Honda de México
Honda Motor Co.'s Mexican subsidiary, responsible for vehicle manufacturing, component production, sales, and market operations in Mexico.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Honda de México S.A. de C.V. is the Mexican subsidiary of Japanese automotive manufacturer Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Founded in September 1985, the company developed manufacturing operations in Jalisco and later expanded its industrial footprint to Guanajuato. Its activities have included the production and assembly of motorcycles, passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vehicle components, and spare parts, as well as Honda's commercial presence in Mexico. The company's principal industrial base is in El Salto, Jalisco. Construction and investment for the main facility began in the 1980s, with production starting in 1988. The plant initially assembled the CBR100 motorcycle and had an annual capacity of approximately 50,000 units, employing about 1,000 people at the time. Subsequent expansion increased capacity to approximately 200,000 units annually and raised employment to roughly 2,800 workers. The El Salto operation later produced or assembled several Honda motorcycle models and passenger vehicles, including generations of the Accord and CR-V. It also manufactured components and replacement parts for Acura vehicles and participated in Honda's export network. Honda de México also operated a separate facility in Guadalajara. Production there began in 1988 with the CH80 scooter. The Activa and C90 motorcycle models were subsequently associated with the plant, which was closed in 2009 after demand weakened. The Guadalajara operation illustrates the company's earlier emphasis on localized motorcycle manufacturing and assembly before production was consolidated elsewhere. A further expansion began in the state of Guanajuato in 2011, when Honda started construction of a Celaya manufacturing plant. The facility was planned for production of the Fit and designed for annual capacity of up to 200,000 units. The project represented a major expansion of Honda's Mexican manufacturing network and complemented the established Jalisco operations. Across its history, Honda de México has moved from a motorcycle-focused manufacturing presence toward a broader automotive and component platform. Its Mexican operations have supported domestic sales while also supplying selected export markets, including Argentina. Model programs have changed over time in response to product cycles, demand, plant strategy, and Honda's wider North American production network. The company is best understood as a national operating and manufacturing subsidiary within Honda's global automotive group rather than as an independently listed brand.
History
Honda de México was established in September 1985 as Honda Motor Co.'s Mexican subsidiary. The company's early development centered on building a local production base rather than relying exclusively on imported Honda products. Its principal plant was developed at El Salto in Jalisco, where production commenced in 1988. The first product identified with the facility was the CBR100 motorcycle. At the beginning of production, the plant employed approximately 1,000 workers and had a reported maximum annual capacity of about 50,000 units. Honda expanded the El Salto complex as its Mexican business grew. The enlarged operation began producing the fifth-generation Accord in 1995, increasing annual capacity to approximately 200,000 units and raising employment to about 2,800 people. Production of the sixth-generation Accord followed in 1997. In 1999, the company began exporting products from Mexico, linking the country's manufacturing operations to Honda's regional supply and distribution system. Motorcycle manufacturing remained an important part of the Mexican operation. In 2002, El Salto began producing the C100 Biz, while the Guadalajara facility produced smaller motorcycles and scooters. The Guadalajara plant had begun production in 1988 with the CH80. The Activa replaced the CH80 in April 2004, and the C90 was also produced there by July 2005. The Guadalajara plant was ultimately closed in 2009 because of low demand. Honda's passenger-vehicle portfolio in Mexico continued to evolve through model changes and plant reallocation. The seventh-generation Accord entered the Mexican market in 2002, although assembly of that generation in Mexico did not begin until 2004. In 2004, production of the Beat 100 also began at El Salto, and the Accord was exported to Argentina. The Mexican operation additionally produced vehicle components and spare parts for the Acura RL beginning in 2004. Accord production ended in 2007, after which the third-generation CR-V became an important replacement program at the facility. El Salto began production of the fourth-generation CR-V in January 2012. Honda subsequently expanded in central Mexico. Construction of a new plant in Celaya, Guanajuato, began in autumn 2011. The site was planned to produce the Honda Fit and represented a major investment in the company's Mexican industrial network. Planned capacity was approximately 200,000 vehicles per year, with a projected workforce of up to 3,200 employees and a site area of roughly 5.66 million square meters. The resulting structure gave Honda de México two distinct industrial phases and locations: the long-established El Salto operation in Jalisco, which combined motorcycle, automobile, component, and parts activity, and the newer Celaya operation in Guanajuato, designed around higher-volume automobile manufacturing. Over time, the company shifted from an initial emphasis on motorcycles toward a diversified automotive presence while retaining responsibility for Honda's Mexican commercial operations. The available reference material does not establish a complete current product lineup, executive roster, ownership detail beyond its Honda affiliation, or subsequent plant developments; those matters therefore remain unspecified here.
