[sam003]

Just talked to AutoMax in Mayapuri (NCR), Civic Hybrid is 14.28 Lakh on road and as per them it is valid for 2008 models. I guess this might be stock clearance rather any duty cut

[csentil]

I'm not sure of this stock clearance thing. Its not as if the Civic Hybrid has set the market on fire and that there are large stocks available? I'm sure they could have probably got one shipload of Civic Hybrids and its more of a marketing gimmick than a sales point till now.

Maybe Honda wants to make it a sales point now and is pushing the Hybrid at low prices.

[sridharps]

Originally Posted by csentil

Maybe Honda wants to make it a sales point now and is pushing the Hybrid at low prices.

How do they expect to go back to selling at 20L + once you drop the price to 13 L levels?
Why is this a 'limited offer?"
Looks like stock clearance to me - in anticipation of an imminent tax cut on hybrids.

[the VTEC guy]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

Folks, here's my question. We all have done detailed math on the running costs of diesel and the break even point and all that. Civic Hybrids was never even considered to be a in such discussions because with 20L+ there was no real point.

Now that its looking reasonable - do we have any idea on the mileage of Civic hybrid in City (where it makes most sense)?

I remember this analysis was presented on the Autocar show on UTV. As per there calculation based on the then price of 20 lacs you will have to drive for 500000 kms to get the benifit.. with reduced price it should not be a problem.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by amit

If they have unsold stock they can ship them back (provided it's economcially viable) to countries where the hybrid sells well rather then selling them here at loss and taking the risk of tarnishing the haloed H brand isnt it?

Point is if there is no rate cut and Honda is now selling the car at almost Rs.8 lacs lower then the original price and obviously still making money then imagine the super profit margin Honda kept for itself!

I think it may have moved from CBU to CKD and hence the price drop. It seems unlikely they would do that considering the low volume. I guess we have to wait for some official word from Honda.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by Mpower

I think it may have moved from CBU to CKD and hence the price drop.

I thought of that as a possibility but that doesn't explain the limited period offer. The only other thing I can think of is that they plan to stop selling it in India hence it's a limited offer till they exhaust stocks. But such a deep discount is soooo unlike Honda - that to 6 months after launch. And there are other cars in their stable that deserve the CBU to CKD switch more than the hybrid: the CRV being a prime candidate.

[Sahil]

No its very much still a CBU... I just booked two cars today only white is available. very few ready delivery cars in stock, rest have to be imported which takes 20 days or so.
And no the cars are not old stock, manufactured in sept imported in october is the one i have been offered.
they claim that only 1 car sold in bombay all these months @ 22 lakhs so honda wants to get the cars on the road to build awareness and word of mouth.

[StarScream]

Honda statement - doesn't solve the mystery. The price has been cut because they are a nice, loving, warm company that cares deeply about customers!:

HSCI makes the Civic Hybrid more accessible for customers in India

New Delhi, November 12: Honda Siel Cars India Ltd., leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, today announced a special price for limited period of its revolutionary car and India’s first hybrid - the Civic hybrid.

HSCI’s pioneering move to launch the First Hybrid car in the country - the Civic Hybrid marked a milestone in the Indian Automobile Industry. The objective of launching Civic Hybrid in India was to create awareness about environment friendly technologies and to let the customers test drive and experience this new technology. The Civic Hybrid which was launched in June 2008 received overwhelming interest from the customers and industry bodies across the country. However, its high price due to the current duty structures made it inaccessible for lot of customers.

Based on feedback received from the customers, HSCI has decided to partly bear the cost of the car on behalf of the customers for a limited period and volume so that car becomes more affordable and more customers experience & own this new technology.

The new price of Civic Hybrid (ex showroom Delhi) is Rs 13, 36,000.

[narayan]

Definetly a good option for ppl who were considering a car in this segment and possibly a segment below and above !!

But I wonder how this will help in building awareness !! and assuming the awareness is built, are they planning to then increase the price back to 20 ? I still see this more as a stock clearance move than anything else

Also - does anyone know what is the typical post-ownership costs of these cars ?? Is there a catch here ?

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by narayan

Also - does anyone know what is the typical post-ownership costs of these cars ?? Is there a catch here ?

Come to think of it - it's the best CBU to own in India. You get all the famed Jap build quality and future maintenance and parts cost (minus anything to do with the hybrid drivetrain) at Indian Civic prices.
One question I need answered from Honda is, do they separately warranty the hybrid motor and battery? 4 Yrs, 80,000 kms seems pretty inadequate considering what they give abroad (80,000 miles) and the fact that the battery costs some $3,000 to replace.

[dockap]

civic hybrid price in mangalore 16,42,000 on road

[appuchan]

Honda cuts ?Civic Hybrid? price by Rs8.14 lakh - Corporate News - livemint.com

Yes. See the link above. No Govt duty cut. It says this is a "largess from Honda" to us! The offer is apparently valid only up to Dec 08. They have sold only 60 units since its launch so far. I wish my stock investments were better... -:(

Btw, it costs about USD 22k in the US. Looks like an excellent deal at "near" conversion rate for a fully imported car!

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by StarScream

One question I need answered from Honda is, do they separately warranty the hybrid motor and battery? 4 Yrs, 80,000 kms seems pretty inadequate considering what they give abroad (80,000 miles) and the fact that the battery costs some $3,000 to replace.

Where exactly did you get this info about 4 years 80k kms warranty on they hybrid for India?
Honda usually does offer extended warranties on all their models, hopefully they do for the hybrid too.

[316kmph]

I just spoke to a Chennai dealer Capital Honda and Honda One2One. The reasoning was completely different. The dealer said the govt had slashed customs duty on Hybrids while the O2O person said it was a gesture from Honda and that no govt concessions were given. Had there been concessions then all the Indian press and mdia would be covering it. I guess, with great doubt though, Honda is doing some Charity through its CSR (corporate social responsibility)

[vivekji05]

Talked to a Honda person today. They said they had lot of prospective buyers who were scared away by the exorbitant price tag. These people were ready to buy the car if it were more affordable.

HSCI never had any plans to make money on the Hybrid, which was primarily brought in to spread the image as an environment conscious manufacturer. The offer is limited by time as well as the number of units. It still is a CBU and model change wont be too much of a concern hence stock clearance can be ruled out. Duty revision is a distance away and the whole exercise can aptly be termed generosity.

The strategy looks similar to the way of leasing the FCX clarity in Canada. Except that here you can actually own the car, with Honda bearing a part of the cost.

The Civic hybrid is now an exciting prospect considering the clean image associated with it. Driving one is nowhere as exciting though. Adequate for the city, but when accelerating hard, it makes funny noises. The engine struggles a bit, but then this is not for the highways. The CVT's rubber band effect makes it seem even more un-natural. FE in city is good but on the highway, the 1.8 may better it simply because the electric motor has nothing to do and the 1.3L engine struggles. However at this price and in today's context, it makes sense.

Attached are two pictures of the car I clicked while test driving one.