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Old 5th December 2019, 11:24   #661
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

Honda Cars India registered a total sales of 6,459 units in November 2019 as against 13,006 units during the corresponding month last year, which is a massive 50 per cent sales decline.

The Civic was the only Honda Car that topped it's segment with 375 units being despatched.

At this rate, I don't think Honda will be able to compete with the Korean and Chinese onslaught.
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Old 5th December 2019, 13:04   #662
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

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Originally Posted by coolkurt View Post
Honda Cars India registered a total sales of 6,459 units in November 2019 as against 13,006 units during the corresponding month last year, which is a massive 50 per cent sales decline.
======
At this rate, I don't think Honda will be able to compete with the Korean and Chinese onslaught.

The Sub 20L SUV segment has been the game changer. Maybe we can expect Honda to enter that space. They have always been slow to respond when it comes to India
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Old 5th December 2019, 13:52   #663
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

Isn't the WR-V crossover built on the current generation City platform? Instead of depending on the Amaze, City and Jazz, the last of which will feel extremely dated especially after the Altroz and the next i20, why can't Honda retool the platform of the new City to create a Creta fighter, like it created an Ecosport rival with the WR-V? Speaking of the WR-V, it really needs to be updated too.
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Old 7th December 2019, 10:27   #664
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Honda India : The Way Forward

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Originally Posted by BZ25 View Post
Isn't the WR-V crossover built on the current generation City platform? Instead of depending on the Amaze, City and Jazz, the last of which will feel extremely dated especially after the Altroz and the next i20, why can't Honda retool the platform of the new City to create a Creta fighter, like it created an Ecosport rival with the WR-V? Speaking of the WR-V, it really needs to be updated too.

I believe CITY and Jazz are both based on a same platform.
WRV being a raised Jazz it is also built with the same mechanicals.
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Old 7th December 2019, 11:00   #665
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

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WRV being a raised Jazz it is also built with the same mechanicals.
So it's possible that Honda can create a Creta fighter with this platform or the one of the next generation City. Hopefully they get their senses kicking soon.
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Old 30th January 2020, 20:10   #666
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

The title of this thread should probably be renamed to , 'Honda - Is there a way forward?'

On a serious note, barring the Amaze, there really isn't anything worthy in their stable. They're banking too much on the new City, in a segment that's fast losing to Compact SUVs, it's going to need a herculean effort to sustain initial sales figures.

I come from a family that had the City and the Civic in it's stable and we still talk their reliability. But Honda isn't doing anything exciting anymore, nor is it a front-runner or aim to be the trendsetter in India. That's why they will fail.
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Old 30th January 2020, 20:29   #667
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

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Originally Posted by BZ25 View Post
I, why can't Honda retool the platform of the new City to create a Creta fighter, like it created an Ecosport rival with the WR-V?
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Originally Posted by BZ25 View Post
So it's possible that Honda can create a Creta fighter with this platform or the one of the next generation City. Hopefully they get their senses kicking soon.
There was a news around August last year, that, Honda is trying to develop a new CSUV milking the Amaze platform. Hope the news is good and authentic and they are still on it.

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The title of this thread should probably be renamed to , 'Honda - Is there a way forward?'
Do they have one? None in the distant sight still.
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Old 30th January 2020, 20:54   #668
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

The H badge no longer commands the trust and confidence that it used to. Honda need a City that is inexpensive and built to the standards they were known for!



The Mobilio and BRV hurt them far more than they gained and exposed their greed of milking a hatch way beyond reason.



Its a matter of time Amaze loses out to newer competition (Electrics included).
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Old 31st January 2020, 12:05   #669
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

Here is my 'recipe-for-success' to Honda India:

1) Do away with protectionist policies: Example - it would have cost them nothing to introduce the Jazz and WR-V with the L15 motor from day one. The issue with trying to protect your product (City) from stablemates is that outsiders eat your lunch anyway.
Difficulty level: Easiest

2) Advertise the USPs of your products better: They biggest feature of the Jazz and the City is how well they drive. A sorted chassis and suspension setup, feelsome brakes, good steering feedback, smooth engines are their strengths. Advertise them! If you don't believe me, check out the Autocar track test leader board, where the 2014 City at #101 beat 'enthusiast' cars like the Abarth Punto and the Polo GT TSi by a fair margin. The cars above it are from higher segments. Between the Gen-1 Jazz based city (Dolphin City) and the Gen-3 Jazz, it is frankly shocking how much better the current Jazz drives. But, does the market know about it? No! All they remember is that the old City had better quality than current products.
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference link: https://www.autocarindia.com/trackda...oard-2019.html

3) Make the products feature rich: Maintain feature parity with the fast moving market, and introduce some segment-exclusive features such as ESP. To me, things like projector headlamps and digital instrument cluster have zero value, but if the market wants this stuff, Honda has to provide it. Now power is also a feature everybody well appreciates. For a legendary engine manufacturer like Honda, it should be extremely easy to launch the next City with a 140 bhp engine and see how the market gets attracted to it. Also, don't cheapen your products after launch - putting in the cheaper rear bench seat in the VX version of the Jazz was a stupid move, no matter what accountants told them. Indians have a fair bit of money to spend these days, if the product is right (see: Seltos). Don't keep thinking only about how to keep the selling price down by a few thousand rupees.
Difficulty Level: Moderate (engine) / Easy (everything else)

4) Change your market research mechanisms: If I gathered 10 random middle class people in a room and showed them the Mobilio way back then, 8 or 9 of them would have said that they would rather buy something else. One look is all it takes for enthusiasts like us to figure out the fate of a car in the market. If Honda's own research is not able to give them real insights, then something is wrong.
Difficulty Level: Easy

5) Introduce more products in hot segments faster: They don't have a Venue or Seltos competitor yet. It is hard to battle in dwindling segments
Difficulty Level: Hard (convincing HQ is not easy!)

