Friday, June 03, 2016
By Kamal Swami
Honda to bring Accord and Civic back in Indian car market
After strengthening its weakening position in Indian car market during last five three years by launching compact sedan Amaze, facelift Honda City and hatchback Jazz followed by compact SUV Mobilio and new SUV BR-V, Japanese car maker Honda Motors is speculating to bring the upgraded versions of its saloons Accord and Civic back in Indian car market along with new CR-V. According to company sources the refreshed Accord would be launched sometimes during the next half of this year along with CR-V in 2017 and Civic during 2018-19.
The sources related with production unit of car maker said that both Accord and Civic had played an important role in enhancing the position of company in Indian car market at the time when they were introduced in Indian car market, but as the time passed and shift towards compact vehicles increased company noticed decline in their sales and had to phase out them for market. Talking about the CR-V SUV, company sources said that going through the demand for diesel engine company has decided to launch its new avatar in diesel variant also along with petrol engine.
In the words of Mr. Yoichiro Ueno, the newly appointed M.D, of HCIL, "It is important to utilise premium image, earlier the premium image came because of products, but now with a wide portfolio, we want to emphasis premium ness with buying and usage experience of the brand. Products will be important for future." With increasing craze of buyers towards SUV segment, Japanese car maker also intends to bring its new portfolio to compete against its strong contenders and therefore it now focusing on segments in which it earlier had strong presence.
