[Asoon]

I feel they will move out form India, no exciting new launches, no forward product strategy
Nothing exciting added in last 3 / 4 years only seen exits

A decade back Honda was the the brand in 8L+ segment (It was Maruti Suzuki of 8-15L) but the poor strategy and low aggression level is the the reason where they are. In 2012 who would have thought that it would rank below Skoda, VW , Renault, Mahindra

They missed 4.34.4 meter wave (BRV / Mobilio were sub optimal launch), they were so late in sub 4m CSUV segment (WRV was just jacked up Jazz) and they wanted to fail in Hatch segment (Brio was out of competition from day 1)

Its apparent that they do not want to continue

[TejasKinger]

Funny that they did a "Why the Honda WR-V is still a good buy" sponsored feature with Overdrive just this month. It must have been a last-ditch PR attempt (albeit a little pathetic).

https://youtu.be/x022-xRRwxU

[veedub89]

I was at the local Honda dealership to get my 9-year old Brio serviced and I was just amazed how lacklustre the new Honda products are.

Even the new City does not feel premium. I was shocked to see that the City doesn't have wheel cladding in the wheel well at the rear! It felt so cheap for a car that can cost close to 20 lacs on road!

Honda India has brought about its own death.
Whatever they have on offer is not worth buying.

It would have done some good to have your flagship sedan (the Accord) on display. But I guess that's been discontinued too.

I wonder what stops them from getting some global enthusiast offerings under the 2500 rule. Maybe they don't trust their dealers to service these cars properly?

[Nikhil Beke]

I don't know whether to call it a cultural factor (Japanese vis-vis American business practices)/naivety/attitude of having lost all hope/attitude of not planning ahead on part of Honda India, but lack of test-mule sightings is rather ominous, making one wonder if at all they have any plans for immediate future. As to eHEV, Figo automatic was launched barely few weeks ahead of Ford's exit. Ford India had lost so much of faith among fresh customers by then that I remember it being called (jokingly) stock-clearance strategy on social media! I sense something similar here, and it IS distressing. Loss of such brands is likely to make Chinese onslaught few years down the line further inevitable, much like what happened with our smartphone industry.

[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by Nikhil Beke

Loss of such brands is likely to make Chinese onslaught few years down the line further inevitable, much like what happened with our smartphone industry.

However, I feel it will be a Korean onslaught rather than a Chinese one.

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

Honda Cars India have been into losses for the third time in the last five years, so they have to step up their game, and axing unprofitable products and bringing in better profitable products is the way to go.

They are definitely not "stepping up their game" in fact they are many steps down from their "game". Bringing in "better profitable products": What Products? I don't see any of these products in the foreseeable future. If you have a "time map" for axed products they should have a "time map" of future products and then announce the "axe": that would be confidence boosting to the market at large, which they haven't done! So as it stands, we're all lead to believe, that they are ditching India for good! We all know you can't survive in India with just 2 sedans; when the market is crying out for SUV's (pseudo or true, doesn't matter) With the present situation Honda India is in, I don't think they have anything to offer or collaborate with any other Indian company for survival, like Maruti and Toyota are having a cozy relationship that's mutually beneficial. Mahindra and Tata have grown so BIG that they are acquiring companies abroad. Honda looks like a perfect "introvert" company in the Indian car market.

[Nikhil Beke]

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

However, I feel it will be a Korean onslaught rather than a Chinese one.

Korean in the short term, Chinese in the long term(in EVs, to be specific). Again, Apple-->Samsung/LG-->few Indian brands (badge engineered, mostly?)-->Chinese brands.

[Chimera]

All honda has to do is get some global products. The civic type r in india at a sub 35-40lakh price tag will sell out like hot cakes.

[fhdowntheline]

I dont know what logic did Honda apply by not giving the WRV the 1.5 petrol. They could have done that even now since they do have the hybrid City as a flagship. Meanwhile, Honda fans continue to wait for the 4.5m equivalent. While slightly OT, I dont know what to make of the fact that 8 of the 9 car models I have owned are now discontinued. Most of them need not have been so.

