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Honda launches BR-V compact SUV at Rs 8.75 lakh

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : May 05 2016 | 1:42 PM IST
Intensifying competition in the fast-growing compact SUV segment, Honda Cars India today launched seven-seater compact SUV BR-V priced between Rs 8.75 lakh and Rs 12.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The model will compete with the likes of Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster, which are priced between Rs 8.46 lakh and Rs 14.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The petrol variants of BR-V are priced between Rs 8.7 lakh and Rs 11.84 lakh while diesel ones are between Rs 9.9 lakh and Rs 12.9 lakh.
The automatic variant of the SUV is priced at Rs 11.99 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Delhi).
"With the launch of BR-V, we are getting into the fast-growing compact SUV segment. With its versatile features, we see a huge potential for the vehicle in the country," Honda Cars India (HCIL) President and CEO Yoichiro Ueno told reporters here.
India is a key market for Honda and as part of business expansion, the company is focusing on increasing its customer base with new model introductions, he added.

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"We are confident that BR-V will strongly appeal to customers and accelerate our growth while strengthening our brand presence in the country," Ueno said.
The compact SUV segment has been one of the best-performing segments in the Indian passenger vehicle market, growing at around 35 per cent for the past two years.
On the Indian market, Ueno said the country has huge potential for growth.
He also outlined the challenges being faced by automakers in the country.
"Last year was tough for the industry, and growth was achieved mainly by new product launches and discounts," Ueno said, marking out the rapid shift from diesel to petrol and introduction of infrastructure cess also impacting the industry.
"Despite all these challenges, we are confident of achieving strong growth in the current fiscal."
The company also plans to expand its sales network to 340 dealerships in the current fiscal, from the current 298.
"It will help us penetrate into new regions and offer better services to customers," Ueno said.
The new model, which will be manufactured at the company's Tapukara plant, comes with a class-leading 210-mm ground clearance.
The petrol variant of the SUV comes with a new 6-speed manual transmission while the diesel version is equipped with six-speed transmission.
The BR-V comes equipped with dual airbags as a standard offering across variants, along with a host of other features.
"For the first time, we'll be able to cross 5 million
sales mark this year," Guleria said, adding the 1.2 million scooters-only Gujarat plant will help in reaching the target.
Honda's domestic volume grew 18 per cent in the month, which is the highest in the eight months since the last festive season, he said.
Against this, industry leader Hero MotoCorp saw its volume inch up a paltry 2.3 per cent to 5,83,117 units in the month, while third-placed Bajaj Auto saw its volume rising by 3.4 per cent to 347,655 units.
TVS Motor saw a volume growth of 10.8 per cent to 2,43,783 units, while Yamaha reported a 36 per cent jump in sales to 62,748 units.
In a research note, LKP Capital said the performance of the auto industry in April was very robust albeit on a low base. In May, this momentum slowed down a bit on seasonal factors -- April being the month where marriage season was at its peak in Northern and Western regions, and inventory build-up was heavy to cater to the retail demand.
Honda got off to a stellar start this fiscal with April sales zooming 26.51 per cent to 4,31,011 units, while Hero MotoCorp, after a full year of falling sales in 2015-16, witnessed a 15 per cent spurt.
Bajaj saw volume falling 2 per cent to 3,30,109 units.
For the full fiscal 2015-16, as per SIAM data, while two-wheeler sales inched up 2.7 per cent to 1,89,37,104 units (domestic sales and exports), Honda sales rose to 44,83,835 units from 44,39,983 units, out of which domestic sales stood at 42,53,471 units, up from 42,83,690 units in FY14.
"FY17 is going to be our most definitive year here. Our priorities will be strengthening our connect with the youth, make all our models BS-IV compliant at the earliest while continue to aggressively make inroads into rural markets, which now contributes around 35 per cent of total sales," Guleria said.
The Rs 1,100-crore factory at Vithalapur near Ahmedabad is a scooters-only plant. Since its entry, Honda has invested over Rs 7,800 crore in the country. It employs around 20,000 people, including 3,000 people at the Gujarat plant. (Honda began independent operations after split with Hero in 2011 with a 1.65 million units plant at Manesar in Haryana).
The two-wheeler market is on course to touch the 20 million mark by 2020 from 16 million in 2014-15, but the industry is worried about the new emission and safety norms.

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First Published: May 05 2016 | 1:42 PM IST

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