Despite Honda ’s comparatively small drop in September sales – down just 1.1 percent – and increasing global demand for its products, the automaker’s operating profit fell nearly 81 percent in North America during the second quarter. Honda says that reduced demand – down 9.9 percent overall during the quarter – hurt its operating profit.
Honda has revamped its North American production to focus more on the efficient Civic and four-cylinder Accord rather than its Odyssey minivan and Ridgeline pickup, but the automaker still expects 2008 to post a sales decline in North America.
Honda expects North America to be the only market to decline in 2008 and current company estimates put the drop at about 6.6 percent lower than last year.
