Honda, slowly and steadily, is making way up the ladder in the Indian passenger car market. After enduring a prolonged period of criticism and low sales, the Japanese auto maker has made all its detractors eat humble pie. With the introduction of Amaze compact sedan, this firm has been able to fight torrid market conditions to register tremendous growth figures. The Tokyo-based company is set to continue this onslaught in 2014 as it plans to launch multiple cars, such as new City, Mobilio and new Jazz. While the launches of all these models looks certain, a lot of speculations surround the Vezel compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), which was unveiled recently at the Tokyo Motor Show. Ever since the showcasing, experts and the media have tried to analyse whether Vezel will be launched in India or not. There are several key aspects that need to be looked at before drawing a conclusion regarding the introduction of this car in India.
The Japanese car maker has not officially announced a particular time-frame, let alone date, for the launch of Vezel. This fact makes it almost sure that the introduction will not take place any time soon. Honda has always been pretty clear cut in expressing its plans explicitly, something that can be seen by recent happenings. Off-late, the demand for compact SUVs has risen in India and a number of companies are looking to enter this segment. French company Renault and American auto maker Ford have tasted success through Duster and EcoSport models, which, currently, are best-sellers. Fellow Japanese car manufacturer Nissan recently entered this category by launching Terrano, which has performed reasonably well. Needless to say, the competition is rising swiftly and the chances of instant success are becoming less. Honda, according to experts, will have to be circumspect and take a decision so that proper revenue levels are generated.
A factor that could play an important role in determining whether Vezel will enter Indian showrooms is the way Honda Mobilio performs. Based on the Brio-platform, Mobilio is expected to be launched in India in 2014. Considering the rise in demand of utility vehicles, analysts are anticipating the new model to clock good sales figures. It is being said that this car will come in both diesel and petrol versions. Honda has earned a lot of acclaim for the performance of the i-DTEC engine, which delivers excellent mileage and power figures. If Mobilio does succeed in India, it will give the Japanese car maker tremendous confidence and the right impetus to launch Vezel.
As mentioned above, competition will be playing a critical role in influencing Honda's decision with respect to Vezel. EcoSport and Duster are going pretty strong in the Indian market and have been performing consistently. Pricing will be important in attracting buyers, as seen in the case of Ford EcoSport. Honda is known for providing top class features as far as interiors and comfort are concerned. If the Japanese car maker does include them, it would be tough to keep a check on the price. Thereby, if the price is high then Vezel would not be able to emulate sales of EcoSport or Duster.
One advantage that Honda holds over other companies is the kind of momentum it has in the market at present. In the past ten to twelve months, the firm has managed to create a superb reputation among the masses, which is something it was unable to do in the past. If Honda manages to keep the price of this compact SUV in control, it will be able to give stiff competition to all rivals. However, nothing is final as of now and everything being said is based on pure speculation.
