5 Global Honda Cars We Wish To See In India | From City RS to Civic Si

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) was established in 1995 and they’ve had a phenomenal 25-year journey in India. Their cars have been no short of icons having a dedicated fan base which only expected to keep on growing. Take cars like the City, Civic and Accord ( first three generations in India), these three globally celebrated cars, at different stages in HCIL journey in India have helped the company achieve a dominating market share.

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But the insurgence of the latest brands, rapidly evolving customer trends and the sheer obsession for SUVs seem to have become a bit overwhelming for Honda in India. It seems like Honda didn’t seem to gravitate towards these changes with the same exuberance as some of their contemporaries have shown.

Hence, if Honda wants to attain back its precedence over the other car companies in India, it’s probably about time that it gives cars from its global lineup a shot in the Indian market. Here are 7 Global Honda cars we wish to see in the Indian market.

1. Honda HR-V

   

   If Honda wants to ramp up their impact on the Indian market, there is no better way to do that than to gatecrash the midsize SUV party with a strong contender. Honda’s HR-V will be the right car for the job.

   The launch of the HR-V in India has been speculated for quite some time now. The HR-V was launched in the US and Japan markets way back in 2013. Since then, HCIL has made various attempts on bringing the HR-V to India, but the project was called off every time.

   Allegedly, Honda India has still not put the idea to bed and will give bringing the HR-V to India another shot in 2021. Reportedly, the HR-V in the international markets is scheduled for a next-generation update which got delayed (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to the year 2021 as well. Only time will tell which generation of the HR-V will make its way to India.

   The current-gen Honda HR-V comes with two engine options, a 1.8-Litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.6-Litre turbocharged diesel engine. The arch-rivals for the HR-V in India will be the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

2. Second Generation Honda Brio

   

   The best way for Honda to further strengthen its potential in the Indian market is to revisit the small hatchback segment in India. Bringing the Brio back and packing it with a strong punch can help Honda to increase its market share in India.

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   The first generation Honda Brio was on sale in India for a span of almost 8 years and managed a respectable sales figure of 97,000 units during the time.
   The Second generation Brio (in Indonesian markets) comes with a similar 1.2-Litre, i-VTEC petrol engine as seen on the previous generation. It makes 89 bhp and 110 Nm of torque. These power figures will be sufficient to stack the car against the likes of Tata Tiago and Maruti Ignis if Honda plans on bringing it to India.

3. Honda City RS

   

   With the Turbo Petrol engine hype kicking in, Honda has got to bring the City’s RS variant available in Thai markets to India. Honda City’s nemesis in India the Hyundai Verna recently got a 1.0-Litre turbo petrol variant for its 2020 update as well. Midsize and Compact SUVs and even some premium hatchbacks in the similar price range have received a turbo petrol mil from their manufacturers.

   It’s a shame that Honda didn’t bring the City RS variant alongside the fifth-gen Honda City’s launch in July 2020. However, if Honda wants to keep up with the Turbo-Petrol revolution, they should consider bringing the City RS to India.

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   Honda City RS in the Thai Markets comes with a 1.0-Litre VTEC Turbo-petrol Engine making 122 bhp. That’s right, the “VTEC” badge could make a comeback with the City RS. Honda City RS also gets a sporty cosmetic treatment with a tasteful ‘Ignite Red’ metallic body colour.

4. Honda Civic Si

   

   If Honda India thinks that the Civic Type R is too ambitious a project for the Indian market, then they can at least consider the Bringing the Civic Si Sedan to India. Honda Civic Si bridges the gap between the Civic sedan and the Type R. In the American markets, the Civic Si Sedan comes with a 1.5-Litre, four-cylinder, the turbocharged engine making 205 bhp. This power figure sounds enticing enough for a Civic to have in India. It’s very likely to that the Honda fanboys will ditch their “SUV plans” for a ballsy Civic.

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   Here’s a suggestion Honda, if you guys are still not convinced to have a proper production run for a performance-oriented Civic, try bringing the Civic Si as a limited production run with just some hundreds of Civic Si to be sold initially. It could be HCIL answer to the Skoda Octavia RS 245 at a much cheaper price tag with a hefty performance on offer.

5. Honda Insight

   

   With electric mobility gradually taking a greater pedestal in India, Hybrid cars are likely to gain more popularity in the future. Honda Insight sits between the Civic and the Accord in the American market. Bringing the Insight to India can turn out to be an “Insightful” move by HCIL considering electric mobility as the future.

   Honda Insight in America comes with a Hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5-Litre, Atkinson cycle, 4-cylinder engine combined with a dual electric motor system with High-voltage batteries that are insured by an 8-year limited warranty.

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   Honda has tried their luck in selling hybrid cars in India like the Civic Hybrid and Accord Hybrid, but both of the cars bombed in the Indian market. However, these are changed times and a car with an electric motor doesn’t seem too bad to customers now. Hence, Honda can definitely try and flip their luck with this time around with the Honda Insight.

   Did we miss out on some Global Honda cars that you would like to have in India? Let us know in the comments section below.