As per a recent report, Honda will launch a hybrid vehicle in India in 3 years and it could be the City hybrid based on the new-generation model
Honda Cars India completed its domestic lineup of sedans with the launch of the tenth generation Civic just some days ago. In the immediate future, Honda will be concentrating on upgrading its vehicles to BSVI compliance starting from January 2020 ahead of the deadline on March 31.
In a recent interview, Honda Cars India’s President Gaku Nakanishi has acknowledged the customers’ shift in attention towards SUVs despite having a four-strong sedan portfolio. Following the discontinuation of Brio, the top-selling Amaze will act as the new entry-level model and 30 per cent of its buyers are first-time takers.
As speculated previously, Nakanishi has confirmed that Honda will be launching a brand new hybrid vehicle in 3 years. The Japanese auto major has been an open advocate of promoting eco-friendly hybrid vehicles as a viable solution in the coming years as the electric infrastructure is not just there.
The timeline of three years does coincide with the next generation City. Due to the drop in C-segment sedan sales, the City is definitely taking a pounding and the arrival of a brand new model could steady the ship. The next-gen City will have bigger proportions than the existing model while incorporating new technologies and is due for 2020 with diesel CVT option to take on Verna’s diesel auto firmly.
Furthermore, the existing i-VTEC 1.5-litre petrol and i-DTEC 1.5-litre diesel engines will be upgraded to meet the BSVI norms. Unlike the mild-hybrid system in the Ciaz, the City could opt for a full hybrid tech and it would help Honda in taking advantages of the FAME II scheme.
The City hybrid won’t be launched immediately alongside the conventional model and since it’s a couple of more years away, it coincides with the launch timeframe confirmed by Nakanishi. Honda has also been spied testing the next generation Jazz supposedly with a hybrid system from Accord or Insight. It could also be introduced later seeing the response for the City hybrid.