Honda launches Civic Hatchback RS cars in Indonesia, targets 1,800 sales this year

JAKARTA, NNA – Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. launched its latest Civic hatchback variant last Thursday with a target of selling 1,800 units this year following an upward trend since 2017.

The company’s Indonesian subsidiary, PT Honda Prospect Motor, launched the RS model in a Jakarta mall. The automaker hopes its RS, which stands for “road sailing”, will come off as more sporty and stylish said Yusak Billy, Business Innovation, Sales, and Marketing of HPM.

Since the Civic hatchback line reached Indonesia in 2017 through December last year, Honda has sold 5,232 units. Last year’s 1,579 cars sold beat a target of 1,500. Hatchback sakes have overtaken those of Honda sedans and other models. Around Southeast Asia, the new hatchbacks are selling in Thailand too.

Honda aims to maintain a market share of 14.4 percent in Indonesia this year and sell 150,000 vehicles across different models, Billy said at the launch event.

The hatchback can help reach that goal by supporting other models, such as the Honda Jazz with RS variants sought out by Indonesian consumers, Billy said. The hatchback RS represents another “step-up” choice for consumers from the Jazz model.

Consumers of the hatchback RS have a “dynamic” lifestyle and tend to be "high achievers", he added.

Each hatchback RS costs 499 million rupiah ($36,400).

The Jazz now contributes most to the hatchback line in Indonesia, giving Honda 40 percent of its segment share in the Southeast Asian country.

The RS hatchback, which will be imported from Thailand, uses a relatively strong 1,500cc engine and its fuel efficiency has passed the Indonesian government’s Euro-II emission standard test.