I N D I A ’ S N O . 1 M A G A Z I N E F O R A U T O M O T I V E N E W S , V I E W S & A N A LY S I S
Auto Monitor
Vol. 13 No. 08
www.a m onli ne.i n
18 March 2013
IN PICS
The ADEA Event First peek into the ADEA event
Honda Amaze to launch sooner Anand Mohan Mumbai
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onda will launch the Amaze on April 11. Dealers tell us that the launch date has been brought forward from the 16th to get the car into dealerships as soon as possible. They are anticipating a huge response for Honda’s first diesel car. Sources tell us that the company began production of the Amaze in January and has already built over 10,000 units so that the company can ‘flood the streets’ with the Amaze soon after its launch, a strategy Maruti follows with its new car launches. Furthermore, the source added that the company expects to sell 12,000 units of the Amaze per month to begin with and if the demand is higher, it can ramp up production to 20,000 units per month. The Amaze is Honda’s sub-4 metre sedan based on the Brio hatchback. It is powered by the same 1.2 litre petrol engine from the Brio and a new 1.5 litre diesel engine developed specifically for India. Honda has increased the length of the Amaze for rear-seat passenger comfort, and Honda’s ‘man maximum, machine minimum’ design philosophy ensures that the Amaze has enough boot space and doesn’t look like an afterthought. The Amaze is far better proportioned than its main competitor, the new Maruti Dzire with its stubby boot, and also offers marginally more boot space than the hatchback. The Amaze is expected to start at `5 lakh for the base petrol variant, and `6 lakh for the base diesel variant. The top-end diesel will carry a price tag of approximately `7.5 lakh. With the dieselization of the Indian passenger car market, Honda has had to sail troubled waters for a tough few years with no diesel engine in its portfolio. The 1.5litre i-DTEC diesel motor may prove to be the light at the end of the tunnel for Honda.
32 Pages
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COLUMN
The Biggest Motor Show Pg 14
Mark Carbery tells us about Geneva
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Pg 24
Honda ups ante with new models Plans strategy to touch No 1 if markets remain what they are now Nabeel A Khan New Delhi
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f all goes according to plan and circumstances are kind, Japanese automobile major, Honda Motor, hopes to touch the No 1 spot in the Indian two-wheeler segment, much earlier than expected. The company also seems sure that the Indian subsidiary Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) will contribute around 25 percent to global two-wheeler sales in unit terms by then. Currently, HMSI contributes around 18 percent to Honda’s global twowheeler sales. In India, HMSI is at second position in terms of sales of twowheelers, after archrival Hero MotoCorp. “We will touch the top spot by 2015-16, if the current situation prevails. Currently the market size is around 1.4 crore units, and if the market holds out then we will be number one,” said Shinji Aoyama, General Manager, Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co. Japan. HMSI’s only concern is that an increase in the pie size will make it difficult for them to touch new levels because of capacity constraints. The company currently
has an annual production capacity of 2.8 million units across two manufacturing units at Manesar and Rajasthan. It third facility at Karnataka is set to begin production in the next three months which will raise capacity by another 1.2 million units, taking it to a total of 4 million units. In terms of revenue, India contributes around 15 percent that amounts to `1,200 crore in comparison to global two-wheeler sales of 1.4 trillion Yen. “The small revenue share can be explained in terms of the lower cost of per unit bike sold in India,” Aoyama explained. At a time when the automotive segment is seeing dismal figures, the two-wheeler manufacturer has seen a growth of over 30 percent between April 2012 and February 2013. HMSI alone reported a 10.87 percent growth in total sales for February 2013 at 228,444 units, while its total sales stood at 206,043 units in the corresponding month last year. Sales of motorcycles jumped 30.69 percent to touch 108,553 units in February 2013 from 83,061 units in February 2012, the company announced in a statement.
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HMSI launches Trigger HMSI has unveiled its premium 150cc bike CB Trigger. Expected to go on sale mid-April, the bike is equipped with a combi-brake system (CBS) and offers fuel efficiency of 60 kmpl. The 150cc – 180cc motorcycle segment contributes approximately 10 percent to the Indian 2Wheeler industry. CBS is an easy to operate bike that reduces braking distance by 32 percent compared to conventional braking. The motorcycle delivers peak power of 10.3 Kw @8500 rpm (approx. 14 BHP) and a resounding peak torque of 12.5 Nm @6500 rpm. The bike is also equipped with 240mm front and 220mm rear dual disc brakes which enhance braking efficiency and rider safety. CB Trigger will come in three colors, Meteor Green Metallic, Pearl Siena Red and Black and three variants.
Piaggio launches 3-valve apé city Powered by three-valve engine, the 3-wheeler can run on CNG/LPG/Petrol
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iaggio has expanded its product portfolio in the three-wheeler category with the launch of apé City. The manufacturer claims that the apé City is powered by a three-valve engine which marks a first for the Indian three-wheeler segment. The apé City, a passenger carrier, will be offered in CNG, LPG and petrol variants. The company has priced the three-
wheeler competitively with the CNG priced at Rs 125,000, LPG at 123,000, and the petrol one for Rs 110,000. It also expects to export 50,000 units of apé. The apé brand has enjoyed considerable success since the time it was introduced. By capitalizing on the already popular brand value, Piaggio is aiming to capture more market share with the apé City.
Like every other manufacturer Piaggio too claims that its newest offering has been developed taking customer feedback into
consideration and is a big add on to its existing range. Piaggio also
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