Honda Argentina began the official manufacturing of the TRX420FM model at its Campana plant, province of Buenos Aires. This project, which required a investment of US$24 million It represents the brand’s first foray into the local production of quadricycles.
To present the model’s manufacturing line, the Japanese terminal held an event at the plant that was attended by employees, journalists, delegates, managers and the ambassador of Japan, Yoshitaka Hoshino.
The initiative is part of a comprehensive plan to diversify its productive offer in the country, where the company has maintained an operational presence since 1978 and has a history of two decades in the assembly of motorcycles.
The TRX420FM It emerges not only as a recreational vehicle, but seeks to expand in the market as a work tool designed for rural areas.
The plant, which employs nearly 1,000 people, incorporated 100 new collaborators77 of them working on the specific line.
Honda’s strategy has a marked exporter profile. The company It anticipates that 90% of the 10,000 units it will manufacture annually will be destined for the Brazilian market..
The first units will be available to local customers starting in April, through the official dealer network, with a suggested price of US$11,500. The goal by the end of the year is to reach an assembly rate of 43 units per day.
To achieve the manufacturing of this model in Campana, the company had to establish an agreement with suppliers to develop local components. The integration plan for national parts follows a progressive scheme to comply with the ACE 14 protocol, with a goal of 35% integration in the first year, then escalating to 40% and 50% percent in the following stages.
Currently, the United States is the main supplier of critical supplies. In second place is Japan, where the engine and hardware come from.
To compare the scale of production, Honda’s factory in North Carolina, in the United States, manufactures 450 units per day.
“It is possible to produce in Argentina while being competitive with other markets”they assured from the plant when evaluating the impact of this new line, which is added to the three existing ones for motorcycles. With more than 1,600,000 motorcycles produced in the country since 2006, the company ratifies its commitment to industrial development.
“The start of local production of quadricycles marks a very relevant step for our operation in Argentina, since it allows us to enter this segment for the first time with national manufacturing,” said Keiji Inoue, president of Honda Motor of Argentina.
He Honda TRX 420until now of American origin, presents dimensions of 2103 mm long, 1204 mm wide and 1173 mm highwith a wheelbase of 1270 mm. The seat height is 856 mm in the TM version and 853 mm on the FM, while the curb weight is 279 kg (263 kg in the TM).
In the mechanical section, it is equipped with a 420cc single-cylinder enginefour-stroke, two-valve, overhead camshaft (OHV) and liquid cooling. The start is electric and the Fuel tank has a capacity of 14.8 liters, including 4.9 liters of reserve.
The transmission is five speed with reverse and constant coupling. As for traction, it offers a simple rear configuration in the TM version, while the FM incorporates all-wheel drive with TraxLok system and front differential. The braking system consists of 190 mm front hydraulic discs and a 160 mm sealed rear drum.
The Front suspension is independent double wishbone with 170 mm of travel and the rear has a swing arm and monoshockalso with 170 mm of travel. Mounts 24 x 8-12 front tires and 24 x 10-11 rear tires. In terms of working capacity, it supports 30 kg of load on the front luggage rack and 60 kg on the rear, in addition to offering a towing capacity of up to 385 kg.
