Honda to launch three models next year

CarDekho was the first to announce that Honda dealers have already started taking bookings of the next-generation City and now we share our story where we speak on what all models will the company introduce next year. In our story in April 2013, we had mentioned that Honda will get five new products. These are the Amaze, new Jazz, new City, Mobilio and the Jazz SUV. The Amaze is already launched and up next year Honda is gearing up to get three new products.

The Amaze is already on sale since mid-2013 and this was the first Honda vehicle to get a diesel engine for the India market. This is a 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces about 100bhp of power and it has an ARAI acclaim fuel efficiency of 25.8km/l. This engine will be the base for all the upcoming Honda models and the Japanese manufacturer will just change the power ratings on all the other models. All the upcoming products will have petrol and diesel both on offer.

The new Honda City will soon have its global unveiling sometime this month end, maybe at the Tokyo Motor Show. The new Jazz and the Mobilio are already revealed globally. All the three products will be showcased at the upcoming Auto Expo in February and they will be launched this year itself. Also, the company will update its existing Accord. The Brio could also see a facelift mostly in 2015. The Jazz SUV and the Brio diesel might be scheduled for the next year.

At the moment, Honda is operating only from its Greater Noida plant that has a maximum annual production capacity of 150,000 units. This is one reason why the company didn’t introduce more products. However, in 2014 Honda’s Rajasthan plant will be functional and this means that an additional 120,000 units from the Alwar plant will bump the production. This means Honda will produce 270,000 units annually in the Indian market. The company has made an investment of Rs 2500 crore to make this Dist Alwar plant in Rajasthan. Honda might have almost doubled its capacity, but it is still away from having a major share in the market like Maruti Suzuki or Hyundai. But the company is definitely looking at doubling at its sales by the end of 2014.