[BZ25]

Current Generation Honda City to Be Sold Alongside the Upcoming 5th Generation City.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...neously-417161

Such a stupid decision. Just goes on to show the arrogance of Honda India. What we need is a good Hyundai Creta & Ecosport rival, which you still haven't offered. Don't call the erstwhile BR-V a Creta rival, it was overpriced and looked like an MPV. The WR-V with it's crossover stance is just not 'SUV' enough compared to rivals. It just looks like a Jazz with heels, which it is, and then you give it a slow engine.

Dear Honda India, you're not Maruti Suzuki who can milk a brand like this.


You've already diluted an iconic brand. Now don't go and kill it entirely.

R.I.P Honda India. You were never really serious about India, were you?

Other carmakers have shown that selling an automatically older model alongside the new one doesn't do it any favours in terms of sales. For example Hyundai sold the 1st Generation i10 along side the Second Generation i10 (Grand i10) and now is doing the same with the Second and third generation (Grand i10 NIOS), there's a huge decline in sales for the older model.

I don't really see any merit in going for the current generation Honda City. Yes the 1.5l i-VTEC is great, but needs to be revved to be exploited, what is disappointing is the cabin space is no more class leading, neither is equipment, and we all now the decline in build and interior quality.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by BZ25

Current Generation Honda City to Be Sold Alongside the Upcoming 5th Generation City.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...neously-417161

Dear Honda India, you're not Maruti Suzuki who can milk a brand like this.
You've already diluted an iconic brand. Now don't go and kill it entirely.

R.I.P Honda India. You were never really serious about India, were you?

Other carmakers have shown that selling an automatically older model alongside .......... there's a huge decline in sales for the older model.

Such a decision from Honda India is uncalled for, thought they had learned their lessons from milking the Brio platform.

Sure, it's business and they need volumes. But not by diluting the only model they have that's strong in both brand strength and sales volume in India.

If at all it happens, the new City being more evolutionary, prospective customers in the showroom floor will find it hard to justify the premium the new one may command, instead of appreciating the new one.

Even if they are going to rename the old City to a Maruti like 'TOUR' brand, people will still associate City with it.

If they are hell-bent on taxi volumes, use the Amaze. That's all the taxi most of India, especially urban, needs.

True, a good all rounder car will never escape from being used as a taxi in India, but when the company caters to the fleet industry, the brand damage is more. Especially if your name is not Dzire or Innova, and most loyal buyers still see you as the poor man's BMW.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by BZ25

Current Generation Honda City to Be Sold Alongside the Upcoming 5th Generation City. I don't really see any merit in going for the current generation Honda City.

I think the article states that they are considering to position the current gen City for the Fleet market with reduced prices. The idea is not to target individuals with 4th Gen. Given the lack of Diesel cars due to many shelving diesels, they are trying to see if the fleet will adopt the City. Maybe Honda is adopting Mobile Phone strategy: "Today's Flagship becomes tomorrow's mid-ranger".

Originally Posted by DicKy

it's business and they need volumes.
True, a good all rounder car will never escape from being used as a taxi in India, but when the company caters to the fleet industry, the brand damage is more.

All valid points and and you have covered all aspects very well. Looks like Honda has given more weightage to your point around "they need volumes" and "True, a good all rounder car will never escape from being used as a taxi in India" and want to capitalize on those parts at the cost of "brand damage".

Sad, that instead of bringing on vehicles in multiple SUV segments, they want to increase volumes by this route...

[Aditya]

Current-gen Honda City to be sold alongside fifth-gen model - Posts moved to a new thread.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

I think the article states that they are considering to position the current gen City for the Fleet market with reduced prices. The idea is not to target individuals with 4th Gen. Given the lack of Diesel cars due to many shelving diesels, they are trying to see if the fleet will adopt the City. Maybe Honda is adopting Mobile Phone strategy: "Today's Flagship becomes tomorrow's mid-ranger". lol

Good luck to them, for no cabbie is going to bet his money on a car built as poorly as the Gen4 City. The cost cutting is an open secret, life of clutch and suspensions is low, seats are prone to sagging and the cabin is full of rattles. It’s not like they are going to reduce prices to Dzire levels. Cabbies will be better off picking up Yaris or pre owned Corolla Altis for their high mileage use.


Honda has been making bad decision after bad decision. The only way to resurrect brand City is to get build and part quality and fit and finish right up to Gen 2 levels, without increasing prices by a penny.

[Reinhard]

Nice. So I'm guessing Honda needs to keep the current gen on sale to show how the new car is better & the higher pricing is justified?
Maybe their management fears that on its own without a relative comparison the car won't convince the customers that it is better. So much of confidence!! I'm not even sure if I'm joking here! It may well be the reality. I don't see a reason why the old gen will be purchased for purposes like taxi duties etc. Even by hotels. Considering the hotel business will be holding back on expenses significantly, sales in shuttle cabs for hotels will also be fairly low now. Anyway the current gen won't be priced any lower since it will kill the new gen in sales and nothing else.

My condolences to Honda India!

[libranof1987]

Unless the next gen City is different (not necessarily better) by leaps and bounds from the current City and is noticeably costlier, there is no reason why two gens of the City can be accepted simultaneously.

If Honda intends to sell the older City to the yellow board market: a) City isn't a taxi segment favorite, b) would they then spend time and effort in having both the old and new BS6?

Why not invest that time, energy and money on tuning existing products better for the Indian market.

