Honda to pursue Russian market for Pilot
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 3:52 PM
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Honda Motor Co. plans to ship its Alabama-built Pilot sport-utility vehicle to Russia in hopes of boosting its North American plant production rates, the company announced this week.
The 2009 version of the Pilot will be the first U.S. model made by the carmaker to be exported for sale in Russia. The sedan is made in Lincoln and shipments start late this year, media outlets have reported.
The Lincoln's 1,500 plant employees Tuesday celebrated the first run of the 2009 redesigned Pilot, which rolled off the assembly line at 10:05 a.m.
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"Today we mark a significant milestone - the launch of an all-new Pilot built by one team, with one goal and built only in sweet home Alabama," said Hiroshi Sasamoto, president and CEO of Honda's Alabama operations in a news release.
About 750,000 of the first Pilot version, which was introduced in the summer of 2002, have been sold, the company said.
Early next year, the Honda plant will add a third model to its production lineup, the Ridgeline pickup truck.
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