[shobhit.shri]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

We all know you can't survive in India with just 2 sedans;

I guess it's time we should start calling the City, Honda Pro, and Amaze Honda Mini to convey the "exclusivity and premium" of Honda in much stronger terms

[AutoConsultant]

Honda has wasted away the large brand equity they had developed in India over the years. It was a well respected brand for a budget conscious buyer who wanted good reliability (Jazz, Amaze, Brio, B-RV), a middle class buyer who wanted to have a status symbol of a car (City) as well as someone who wanted a bit of performance, luxury and relative pocket-friendliness (Civic, Accord, C-RV). There are very few brands who have had success at such different price ranges. All wasted though.

Right now they are just wanting to make the business profitable, milk out their remaining credibility with the 2 sedan offerings and then pack up in a couple of years. If they do not launch any car by the end of next year you would have to assume they are done. Also, if we get the updated Verna and Ciaz by next year, City will completely lose its market share. Hyundai/MS will also update Xcent/Dzire so Amaze will also lose out.

Being the owner of 5th gen City, I am not too concerned regarding the service as I hope there will be a couple of Honda service centers functioning in NCR for the next 5-6 years. But yeah, it is sad. They left F1 after clinching the WDC so god knows who is making these decisions. The upper management says that it wants to focus on EVs but you have to make a gradual transition.

[thanixravindran]

Pulling the plug on low runners is one thing, but what they will do with the production line capacity? Will they do more exports? I guess they consolidated their operations to Tapakura plant few years ago. Once these models are axed, the plant loading will come down further putting further pressure on the operations till the new SUV is planned to be launched in the so planned August 2023 timeline.

Without having any model to compete in the hottest segment - SUV currently in India is like going to an all out war without fire power. Even Jeep and Citroen have models in that segment with hopes to survive.

[Strider24]

I reported this 1 week back in this post here (Honda HR-V midsize SUV still being considered for India)

It was kind of an inside announcement to all sales staff and message was that Honda will focus on hybrid Models in coming years, Jazz getting discontinued may be a good sign. Honda may bring the e-hev version of Jazz too though it will cost a bomb for a crossover/hatchback car.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Three outdated products get discontinued and we call for the end of Honda in India? Jazz, WR-V and the 4th generation City were all products that should have been discontinued a few years back.

Well - the products should have been replaced years back indeed. They weren't. Now they are getting discontinued, mainly because nobody is buying them (I'm sad about the Jazz not selling. Its a wonderful car). And - there is no replacement coming to the showroom for them. Just some rumours about some SC-SUV coming in 2023 or later. Obviously the signs are pointing more towards a shutdown, rather than it becoming a major player in the charts. And we know that sightings of prototypes mean nothing. We saw a lot of photos of the Ford-Mahindra partnership products. What happened eventually is well known.

That leaves just 2 versions of City5G and the Amaze. Will dealerships and ASCs be able to sustain on the sales numbers that these cars will bring? When what sells in volume is SUVs and hatchbacks, not sedans of any type today? I agree with most of the posts talking about Honda's demise. Honda was a big name - but a long time ago. Since many years now - they are stuck in the same stories like "India had gold smoke from every household in the past".

To be honest - I'd not be sad at all if they shut shop given how weirdly they have managed the India market. On the contrary, I was & will always remain sad about Ford leaving, given they regularly brought new products here, across all segments & the products were pretty well engineered.

[ajayc123]

Originally Posted by Strider24

I reported this 1 week back in this post here (Honda HR-V midsize SUV still being considered for India)

It was kind of an inside announcement to all sales staff and message was that Honda will focus on hybrid Models in coming years, Jazz getting discontinued may be a good sign. Honda may bring the e-hev version of Jazz too though it will cost a bomb for a crossover/hatchback car.

Wow, that seems to be some real positive ray of hope in an otherwise sad thread. Since you have got it directly from the sales staff, it should have some weight.