Business   

Honda Civic hybrid to rollout soon

HYDERABAD: Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. (HSCI) will be launching the first hybrid car in the country through its Honda Civic model on June 18 in New Delhi.

Disclosing this here on Wednesday, President and CEO, HSCI (head of South Asia) Masahiro Takedagawa, said that hybrid cars would be completely-built units (CBUs) imported from Japan. As they would attract 104 per cent import duty, the cost of the car would be above Rs. 20 lakhs. Initially, 400 cars would be launched across the country.

“We would like Indian customers to experience the hybrid cars first,” he said. If the patronage was encouraging, the company would not be averse to manufacturing the car in India itself.

To a query, Mr. Takedagawa said that the company was planning to launch its hatchback small car in the next 18 to 24 months. “We are not interested in launching just one model in the small car segment. We are considering several options to launch more small cars,” he said. But the company did not want to enter the sub-$ 2,500 (akin to Tata Nano). While Honda launched ‘Jazz’ in the hatchback segment in the world market, he said it could be the “most possible” car to enter Indian markets in the small car segment initially.

The HSCI was investing Rs. 1,000 crore in its Rajasthan plant, which would be ready in two years, with an installed capacity of 60,000 units. The small car would be rolled out of this plant.

Honda sold 62,000 units in FY08 and remained leader in the country in the premium car segment with 30 per cent of market share (2.12 lakh premium cars were sold in FY08).

The capacity of Greater Noida plant was expanded to make one lakh cars.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Tata Motors profit up at Rs. 1,913 crore
Fund raising plans for JLR buy
Power projects: ‘eliminate non-serious players’
IOC posts net loss in Q4
Honda Civic hybrid to rollout soon
Mahindra & Mahindra maintains margins
Reliance Money makes foray into China
Tighter norms for import of high-end cars
Downtrend halted on BSE
Rupee recovers 23 paise
Exchange Rates
Bullion Rates
Sun Pharma deal falls through
Tata Tele launches two new plans
No more paper tickets from airlines
CIL signs pact with MSTC for e-tendering
New President for SCM Microsystems
United India ties up with Honda Motorcycle
ICICI Prudential pact with American Express
HTMT Global net at Rs. 87 crore

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu