Honda will bring back the Accord executive sedan to India next fiscal after discontinuing the model last year in a bid to re-ascertain its premium brand image. The carmaker, which till 2011 largely focussed on the premium segment, has since launched several mass segment cars like the Brio, Amaze and Mobilio.
?We have the full intention of getting the Accord back in our portfolio, expect the current version sold overseas to come to India next fiscal,? Jnaneswar Sen, senior VP, Marketing & Sales for Honda Cars India, said.
Besides the Accord, the Japanese carmaker will also launch the new Jazz next year, a compact SUV in 2016, a diesel CR-V variant and a new small car in 2017, industry sources said.
Gaurav Vangaal, analyst for light vehicle forecasting at IHS Automotive, said, ?Honda carries a premium brand image in the minds of Indian consumers and it needs to maintain that to create an aspirational value even in the mass segment. Though it does not have any significant effect on volume, the Accord will help in doing exactly the same.?
With sales jumping 48% to 73,119 units in April-August FY15, Honda has also started work towards a third plant in Gujarat. Currently it has two plants in Greater Noida and Tapukara (Rajasthan) with a combined annual capacity of 2.4 lakh units by year end.
?We have just started acquiring land at Gujarat. However, this is for later since we still have land at Tapukara to put a second line,? Sen said.