PETALING JAYA: Toyota has its Hilux and Nissan has its Navara, which leaves Honda as the odd one out among the major Japanese automakers in not selling a pick-up truck in Malaysia.
It intends to keep it that way.
There simply isn't enough volume to justify selling a pick-up truck locally, said Honda Malaysia president and chief operating officer Sarly Adle Sarkum.
Although Honda does sell a truck - the Ridgeline - in the United States, converting it for a right-hand drive market would incur additional costs, Sarly said in an interview on BFM business radio station on Tuesday.
The Ridgeline interior.
It's also not feasible to make Malaysia a regional hub to build pick-up trucks to sell to Thailand, a major regional market for such vehicles, he added.
Sarly also spoke about the upcoming new City, describing it as a "game-changer" and said the model would help pull it well ahead of the competition. He also said it would be priced a little more than the outgoing model but with much-improved specifications.
The all-new B-segment Nissan Almera is poised for launch in October, pitching itself against the City.
