The global semiconductor shortage for automobiles is taking a toll on local deliveries of the all-new Honda HR-V crossover.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) announced in a Sept. 24, 2022 Facebook post that the arrival of the HR-V is pushed back indefinitely.

"As we remain committed to providing our customers with world-class vehicles, we are appealing for more understanding on the delayed arrival of the All-New Honda HR-V," the company said.

"This has been due to a global parts shortage that continues to hamper production volume, and the arrival schedule remains uncertain," it added. "We sincerely apologize for this situation."

HCPI told AutoFun Philippines that only the HR-V is affected and that stocks of its other models remain stable.

Honda Cars global cutbacks

The statement comes after Honda Cars announced this month a production cutback of up to 40 percent at its assembly plants in Japan starting early October 2022.

This is the second major output reduction for the Japanese carmaker this year in light of long-standing supply issues of semiconductors, which are used in a wide range of car components. These include chips for engine computers, infotainment systems and safety systems.

Even though the Philippine-market HR-V is assembled in Thailand, HCPI said the model is likewise affected by the global shortage.

Issues with automotive semiconductors began in early 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when global car production was forced to wind down because of economic and health restrictions.

As car production started to rebound in the following years, carmakers were faced with insufficient supply, competing with other major semiconductor-dependent industries like PC and smartphone manufacturers.

Major crossover contender

The all-new HR-V was launched in the Philippines on Apr. 19, 2022.

The HR-V is an important model in the HCPI line-up, going up against the likes of the top-selling Geely Coolray in the lucrative subcompact crossover segment.

As with its predecessor, the HR-V uses the platform of the Honda Fit hatchback, which is not available locally.

The V model, priced at PhP 1,250,000, is powered by a 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 engine with 121 PS and 145 Nm.

The V Turbo and RS Turbo, worth PhP 1,598,000 and PhP 1,739,000 respectively, have a turbocharged version of the 1.5-liter inline-4 with 177 PS and 240 Nm.

All variants are mated to a continuously variable transmission and are equipped with Honda Sensing, which is heavily reliant on semiconductors to work. The safety system includes collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and lane departure warning.

Will this delay make you want to reconsider your HR-V reservation or will you stick it out like a loyal trooper until the cars arrive?