- 2012
Fourth-generation CR-V production begins
[1]El Salto began production of the fourth-generation Honda CR-V in January.
- 2011
Celaya plant construction begins
[1]Honda began construction of a new manufacturing plant in Celaya, Guanajuato, planned for Fit production.
- 2009
Guadalajara plant closes
[1]Honda closed the Guadalajara plant after low demand affected the facility's motorcycle production.
- 2007
Accord production ends at El Salto
[1]Production of the Accord ended at the El Salto facility, with the third-generation CR-V becoming the subsequent major vehicle program identified for the plant.
- 2004
Motorcycle and component programs expand
[1]El Salto began producing the Beat 100, Accord assembly began in Mexico for the seventh-generation model, and the company started manufacturing components and spare parts for the Acura RL.
- 2002
C100 Biz production begins
[1]The El Salto plant began producing the C100 Biz motorcycle.
- 1999
Exports begin
[1]Honda de México began exporting products from its Mexican manufacturing operations.
- 1997
Sixth-generation Accord production starts
[1]El Salto began production of the sixth-generation Accord.
- 1995
Fifth-generation Accord production starts
[1]The expanded El Salto operation began producing the fifth-generation Honda Accord, with reported annual capacity rising to approximately 200,000 units.
- 1988
El Salto and Guadalajara production begins
[1]Production began at the El Salto and Guadalajara facilities. El Salto initially assembled the CBR100, while Guadalajara produced the CH80.
Products and positioning
A locally established manufacturing and sales organization bringing Honda passenger vehicles, motorcycles, components, and after-sales parts to Mexico while supporting selected exports.
Passenger car · 1995
Honda Accord
The Accord was one of Honda de México's principal automobile programs at El Salto. The plant produced the fifth-generation model from 1995, the sixth generation from 1997, and later assembled the seventh generation beginning in 2004. Mexican production ended in 2007. The program also supported exports, including shipments to Argentina.
Sport utility vehicle
Honda CR-V
The CR-V became a major successor program at El Salto after Accord production ended. The reference material identifies production of the third-generation CR-V after the Accord program and the start of fourth-generation production in January 2012.
Passenger car
Honda Fit
The Fit was the vehicle designated for production at Honda's Celaya plant in Guanajuato. The project was planned around high-volume automobile manufacturing, with a reported maximum annual capacity of approximately 200,000 units.
Motorcycle · 1988
Honda CBR100
The CBR100 was identified as the first product to roll off the assembly line at Honda's El Salto plant when production began in 1988. It represents the company's early motorcycle-focused manufacturing phase in Mexico.
Motorcycle · 2002
Honda C100 Biz
The C100 Biz entered production at El Salto in June 2002. It was part of Honda de México's continuing motorcycle manufacturing activity alongside its expanding passenger-vehicle operations.
Motorcycle · 2004
Honda Beat 100
Production of the Beat 100 began at El Salto in February 2004. The model formed part of the facility's scooter and small-motorcycle output during the period when Honda was also expanding automobile and component work.
Scooter · 2004
Honda Activa
The Activa replaced the CH80 at Honda's Guadalajara plant in April 2004. Its production was part of the facility's motorcycle and scooter operations before the Guadalajara plant closed in 2009.
Automotive components · 2004
Acura RL components and spare parts
Beginning in 2004, Honda de México manufactured vehicle components and replacement parts for the Acura RL. This activity broadened the Mexican operation beyond complete-vehicle and motorcycle assembly.
Brand decisions
2011
Expand Mexican manufacturing with the Celaya plantStrategyBackground
Honda sought to expand its Mexican automobile manufacturing network beyond the established El Salto operation.
Action taken
Honda began construction of a Celaya, Guanajuato, plant planned for Honda Fit production, with reported maximum capacity of approximately 200,000 vehicles annually.
Aftermath
The project created a second major automobile manufacturing location in Mexico. The reference material does not provide confirmed final investment, production, or employment outcomes.
2009
Close the Guadalajara production plantStrategyBackground
The Guadalajara facility produced motorcycles and scooters, but the reference material attributes its closure to low demand.
Action taken
Honda de México closed the Guadalajara plant and concentrated its Mexican industrial activity in other operations.
Aftermath
The closure ended the facility's CH80, Activa, and C90-related production history. No further financial or employment effect is specified in the available material.
Sources1 sources
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