Honda India ahs been reported to have come out with a drastic decision. The carmaker has decided to weed out its sedan, Civic, from the market. The Honda-made sedan had been going through a miserable phase in terms of performance over past one year. While reports suggest that the manufacturer has already stopped the production of Honda Civic, the models still available at the dealerships are the last few Civics that are to be sold in the country. The phasing out of the model is certainly going to affect the bringing in of the latest generation of the model that was globally launched way back in 2011.
Honda’s biggest flaw in its models is the unavailability of a diesel engine option. This drawback has worked against the Civic. Its competitors’ (VW Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze and Skoda Laura) diesel engine avatars have actually taken over the car’s position in the market. Few reports suggest that the automaker has geared up to develop compatible engines for its sedans and big vehicles, and the hatchbacks will get diesel powerhouses sooner than the former. Word is that Honda Brio will be the maiden car to feature a diesel heart.
The D-segment car had acclaimed appreciation in terms of styling, comfort, power and even experience over the past six years. But the Civic couldn’t deal with the continuity in the graph of petrol price hike, which eventually turned out to be fatal for the sedan. The lack of diesel heart has actually left a scar in almost all Honda cars’ sales figures. While the Civic was the best seller in 2007 with 2546 units, the sales figure came drastically down to mere 138 units in July 2012. The only way out for Honda’s sustenance in Indian car market is the introduction of diesel powerhouses for its cars as soon as possible.