The fourth largest carmaker in the country is Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) and yet holds a market share of about 5.55 percent. In spite of being the business for more than two decades, the Japanese carmaker’s success in the small car segment is limited. So the company has now decided to focus on compact SUVs and sedan to boost volumes in India.
At the recently concluded Auto Expo, Honda Cars India introduced the new generation of the Amaze sedan which is based on an all-new platform, codenamed 2UA. Presently, the carmaker is analyzing the probability of introducing a compact SUV which would compete against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza utilizing the new Amaze’s platform, reports ET Auto.
“We prefer the SUV space to small cars. The SUV is a growing segment in India; it offers more potential than a small car in the current context. We are studying multiple SUV options on the new Amaze platform,” the publication quoted Yoichiro Ueno, president and CEO of HCIL as saying. The report further states that the next generation of the Brio is not a preference for Honda presently and the project is currently on the backburner.
It seems decision of Honda comes after the witnessing the success of the SUV-like WR-V crossover. The WR-V with its sturdy look, performed much better than supposed for Honda while the MPV-styled Mobilio seemed to have not performed well with Indian buyers. Eventually, Honda stopped the production of the Mobilio while similarly styled BR-V sales also fizzled out after an initial excitement.
Honda is said to make no experiment with its new project in terms of style. A proper boxy design is expected from the compact SUV which would look similar to Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and it will be packed with features to get an edge over the rivals.
Moreover, Honda is also analysing the possibility of introducing HRV premium SUV for the domestic market. Meanwhile, Honda’s new SUV thrust will kick off with the new CR-V launch later this year. The model was showcased at Auto Expo 2018.