At the launch of the Honda City in Chennai, we spoke to Mr. Shigeru Yamazaki, senior VP of marketing and sales at Honda India about the new Hondas.
What is the petrol vs diesel split for the new City for initial bookings?
70 percent of the bookings are for the diesel model out of 9,931 bookings as of 9th January 2013.
Why is there a delay in launching the petrol version (petrol version will only be available from second half of next month)?
As this is a new car, we are now in the ramp up period. It will take us some time for diesel and petrol to be made simultaneously. We decided to introduce the diesel first because many City customers asked for diesel. But the gap is just one month.
Can the Brio platform be used to make an SUV?
Practically it is possible, but we need to use bigger tires, so its a challenge for the engineers.
What about the new Accord for India? Will there be an Accord Hybrid?
We are considering the Accord for India, but we have not finalized plans. We have not finalized any specifications.
When will the Mobilio come to India?
It will be launched in the next fiscal year.