[rahulcmoulee]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Good luck to them, for no cabbie is going to bet his money on a car built as poorly as the Gen4 City. The cost cutting is an open secret, life of clutch and suspensions is low, seats are prone to sagging and the cabin is full of rattles. It’s not like they are going to reduce prices to Dzire levels. Cabbies will be better off picking up Yaris or pre owned Corolla Altis for their high mileage use.

I feel like a lot of 5 star hotels wouldn't mind picking up a 4th Gen City for their fleets. City has a prestigious reputation and at reduced prices it makes a lot of financial sense compared to an Altis (discontinued now I think) and Yaris which is petrol only. Many cabbies considering a Ciaz might also take a look at the City.

Having traveled a lot in the 4th Gen City, I can assure you that the build quality isn't as bad as you have made it out to be. Yes, the materials are a bit cheap but it is put together solidly. The seats are some of the most comfortable ones in a car south of 20L. Add to that the efficient diesel, it makes a good case to be used as a fleet mobile.

[shravan2k2]

Now that's what Honda has come down to. Just to demand higher premium for the new model. The old model will be sold alongside new model. Wow.
They will price the new model higher and then discontinue the older model later. This will increase the price for new model and once the older model is discontinued, they will continue with the higher price of new model.

[GeneralJazz]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Unless the next gen City is different (not necessarily better) by leaps and bounds from the current City and is noticeably costlier, there is no reason why two gens of the City can be accepted simultaneously.

Maruti Suzuki sold 3 generations of the Alto simultaneously : the 800, Alto and A-Star. Maybe Honda is thinking along similar lines. Keep the existing City as it is and give it a facelift every now and then. Position/price the new generation between the current City and the Civic. Don't know how well that will work out though.

[turbo]

Originally Posted by BZ25

Current Generation Honda City to Be Sold Alongside the Upcoming 5th Generation City.

I, for one, ABSOLUTELY WELCOME this decision.

I'm someone who only cares for engine, gearbox and one seat. (which I remove, an install a 1st copy recaro from a guy who I know).

So, for people like me, this is an absolutely wonderful decision. A good engine + gearbox, and none of the fancy electronics, which go wrong after 5 years anyway.

I just hope they dont detune the engine.

[Turbokick]

Only time I felt Honda should have had two generations of a car (for the matter of fact , City) coexist was when the 2nd generation City was launched. Gen 1 and gen 2 cars were geometric opposite of each other in almost every possible way. I felt Gen 1 could have continued for some more time with the kind of sporty feel it had in its time. Gen 2 catered completely different demands.

Things have changed since gen 3. City evolved as a car. Gen 4 and 5 are evolution in truest of sense with core values like excellent petrol engine, space management, ease of ownership etc remaining constant.

Not very sure about the new move.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by rahulcmoulee

I feel like a lot of 5 star hotels wouldn't mind picking up a 4th Gen City for their fleets. City has a prestigious reputation and at reduced prices it makes a lot of financial sense compared to an Altis (discontinued now I think) and Yaris which is petrol only. Many cabbies considering a Ciaz might also take a look at the City.

Having traveled a lot in the 4th Gen City, I can assure you that the build quality isn't as bad as you have made it out to be. Yes, the materials are a bit cheap but it is put together solidly. The seats are some of the most comfortable ones in a car south of 20L. Add to that the efficient diesel, it makes a good case to be used as a fleet mobile.

I’m an owner. My iDTEC V has done almost 150k km. Trust me, I know what I am talking about. Car is good for the first couple of years or for 30-40k km. After that, well, let’s say all illusions of Honda quality are shattered. This is precisely why this car is not suited for high usage taxi operations, especially where any semblance of premiumness is required. And this drop in quality is what Gen 5 needs to fix.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I’m an owner. My iDTEC V has done almost 150k km. Trust me, I know what I am talking about. Car is good for the first couple of years or for 30-40k km. After that, well, let’s say all illusions of Honda quality are shattered. This is precisely why this car is not suited for high usage taxi operations, especially where any semblance of premiumness is required. And this drop in quality is what Gen 5 needs to fix.

The City Diesel for whatever reason has not been picked up by fleet operators or even hotels and the likes. Rather, the Ciaz diesel has found its way with Uber, Ola and even quite a few hotels. Thats understandable considering the lower price of the Ciaz and also its much lower maintenance costs. However, with the Ciaz having no diesel option post BS6, the City and the Verna are the only 2 diesel C segment sedans and clearly the City has far more space than the Verna. But im guessing the demand from fleet operators and hotels is likely to be very low, especially for sedans. Im not sure if catering to such low demand is worth keeping the current generation City alive in the market and thereby hampering the newer ones credibility.

[GTO]

I don't think this rumour is true. Honda hasn't ever sold two generations of the same car in India.

If it is, I will be terribly disappointed as someone who has owned 3 Hondas. Sigh, a company that is desperate for money & profits, only focusing on the short-term and completely ignoring the long-term repercussions. To many people, the "City" is still the benchmark C2 segment sedan. There are lots of things that go into building such an enviable position, but a few moves can break it. One is the obvious lapse in quality from the 4th-gen, and the next will be this dimwitted decision of selling both gens together. It just reeks of a cheap, desperate move.

Originally Posted by Turbokick

Only time I felt Honda should have had two generations of a car (for the matter of fact , City) coexist was when the 2nd generation City was launched.

No way! I owned the 1st-gen and it was a bare-basic Asia-spec cheap sedan. It felt terribly outdated even in 2005. Main good things about it were the engine + gearbox + steering. Everything else sucked.