too Many Accord Hybrids, Not Enough Fits,” www.wardsauto.com

 

Whoa-- Fits are going to be hard to get for the forseeable future! Glad I got mine & for those of you waiting for "less than MSRP" times, it may be a long way in the future, so if you really do want it, go for it now (and the current ones are "Made in Japan").

 

Just confirms what we're all seeing. Somebody had to screw up making the market forecasting report. Cutting back sales target for the Fit to give a production boost for the Civic.

 

Here's the link to the "demand exceeds supply" plus the Fit sales figures for May -- raised significantly since the last tally.

6/26/06 Google Alert:

Honda sales figures (Fit sales over 7,100 for May):

http://world.honda.com/news/2006/c06...tomobileSales/

6/24/06 Google Alert

Honda Fit demand exceeds supply (surprise, surprise):

http://news.hspn.com/articles/442/1/...Exceeds-Supply

 

I should just keep mine as stock as it is now, and sell it in like.. 3months and pocket alot of extra cash!

 

Just took a look at cars.com to see if there are any around. Among the tasty entries was a Sport AT @$21,995, a sport MT w/1100 miles @20,999, and a Base MT @$18, 995.

The gouging continues - jeez, I wonder how high it will go?

 

wow very nice but NO dont build here in the US.......we just want a 100% japan car

 

More Google Alerts for Honda Fit:

6/27/06

Why Honda is leading the pack -- Detailed ****ysis relating fuel economy, median income and vehicle sales:

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...024/LATESTNEWS


6/26/06:

Honda sales figures (Fit sales over 7,100 for May):

http://world.honda.com/news/2006/c06...tomobileSales/

6/26/06 Google Alert:

Nissan Versa “middle sister” between Fit & Yaris:

http://www.boston.com/cars/news/arti...nissans_versa/

Yaris ad campaign (includes links to 2 Honda Fit ads):

http://www.slate.com/id/2144315

 

Hysterically funny -- when I posted the Google Alert links, I used a word that got edited, apparently because the first four letters looked like a "dirty" word. Like looking at the asterisks wouldn't allow you to figure it out.

 

The Fit wouldn't sell so well if it had a digital speedometer; everyone prefers the ****og ones.

 

You got the same asterisks for that same 4 letter combination. Didn't realize how often it turns up in car talk.

Honda America called me last night for feedback on my Fit. The young lady seemed to have a script and was a little thrown by my enthusiasm. When she asked me for suggested improvements, I mentioned a slightly bigger gas tank if possible to decrease my stops at the gas station, a dead pedal, and fabric that wouldn't catch and show pet hair. I urged her to take a look at the FitFreak Forum for great feedback. I assured her that my suggested changes were minor and that I love the car, and gave her reasons why. She asked about the "fold down" seats, which I thought was an odd way to refer to the versatile "Magic Seats" that are getting so much media attention. I ended with a suggestion that Honda produce more Fits quickly due to the growing waiting list. One of her duties was to pass on the information to me that a page in the owner's manual was incorrect (Aux input is only on the sport model). I told her I knew that already. She also wanted to know what I thought of the "quick start" booklet (told her I thought it was a great idea). I also complimented the Honda owners' manuals in general (I've had 3 so far) -- much easier to find information than the Toyota Camry manual that came with my daughter's '91 model. She left me her name & number in case I had further questions or comments. I know other Forum members got calls -- were yours similar?

 

Here's another update from Google Alert (they keep sending me the latest articles with key words "Honda Fit"). I'm pasting individual articles depending on the thread subject, but "Front Page News" seems to be the best place to consolidate the articles.

6/29/06 Google Alert:

“Treehugger” article on Indiana plant:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006...da_indiana.php


Why Honda Fit is a better fit than the Smart Car:

http://www.businessandmedia.org/arti...629151343.aspx


Another Smart Car article (with comparison to Fit & Yaris):

http://www.boston.com/cars/news/arti...for_us_market/


6/28 Honda World News:

New Indiana plant – 4 cylinder vehicles, environmental impact controls

http://world.honda.com/news/2006/c06...tomobilePlant/

 

I suggested to one dealer that he sue the factory for non support. How many sales are missed because of lack of fits.


MC

 

a lot!
i was dead set on getting a fit at soo many dealerships..and none had any.. it made me very sad..

 

Hope this wrong way driver (age 25) not one of ours:

http://www.foxreno.com/news/9470506/detail.html

 

wow...thats bad.
had to be pretty wasted to ignore all the "exit only" or "DO NOT ENTER" signs..
maybe they were used to driving in the UK or Japan and wanted to drive on the left side.

 

This is a followup to a previous post about a Fit going the wrong way and getting into an accident. Turns out there were no plates on the Fit! The driver was arrested!

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14970219.htm

 

OK -- Google gave me the option of seeing other articles on the Caldecott Tunnel crash (Honda Fit driver arrested):

http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&...s/14970219.htm