Honda market leader in January

Honda's 2013 is off to a great start with an overall market share of 27,7% and even better prospects thanks to the imminent arrival of the new models announced at the last Eicma, the Milan motorcycle show.

Compared to January 2012, Honda is among the very few manufacturers to see the '+' sign in front of the enrollment volumesa +14,7% among motorcycles and an +26,3% among scooters, worth a total of over 600 motorcycles and almost 2000 scooters delivered to customers.

Among the automatics, the merit certainly goes to the new SH125/150i ABS, introduced in September last year and today best-selling scooter in Italy in the 150cc version. But it is the entire Honda scooter range that pushes hard, thanks to the highly appreciated PCX125/150, the always highly requested Vision110 and the maxi twin-cylinder SW-T400/600. Excellent momentum also for Integra, the motorbike-scooter with sequential dual-clutch gearbox which continues to spread with excellent progression on Italian roads.

The 50cc range is no exception. The Vision50, at the top of the 4-stroke scooters, was joined by the gritty NSC50R which, especially in the Repsol replica colour, literally made the 14-year-olds who were more attentive to the racing look fall in love.

Among motorcycles, the enthusiast public is discovering with renewed vigor the strength of the Honda V4 engine. Excellent market performance of the Crossrunner, highly sought after in particular in the aggressive 'camouflage' colour, and of the Crosstourer, the only crossover with an aluminum perimeter frame also available in the version with sequential double clutch gearbox and now in the splendid and fully equipped version " Limited Edition”.

But it's phenomenal NC700X to depopulate. Thanks to the negligible fuel consumption, the fabulous practicality offered by the front helmet compartment and the great standard safety guaranteed by the C-ABS braking system, in just 4 weeks as many as 107 were registered, of which almost half with sequential gearbox double clutch, configuring it as best-selling motorcycle in Italy.

Finally, the naked range is also very good, with the CB1000R at the top of the maxi ranking and the fantastic CB1100, a classic naked inspired by the CB750 of the late Sixties, already in great demand.

Now the wait is for the CB500 family. The naked CB500F and the sporty CBR500R will arrive first, then it will be the turn of the CB500X crossover which will be followed, to provide support in the scooter sector, by the highly anticipated new Forza 300.

Honda's performance on the Italian market is the result of an increasingly wider and more complete range, capable of responding to current customer needs, and is part of the global strategy of Honda Motor Co. which, in 2012, confirmed its world leadership with almost 15,5 million vehicles sold including motorcycles, scooters and ATVs.