ANU(ChandigarhCityNews)
Honda Cars India Ltd, leading manufacturer of passenger cars in India,today kick-started its celebrations to commemorate 20 successful years of Honda City in India. Honda City started its journey in India in 1998, and now in its fourth generation avatar, has remained one of the longest running nameplates in the Indian automotive history. India is the largest and most important market for Honda City accounting for over 25% of the car’s current worldwide sales.The car continues to be an aspirational brand for many and enjoys huge brand loyalty amongst its customers.
Speaking about the milestone achievement for Honda City in India, Mr. Yoichiro Ueno, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “We are extremely delighted and proud as we celebrate incredible two decades for Honda City in India, having created new benchmarks ever since its first launch in 1998. With a strong legacy of 4 generations, the Honda City has re-invented each time according to the needs and aspirations of customers.” “Each generation of Honda City has offered a new design, latest automotive technology and new-age infotainment experiences.We thank all our City customers for their patronage of the brand” he added.
Outstanding Legacy of Honda City
1998 First Introduction of Honda City in India; First Honda model to be sold in India
Two engine options – 1.3L and 1.5L in Petrol
2000 VTEC engine introduced in Honda City
2001 No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2003 Second generation of Honda City launched in India
Engine – 1.5L i-DSI
New family car benchmark in India – Spacious, comfortable, fuel efficient
Introduction of CVT variant – a first on an Indian car
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2004 No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2005 Launch of City ZX with new looks and new 1.5L VTEC engine
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2006 No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2007 10th anniversary edition of City with ABS launched
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2008 Third Generation of Honda City launched in India
Engine – 1.5L i-VTEC introduced
Safety equipment – ABS and Airbags as standard offering
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2009 Honda City bags the Indian Car of the Year Award 2009
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2010 No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2011 First in Segment Sunroof introduced in new Honda City
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2012 CNG ready version of Honda City introduced
Touch screen AVN introduced
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2013 World Premiere of 4th Generation of Honda City in India
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2014 Launch of 4th Gen City in India – Most successful Honda City ever
Engine options – 1.5L i-VTEC petrol and 1.5L i-DTEC diesel
First time introduction of Diesel engine in Honda City
Introduction of new generation CVT offering more fuel economy than manual variant
2015 No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2016 Safety equipment like ISO FIX introduced in Honda City
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2017 New Honda City launched
Achieves cumulative sales of 7 lakh Honda City in India
No 1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
Generation-wise sales of Honda City in India
| Cumulative sales in India since launch | 7 lakhs | Fuel Type |
| 1st Generation City (1998 – 2003) | 59,378 | Petrol |
| 2nd Generation City (2003 – 2008) | 177,742 | Petrol |
| 3rd Generation City (2008 – 2013) | 192,939 | Petrol |
| 4th Generation City (2014 – till Nov 2017) and counting | 276,095 | Petrol/Diesel |
Honda City was developed as an Asian model, which became a global brand with presence in 60 countries and has registered cumulative sales of 3.6Mn units globally. The Honda City has been a leader in Quality, being ranked No.1 in the JD Power Initial Quality Study for 15 times during its presence in the Indian market. Product quality, matched by excellent after-sales service at the dealerships, has generated strong positive word of mouth for Honda.
Expansion of Honda business strongly led by Honda City sales
Dealer Network
1998 – 12 dealers in 11 cities
2017 – 349 outlets in 234 cities
Tier 1 Supplier Network
1998 – 57 suppliers
2017 – 221 suppliers
Tier-wise market distribution of Honda City sales (generation wise)
Strong penetration of Honda City in Tier 3 markets in 4th generation due to large scale Dealer expansion and availability of Diesel variant.
| 1st Generation
(1998 – 2003) Petrol |
2nd Generation
(2003 – 2008) Petrol |
3rd Generation
(2008 – 2013) Petrol |
4th Generation
(2014 onwards) Petrol/ Diesel |
|
| Tier 1 | 68% | 70% | 67% | 53% |
| Tier 2 | 32% | 28% | 26% | 28% |
| Tier 3 | – | 2% | 7% | 19% |
