2018 Honda Amaze’s big volume garnering capability has hampered Tata Motors big way in recent months
On the back of efficacious response among spectators at the 2018 Auto Expo in February, Honda took to the stage again to introduce the second generation Amaze in the domestic market on May 16 in an attractive price bracket. Since beginning operations in India in 1995, Honda tasted huge success mainly with sedans, as the City, Civic and Amaze etched a premium status to the brand’s image.
Honda waited for long before introducing the latest Amaze on a segment known for its high competitiveness. The arrival of new-gen Maruti Dzire further reiterated the hidden volumes the segment has been capable of and the Japanese manufacturer pounced on the opportunity with an overhauled Amaze. With a fresh take on the exterior and a modern interior, the Amaze was destined for a good run but it appears to have outperformed the tasks assigned.
Rivalling the likes of Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Xcent, Tata Tigor and Ford Aspire, the 2018 Honda Amaze is retailed in 12 different variants with prices between Rs. 5.6 lakh for the base E petrol and Rs. 9 lakh for the top-spec V AT diesel (ex-showroom). Honda had to speed up its production to meet the Amaze’s demands and in the opening month of its launch in May 2018, the company sold in excess of 9,700 units.
The following month saw 9,103 deliveries were made and maintaining its consistency 10,180 units were retailed in July 2018. By the end of last month, the new Amaze became the first Honda to get past 10,000 unit sales in India and posted three consecutive best-ever sales result for an individual Honda vehicle. The Amaze’s timely arrival helped the struggling Honda by regaining its lost market share.
Moreover, it did alter the proceedings in the sales table. Tata Motors’ Turnaround 2.0 strategy has been a resounding success and with Tiago, Nexon, Tigor and Hexa based on the Impact Design philosophy the brand climbed up the manufacturers’ sales list from once seventh and all the way to third. In June 2018, Tata Motors beat Mahindra and Honda to become the third best-selling automaker in the country.
But the re-emergence of Amaze clocking 10,000 units a month is hitting where it hurts. Last month, Tata dropped to fifth again despite enduring 14.4 percent sales growth and all of its latest products are doing well in the market. It is too optimistic to think that the JTP performance versions of Tiago and Tigor would catalyst a big turnaround but the Harrier SUV is the ace for the next big volume push by early 2019.