LARGE CARS – RTN asia

Honda Cars India will launch its upcoming, mid-sized Innova-rival, Mobilio, next month, the company said in a statement. In addition, Honda will also launch a new version of its big-size hatchback, the Jazz, in the coming months. The Mobilio will be a seven seater and is expected to give the Toyota Innova a run for its money. The Innova is currently the unchallenged champ in plus-sized cars in India. HONDA MOBILIO TO LAUNCH IN JULY "Going forward in this financial year, HCIL is all set to enter a new segment which is the Multi-Purpose Vehicle segment with the launch of the midsize stylish 7 seater MPV- the Honda Mobilio. Honda has a strong legacy of MPVs globally with successful products like Odyssey, Freed, and Stepwagon," it said. "The company has put together all the know-how of Honda related to MPVs in developing Mobilio," it added. Honda Mobilio will target what the company calls the Modern Real Indian family. "This car is principally intended for customers who are seeking a stylish and spacious MPV for their personal use. With its strong desirable values, we expect that Mobilio will appeal not only to MPV segment customers who generally have large families but also to families which have traditionally opted for a sedan or an SUV. Honda will launch the Mobilio in July 2014 in both Petrol and Diesel variants." Besides targeting the Innova, the Honda Mobilio will join a range of recently-launched SUVs like the Ford EcoSport, the Etios Cross and a range of offerings from Mahindra and Mahindra, including the XUV 5oo. Honda entered the diesel segment in April 2013, and was able to record an 83% increase in its car sales in India during the year to 1,34,339. Out of this, 86,000 were Amazes. In January, the company launched the all-new 4th Generation Honda City in the Indian market. More than 35,000 new City have been sold its launch and continues to dominate the sales in its segment, Honda India said. Honda Cars India Ltd started the production of cars from its Tapukara Plant in Feb’14. The company has invested Rs 3,526 crores in the plant. "We will increase our dealer network by 35% in this year by reaching out to more tier 2 & tier 3 markets which will be instrumental for our growth. The company currently has 172 facilities in 109 cities in its network and this will increase to 230 facilities in 150 cities," Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, said.

Tag: LARGE CARS

Honda to take on Innova with Mobilio launch next month