Honda Cars India has become really bullish and aggressive in its strategy for India car market since it has split from the previous joint venture with SIEL. As per a fresh media report by our fellow publication ACI, Honda Cars India has reveled their aggressive car launch strategy for next 3 years which includes 8 new cars between 2012 to 2015 which is quite an aggressive plan for a car maker which has a very limited portfolio and market share in India.
The most important launches of these 8 new cars will be the diesel cars lineup which will be launched by Honda in India starting with a sub-4 meter Honda Brio Diesel Sedan which will powered by a 1.5 litre earth dreams series all aluminium engine developed especially for markets like India. The new light weight diesel engine will feature best in class mileage and performance figures as per Honda officials.
2013 Honda CRV
If we start chronologically towards the upcoming new launches from Honda Cars India, the first one to join to Indian car portfolio will the new all new Honda CRV which has been spied testing on Indian roads near the Noida production facility of Honda Cars India. The new CR-V will feature only a petrol engine and no diesel will be offer on this SUV.
Honda Brio Diesel Sedan
Next in line is the sub-4 meter Honda Brio sedan which will be the first diesel car by Honda Cars in India and will feature the 1.5 litre diesel engine unit. The petrol version is also expected with the same 1.2 litre iVTEC engine which powers the Brio and Jazz. The Brio sedan maybe the next volume segment player as this segment is quite hot in India and has been dominated by Swift Dzire which sells far more than any competitor in India.
Honda Brio Diesel Hatchback
The Honda Brio Diesel hatchback may be finally launched in India post the Brio diesel sedan. But one of the hurdles Honda is facing is the localization of the Diesel engine unit so that a small car like Brio diesel hatch may become economically viable for Honda Cars India. If launched, it may become a popular product in this segment as the cars like Figo Diesel, Ritz Diesel and Swift Diesel sell in good numbers in India.
Next Generation Honda Accord
2013 Honda Accord will break covers in India in late 2013 but it will not be offered with a diesel heart. It will come only with petrol engine option as it may not be a financially viable option to put a diesel unit in the car as the volumes of Accords sold in India don’t justify dieselization.
2014 Honda City
Honda City is one of the undisputed winners in its segment when it comes to handling, features, performance and mileage. City is one of the most popular cars from Honda Cars in India and the next generation City which will be 2014 City is likely to debut in India in December 2013 or January 2014 at the Auto Expo 2014. The best part of the next generation City is that it may finally come with a diesel heart which may give it a huge boost in sales. Honda City Diesel is one of the most anticipated and looked for diesel cars in its segment by City fans.
2014 Honda Jazz
The Honda Jazz still does not sell in the numbers it deserve being one of the most spacious cars in its segment. The reason behind it is no rocket science, it’s the pricing. The next generation 2014 Jazz which may be launched with both petrol and diesel engine option in early 2014 may gain more sales volumes with new styling and more localization making it a more value for money offering. Competition in this space is quite intense among cars like Swift, i20 etc.
Honda’s Brio Based MPV To Rival Ertiga
Next in line a Honda MPV which will be a 7 seater MPV to rival Maruti Ertiga, Mahindra Xylo and the likes. Its will be a 7 seater just like Ertiga and will feature a fuel efficient engine lineup which may include both petrol and diesel. The project is in early stages and is likely to make it to production towards the end of 2014.
Honda’s Compact Crossover To Rival EcoSport / Duster
Last but not the least is the Honda compact crossover or SUV which is expected to be developed on the 2014 Honda City platform and will be a compact just like Duster and EcoSport which is the upcoming segment. This compact crossover is likely to hit the roads by 2015. The new compact SUV segment is also quite hot with Volkswagen just gave their go ahead to Taigun. The competition is only going to intensify more with player like Maruti Suzuki also joining in with the production version of Maruti XA-Alpha by then.
source – Autocar India
