Redesigned Accord boosts Honda in September
 

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. 's redesigned Accord model helped the company record a 9 percent boost in sales in September.

American Honda Motor Co. , the automaker's North American sales arm, said it sold 127,200 Honda and Acura vehicles in the U.S. last month, up from 116,226 in September 2006. Honda (NYSE:HMC) officials said in a release that the launch of the larger, more powerful Accord on Sept. 12 not only helped sales for that vehicle but for the entire lineup. Accord sales jumped 26 percent over last year, while Honda division sales were up 13 percent at 112,831 vehicles, compared with 99,903 in the same period last year.

The strongest seller was the fuel-efficient compact Honda Fit, whose sales more than doubled during the month.

Sales in the company's luxury Acura division were down once again by 12 percent with 14,369 vehicles sold during the month, compared with 16,323 in September last year. Acura sales year-to-date are down 8 percent.

Honda division sales are up 5 percent year-to-date. Honda's overall sales year-to-date are up 3 percent at 1.19 million vehicles, compared with 1.16 million in the first nine months of 2006.

Marysville-based Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. runs five production and assembly plants in Central Ohio, where the company turns out Honda Accord and Civic cars, Element and CR-V sport-utility vehicles, and Acura TL sedans and RDX SUVs.

Source: [url=http://washington.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/10/01/daily12.html]Washington Business Journal[/url]