Honda Cars India is in the middle of its most ambitious product offensive in years. Six launches are lined up for the current calendar year, two of which have already happened. The highlight — an electric SUV of more than four metres — is coming in the second half of this financial year. The car, which was centrally showcased at the Japan Mobility Show for a global audience, has already been road-tested across Indian conditions since April.
Mr. Kunal Behl, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd, said, as part of its preparations for EV launch, the company is now building the charging ecosystem around it, tying up with multiple charging point operators rather than investing in its own charging infrastructure.
The EV will not stand alone. The OEM has announced that by 2030, it plans more than ten product launches in India, with a clear focus on the SUV space. A sub-four-metre SUV is confirmed for 2028 with multiple powertrain options, and at least one more SUV above four metres is also planned. The reasoning, according to him, is that the less-than-four-metre and more-than-four-metre SUV segments are each growing at a five-year CAGR of over 20%, while the hatchback segment is shrinking by around 4% every year. Honda has identified where the market is going and is positioning itself accordingly.
On powertrains, Honda’s preference is hybrids over turbos, as hybrid system delivers performance comparable to a turbocharged engine, with the City Hybrid producing 253 Nm of torque, while offering significantly better efficiency. A new hybrid engine is coming globally in 2027, and India is expected to benefit from it. On the EV front, the carmaker is taking a collaborative approach — looking at technology and resource partnerships to reduce development time and cost, and stay competitive in a market where domestic players are offering feature-rich products at aggressive prices.
Honda’s current market share of around 1.3 to 1.4% is, as he acknowledged, a reflection of the segments and powertrains it has chosen to participate in — not a measure of its product quality. In the petrol-only segment of the Elevate’s category, the company holds around 5%. The company is not chasing a market share target. Instead, it believes share will follow naturally as the product lineup expands into segments where it has not previously competed.
Automatic transmissions now account for 52% of Amaze sales, 61% of City sales, and 72% of Elevate sales. Indian buyers are increasingly value-conscious rather than price-conscious, seeking features, driving pleasure, and the right powertrain for their needs. It is a market that Honda, after years of operating in a relatively narrow space, is now preparing to address far more ambitiously — and the next few years will show whether the strategy delivers.
Supporting the product push is Honda Finance India, a fully Honda-owned subsidiary launched last year. It is expected to begin consumer financing operations within this financial year, offering solutions such as lower EMIs and bullet payment options. The focus is on Honda’s large base of two-wheeler loyalists looking to upgrade to four-wheelers — buyers who need flexible financing to make that transition, Mr. Behl explained.
Manufacturing is currently concentrated at the Tapukara plant in Rajasthan, which has an installed capacity of 1.8 lakh units and is running at 60 to 75% utilisation. The Greater Noida plant was shut down in 2020 and production has not resumed there. As volumes grow, the company would evaluate expansion options but has not committed to a specific plan yet.
Tamil Nadu Leads
According to him, Tamil Nadu is Honda’s strongest market in India, ranking sixth nationally for the industry overall but first for Honda — driven by the State’s strong preference for petrol and CVT vehicles, which align perfectly with Honda’s product strengths. Passenger vehicle penetration in Tamil Nadu stands at 250 cars per thousand people, compared to the national average of just 34 per thousand. Honda is now deepening its presence in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns across the south, where growth of 22% to 24% has been recorded compared to more modest numbers in larger cities.
Digitalisation
Digitally, the entire sales and service funnel is now online — from bookings and payments to test drives and service appointments. An AI-assisted call centre operates round the clock, and AI is also being used for sales team training. He said digital infrastructure as essential, adding that its systems compare favourably with other manufacturers in terms of ease of navigation and customer experience, he concluded.
The post Honda Cars India Gears Up for Its Busiest Year with Six Launches appeared first on EV Tech News.
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