Honda Cars India Limited announces its sales report for December 2022. The Japanese car manufacturer sold a cumulative 7,062 units for the given month. The carmaker also reported 1,388 units as exports. For the same month in the previous year, Honda registered 7,973 units in domestic sales and exported 1,165 units.
Honda’s performance in CY2022
For the calendar year 2022, Honda reported 95,022 units sold in the domestic market and 23,428 units exported to markets overseas. Compared to the previous year, that is 2021, this was a growth of 7 percent and 43 percent respectively in domestic and export numbers. In 2021, Honda India had reported 89,152 units for the Indian market and 16,340 as exports.
Strong sales by Honda City and Amaze
Both the Honda City and the Honda Amaze have been the top sellers for the brand in India. Despite the chip shortage which affected the production, the overall market sentiment was positive for the Japanese carmaker. Additionally, the company expects for the numbers to only grow in 2023.
Honda’s Creta-rival SUV
While specific details are not yet revealed, some reports indicate that the car will measure around 4.2-4.3 m in length, and will be underpinned by the new version of the platform that is used in the Honda Amaze in India. Design details are not yet available as Honda has been very careful in keeping the car under the wraps. No test mules – either camouflaged or not have ever been spotted.
Need for the new SUV in 2022
In April 2023, new emission norms will be coming in. The Real Driving Emissions (RDE) have all but ensured that Honda will discontinue models like the Jazz, WR-V, fourth-generation City and the Amaze diesel. This means that Honda will have just two models on sale – the fifth-generation City and the Honda Amaze petrol. The gap created by the discontinuation of aforementioned models will need to be filled up by something.
Hence, Honda is counting on the fact that this SUV will not just expand the portfolio but also ring the cash registers at the Japanese carmaker. This SUV is expected to take on the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and also the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. It could also eat some sales from the Skoda-Volkswagen twins of Kushaq and Taigun.
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