Bangkok--5 Oct--Aziam Burson-Marsteller New product launch reinforces Honda’s leadership in motorcycle innovation and targets all teen segments Honda pursues its product-oriented strategy to stimulate the Thai motorcycle market in the last quarter of 2007 and expand sales during the high season with the introduction of new, chic ‘icon’ A.T. motorcycle. The new model incorporates five unique features under the Smart & Naughty concept and reflects teens’ personalities. The new ‘icon’ is available in three unique styles including Sport, Cute and Cyber at value-based prices to meet the demands of all teen segments. To boost the new model’s image and strengthen more customer access, the presenters of the new ‘icon’ are popular music and drama artists. Honda will hold big events to boost the new product’s sales in Bangkok and upcountry and offer 30,000 exclusive gift sets to ‘icon’ buyers in October. According to Mr. Zenjiro Sakurai, President, A.P. Honda Co., Ltd., “The motorcycle market has been growing at a slower rate since September 2006. Given such circumstances, Honda is delivering new value in its motorcycles to Thai riders. This is intended to stimulate and encourage the overall market to be more active and dynamic. ‘Icon’ is Honda’s 3rd A.T. model after Click and Air Blade. It was exclusively designed to be the preferred choice of compact A.T. motorbikes with enhanced mobility at more affordable prices. The development of this new model was intended to make a motorcycle for traveling, but to also create a part of the users’ lifestyle that reflects their personality. The new model has been designed to meet the needs of a diverse range of users and thus is available in 3 styles, including Sport, Cute and Cyber. The innovative ‘icon’ was developed under the Smart & Naughty styling theme to reflect a modern, fun and agile shape. It incorporates five important properties including its being compact, modern, comfortable, unique and is on offer at very affordable prices. Given these five features, augmented with the diverse lifestyles of all teen and new generation segments, the creation of the new ‘icon’ model can best respond to the differences in drivers’ personalities. The new ‘icon’ includes three styles — Sport for modern riders who prefer excitement and challenge, Cute for young, lively and stylish girl and Cyber for consumers who prefer technological advances. Honda ‘icon’ is the new A.T. motorcycle and is featured in a compact and swift design. The lower seat cushion and newly designed front and rear footrests, which are raised to a level that is even with the chassis, offers comfort for both the rider and the passenger. With an all-new chassis, the chic Honda icon contains the ultra head lights which are underpinned by the multi-reflector system, flashy tail light, a sporty style mirror cover meter and a sporty style exhaust pipe with stylish heat shield. Convenient features of the new series include a utility hook at the front console pad, inner box console, mini U-box, front basket lock and electric starter. The comprehensive safety features, which are Honda’s proprietary technology, include combi brake — a safety brake technology that distributes balanced braking power to the front and rear wheels; parking brake that works the same way as a car’s hand brake and prevents the motorcycle from moving even when it is parked on a slope; a side stand switch that causes the engine to shut off as soon as the side-stand is lowered to prevent hazards caused by forgetting to pull up the side stand before starting the bike and a front brake operated by a dual piston disc brake system. New ‘icon’ is powered by the compact, built-in 4-stroke 110 cc air cooled engine that provides high performance but consumes less fuel. With the unique cooling fan, Honda icon is free from engine overheating. The V-Matic belt-drive transmission uses a long-lasting reinforced steel belt, delivers engine power to the rear wheel efficiently and provides a more comfortable ride. To ensure ultimate security, the unsurpassed theft prevention technology includes key shutter for double protection and key code plate with a unique code number. Without the code number of the key itself, the code plate can be kept secret to prevent access to the code. To strengthen icon image and awareness, the presenters are appointed to represent Honda icon in all marketing communication matters. For the icon Sport, the presenters are Jack or Jarupong Kluaymaingam and Shane or Thana Limpayaraya of the hot-hit Nice 2 Meet U boy band. The lovely young female star, Saipan or Apinya Sakulchaorensuk is the presenter of the icon Cute and Bank or Athikit Pringporm, a famous vocalist of the Black Vanilla band is the presenter of icon Cyber. Three icon Junior Ambassador mascots were also developed to intensify communications with the target customers. They are Speedy, Cutie and Tera representing icon Sport, Cute and Cyber, respectively. For sales promotions, Honda will organize big events in Greater Bangkok and upcountry and sponsor concerts featuring its presenters. In Greater Bangkok, the company, in collaboration with RS Plc., will hold the “Icon Meets Zheza Day”, an exciting Asian street fashion lifestyle activity at the open area in front of Central World on Saturday, October 6, 2007. The upcountry events will include four mini motor shows in Khon Kaen during October 20-21, 2007; Had Yai, Songkhla. between November 3 and 4, 2007; Rayong between October 10 and 11, 2007 and Chiang Mai between November 17 and 18, 2007. Additionally, Honda is producing a wide range of accessories and decorative parts to suit unique tastes and styles. These accessories include Honda icon c-parts, drivers’ apparel and the Honda icon collection of ornaments that reflects the street fashion concept. Honda works closely with locally and internationally accepted PlayHound teens fashion brand under the GreyHound Group to create the ‘icon’ collection limited edition that converges Honda’s icon spirit and the PlayHound mission. The new fashion collection is unique and distinctive and this offers the image of chic fashion and modernity for the Honda icon. Customers who buy a Honda icon within October 2007 will each receive an exclusive gift set worth 1,200 baht. The gift sets are available in a limited edition of 30,000 sets. Honda icon is available in diverse designs and colors, including icon Sport in four colors under sport fashion graphic style — marine blue, gayety red, ross white and asteroid black metallic; icon Cute in two colors under pop art graphic style — pink pearl and green apple and icon Cyber in two colors under digital graphic style — giga white and black zion. Both icon Cute and icon Cyber are supplemented with the combi brake for added safety. Icon sport and icon Cute will be available from October 10th and icon Cyber from October 24th. The starting price of Honda icon is 41,000 baht each. Monthly sales are expected to reach 25,000 units. For further information please contact: Sales Promotion Division A.P. Honda Co.,Ltd. Jutamart Inpringkanant Tel. 0 2757-6111 ext 2502 or 0 1920 6830 Thanyalak Chaiyapa Tel. 0 2757-6111 ext 2508 or 0 9810 7713 Aziam Burson-Marsteller Satida Sritunyatorn or Wittawat Eakusdron Tel. 0 2252 9871