Honda Boasts Three Of The Top Four Most-Visited New Cars On Kbb.com During Q1 2012

Mirroring Sales Statistics, Honda's New CR-V, Civic, Accord among Most Popular Models with Shoppers on Kbb.com

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May 24, 2012, 05:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book, the leading provider of new car and used car information, today reveals that Honda had three out of the four most-visited new cars during the first quarter of 2012 on its top-rated website, www.kbb.com. The Honda CR-V was the most-shopped new vehicle on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com during Q1 2012, with the Civic taking No. 2 and Accord following at No. 4 during the same time period.

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"With the recent redesign of Honda's CR-V, the brand hit a home run among in-market new-car shoppers garnering more traffic than any other new car on kbb.com during the first quarter of the year," said Akshay Anand, market intelligence web analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "Creating popular new product supported by witty and engaging marketing efforts, Honda clearly resonates strongly with consumers."

In-market new-car shoppers have taken a strong liking to the CR-V crossover thanks to its favorable recent redesign combined with increased visibility attributed to popular advertising, such as the 'Ferris Bueller'-themed TV spot airing during the Super Bowl in February. In addition to its most-shopped status on kbb.com, the new CR-V also captured the No. 1 spot in compact crossover sales during Q1 2012.

The fuel-sipping Civic, also redesigned for 2012, undoubtedly benefitted from a spike in gas prices during the first quarter of the year. The hot-selling compact model also has been supported by steady advertising for its sporty Si version and technology-laden EX-L trim. The Civic holds the top spot in Q1 2012 sales in the highly competitive compact segment, besting the also-redesigned Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Jetta by a healthy margin.

The Accord, a perennial highly shopped stalwart, has benefitted from recent increased buzz surrounding mid-size cars. With many popular new designs hitting the mid-size class this year, including a forthcoming Accord redesign slated for fall and other hot-selling models with redesigns this year including Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima, the popular sedan segment is experiencing a renaissance. The current-generation Accord continues to show impressive sales numbers even before the debut of its redesign later this year, outselling the popular new Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima while staying close on the heels of segment leader Camry in April 2012.

"Once the redesigned Accord arrives later this year, we could see a shakeup in the mid-size sedan category, especially as the competition heats up with the arrival of a redesigned Altima and Fusion," said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "Boasting three of the top 10 best-selling cars during the first quarter of 2012 combined with mirrored interest from scores of new-car shoppers on kbb.com, Honda is poised for continued success this year."

Other popular Honda models placing among the top 50 most-visited new cars on kbb.com during Q1 2012 include the Odyssey at No. 24, Pilot at No. 28 and Fit at No. 45.

The redesigned Toyota Camry reached No. 2, and Hyundai's popular Sonata climbed to No. 5, to round out the top five most-visited new cars on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com during Q1 2012.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), or like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Suggested Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies. Kbb.com provides consumer pricing and information on minivans, pickup trucks, sedan, hybrids, electric cars, and SUVs. Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity and was named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year by the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study. Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.