UPDATE 1-Honda to ramp up SUV output in N.America - Nikkei

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Japan's Honda Motor Co will ramp up production of sports utility vehicles (SUV) in North America and reduce export to the region to offset the impact of strong yen on its earnings, the Nikkei said.

Honda will invest $300 million in its Alabama facility in the United States to raise the output capacity to 340,000 units from 300,000, the business daily said.

The extra capacity at the Alabama plant will be used to make Acura MDX SUVs, which are made by the Canadian plant at present, the paper said.

The Canadian facility will start making CR-V SUV in 2012 and take over from Honda's Sayama plant in Japan as part of a shift, the daily said.