Honda plans 3-4 diesel models in 2-3 years

Honda Cars India plans to roll out 3-4 diesel models in the country over the next 2-3 years, Hironori Kanayama (pictured), its  president and CEO, said on Thursday.

To start with, the company will launch an entry-level sedan based on the Brio platform next fiscal.

It is also studying options in new segments like utility vehicles and compact sports utility vehicles, where it does not have a presence at present.

To be sure, Honda has been missing a large part of the action because it only has petrol vehicles in a market where demand for diesel vehicles has rocketed in recent years because of the price difference between the two fuels.

The new range of products could help it catch up with competition.
Honda said it has started work on manufacturing diesel engines in India at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan, though it did not share details on capacity and investment.

“We cannot tell you the exact product plan, but we are very very ambitious,” said Kanayama. “We are still working on the sequence of which model and the timing of the launch for the same.”

Honda could consider getting products from its existing global line-up or develop an India-specific product like Brio.
The company said it will introduce the diesel option in the next generation of new models and the next generation of the existing models.
Honda Siel Cars sold 54,427 units in 2011-12, down 8.46% compared with the previous fiscal.
“The future models in diesel will bring us to the right position,” said Kanayama.
Meanwhile, the company is also ramping up exports from India. As against a total of 1,028 units exported in the last 14 years, it plans  to ship 1,600 units of its small car Brio by the end of this year to South Africa and other Asian countries.
c_yuga@dnaindia.net