Note that I have not included 'get more diesel engines' into this list, because the Japanese have always wise to not believe in small diesels. I appreciate them for not going the diesel way (even at the cost of sales), the sole 'EarthDreams' diesel notwithstanding.

IMO, Honda is a few simple steps away from beginning to dig itself out of a hole. Getting the right products is a bigger challenge.

Last edited by vipul_singh : 31st January 2020 at 12:25.
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Old 31st January 2020, 20:28   #670
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

After all the terrible decisions they’ve made, Honda still has a strong brand, which is why the Civic outsells the Octavia. Heck, I know a cousin who bought a CR-V over the Kodiaq simply because he wanted to stay within the brand.

Honda is lagging behind on all fronts. Compact SUVs? EVs? Hybrids? They have none. And the worst part is that they have all of these things, they just refuse to bring them to India.

In a sense, Skoda reminds me of the Honda of mid-late 2000s. A small number of products, yet all of them extremely desirable. As a Honda loyalist, I’ve decided to move away and buy a Kodiaq.

The only way Honda can dig themselves put of this hole is through the three things they lack - SUVs, Hybrids and EVs.
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Old 15th March 2020, 10:33   #671
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

Rumour: Honda to exit Australia
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Old 15th March 2020, 12:55   #672
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Honda India : The Way Forward

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Originally Posted by Aaron:) View Post
After all the terrible decisions they've made, Honda still has a strong brand, which is why the Civic outsells the Octavia. Heck, I know a cousin who bought a CR-V over the Kodiaq simply because he wanted to stay within the brand.

Honda is lagging behind on all fronts. Compact SUVs? EVs? Hybrids? They have none. And the worst part is that they have all of these things, they just refuse to bring them to India.

In a sense, Skoda reminds me of the Honda of mid-late 2000s. A small number of products, yet all of them extremely desirable. As a Honda loyalist, I've decided to move away and buy a Kodiaq.

The only way Honda can dig themselves put of this hole is through the three things they lack - SUVs, Hybrids and EVs.

I owned 3 Honda's at a point of time. I now own 2. I would still rather prefer a Honda over any other European brand as the reliability and low maintenance is of paramount importance over the lack of spares and service attitude in other brands. Toyota being the other good reliable brand.

Coming to skoda and VW. I almost bought a vento when it was launched but sales attitude was like buy it or don't buy it we don't care so I went and bought a city, when the jetta was launched and I loved it again same sales attitude so went and bought a corolla, had a bad accident but corolla saved my life and was ultra safe, so I went and bought a crv this time, didn't even bother because as much as skoda is good and VW is good all mechanics will tell you that parts are expensive and these brands give continuous repairs and maintenance and it can get a pain in the neck.

Coming to the state of affairs at Honda I feel there is a massive leadership vacuum in India and globally. There is a lack of direction and confusion. They keep thinking should we launch this or that, give quality and charge more or give crap and still charge more, they've sadly forgotten their ethos. The CRV and the Accord and CIVIC continue to give quality but then they will screw it up over bad engines and underpowered engines.

If I had to buy a suv I would still buy another CRV as it has been maintenance free, has enough power ( petrol ) and has every feature. I am waiting to see when they launch the hybrid CRV or electric CRV. Will definitely get one and same goes for a compact WRV automatic to replace my brio. Sad part is that Honda just doesn't listen. Not to customers not to dealers. Leadership is busy sleeping.

It's at the end a matter of preference, if you can stomach the recurring maintenance and pain of going and fixing something then European cars are for you.

In my opinion to fix Honda India, WRV auto with 6 airbags and 1.5 should be here by now, HRV should be here by now, forget the damn brio amaze platform and play to your strength of reliable, safe, fun to drive platform even if cost goes up per model by a lac, launch city hybrid, launch CRV hybrid, launch dual turbo CRV diesel, launch accord hybrid, and quickly hybridise your range ( I would even suggest to abandon diesel completely), and launch that new cute EV concept that they have in Europe.

Last edited by M00M : 15th March 2020 at 13:01.
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Old 15th March 2020, 22:31   #673
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

I had booked Honda Amaze recently but after going through the thread I am in dilemma should I continue with Honda Amaze or go for Maruti. My fear is Honda may close its operations. Any suggestions would be welcome.
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Old 15th March 2020, 22:59   #674
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

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Originally Posted by M00M View Post
forget the damn brio amaze platform
On the other hand - Amaze is probably the main thing keeping Honda alive now, accounting for ~80% of Honda India sales last month.

That's unlikely to change unless they bring in a competent crossover soon.

Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 15th March 2020 at 23:03.
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Old 16th March 2020, 00:45   #675
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Re: Honda India : The Way Forward

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I had booked Honda Amaze recently but after going through the thread I am in dilemma should I continue with Honda Amaze or go for Maruti. My fear is Honda may close its operations. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Honda isnt going to close any operations. Amaze will be there for next 10 years and more. Buy it over the Dzire any day.
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