American Honda vehicle sales rose 25.5% in December, 7.6% for 2010

American Honda Motor Company Inc. on January 4 reported December monthly new vehicle sales of 129,616, an increase of 25.5 percent on a daily selling-rate* basis. American Honda's 2010 annual vehicle sales totaled 1,230,480, an increase of 7.6 percent compared to 2009 results.

The Honda Division's December monthly sales of 114,127 represented an increase of 22.6 percent compared to 2009 results. Honda Division's 2010 annual sales of 1,096,874 increased 5.6 percent compared to 2009 results. The top-three best-selling Honda models for 2010 were Accord, 311,381; Civic, 260,218; and CR-V, 203,714.

"Increased sales of core models - Accord, Civic, and CR-V - along with the strong performance from new introductions, including the Accord Crosstour and Odyssey, all contributed to make 2010 a year of steady growth for American Honda," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "Moving into 2011, we look to build on this momentum with multiple all-new or revised product introductions. We are confident that the entire Honda and Acura portfolio of vehicles will be well-positioned to meet the demands of an evolving market."

Monthly Civic sales increased by 31.3 percent to 28,263, setting a new December sales record. The CR-V, the country's best-selling SUV for the fifth year in a row, increased sales by 28.3 percent to 23,125, also setting a new December record. Accord monthly sales increased 18.9 percent for December to 32,381.

Additional models with monthly sales gains included the redesigned Odyssey, up 17.4 percent to 10,147; the Pilot, up 16.7 percent to 10,337; and the Fit, up 10.3 percent to 4,860.

The Acura Division's year-end sales totaled 133,606, up 27.2 percent compared to 2009 results. December Acura sales totaled 15,489, an increase of 51.9 percent. The MDX led the division with annual sales of 47,210, followed by the TL with sales of 34,049.

December TSX sales increased 55.7 percent to 4,393, setting a new December record. Additional Acura models with monthly sales gains included the MDX, up 110.6 percent, to 5,887; the TL, up 7.2 percent to 3,275; and the RDX, up 24.5 percent to 1,540.

* The annual Daily Selling Rate (DSR) is calculated with 306 days for 2010 and 308 days for 2009. December 2010 included 27 selling days versus 28 selling days for 2009. All percentages represent DSR.