The Nikkei
reports
that Honda Motor Co. plans to assemble the hybrid version of its Fit
subcompact in Thailand starting this summer—its first production in Asia
of hybrids outside of Japan.
Knockdown production, a method in which local sites
assemble imported parts, is to take place at a factory in Ayutthaya
Province using key components shipped from Japan, including the motors
and batteries. The 1.3-liter car is to be released locally as the Jazz
Hybrid as early as the summer.
The Fit Hybrid is Honda’s most popular hybrid, with
some 86,000 units sold in 2011, mainly in Japan, the US and Europe.
Currently, all Fit Hybrids are manufactured in Japan. In Asia, Honda
introduced the model in Malaysia in March. The company decided to
assemble the vehicle in Thailand, its key production site in Asia, with
an eye on exporting it to neighboring nations.
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