We reported yesterday that Honda is working on a new sub-four meter SUV and a new compact hatchback, now more information has been revealed on the small hatchback. The new hatchback under development stage is being worked upon under the codename ‘World A Entry Car’. Honda’s small hatchback is being built explicitly for the Indian market and could also be sold in other South Asian markets along with Africa and Indonesia. With this hatchback, Honda will foray into the mass segment or volume segment that will further help the Japanese auto giant to enhance its market share in India. Sources close to the development reveal that Honda will position “World A Entry Car’ below Brio and is expected to price it beneath Rs 4 lakh. In India, the car will rival the likes of Maruti WagonR, Chevrolet Beat and Hyundai i10. Underpinning Brio platform, the new hatchback will be launched in India in 2017 and hence we expect that Honda India could showcase this hatchback at 2016 Auto Expo.
Honda has been known as a car maker that primarily offered premium cars be it Jazz hatchback or City sedan or CR-V SUV. However, the car maker tried to break its cliché image with launch of Brio which after an initial spark could not garner as many sales as company had anticipated. Underpinning the GSP platform, Brio might not have been a major success but this diverse platform has been used in Amaze and Mobilio too. Amaze is the first compact vehicle from Honda that is now on verge of reaching 1 lakh unit sales mark in India. A new sub-four meter SUV and a sub-Rs 4 lakh hatchback will help Honda widen its portfolio in India. The exponentially growing sub-4 lakh segment accounts for a major chunk of passenger car market in India. Mahindra’s last two launches-Amaze and new City have been received extremely well by the customers in India. Honda is on brink of striking a hat trick with Mobilio that has been spawned recently in India. Hopefully the two new vehicles will give Honda the required bump to capture third spot in domestic market.
