New Honda Civic will come to India as diesel

It was expected that the production version of the 2012 Honda Civic sedan would soon come to India, but the launch has now been delayed.

The buzz on the internet is that Honda will skip launching this generation of the Honda Civic sedan and will only bring the next Civic to India once it has a diesel engine.

A recent said that the ninth generation Civic will not see an India launch as its premium pricing may not work in India. Moreover it does not have a diesel variant, something that now seems to have understood, is essential for success in the present Indian market.

The new Civic reportedly would have had a price of almost Rs.16 lakh for the top end petrol variant. Such pricing for a petrol car in India is presently suicidal in terms of sales. The current trend of the market shows that buyers prefer diesel cars due to the lower running costs. Also read: 2012 Honda Civic photo gallery

The new Honda Civic sports a 1.8 litre i-Vtec engine that produces 140 bhp of power and is loaded with technology to help enhance performance. However the focus of the average Indian car buyer has shifted from performance to frugality more than ever.

It seems only wise for Honda to hold back the launch of the ninth generation Civic in India. The delay may come as bad news for the few petrol heads that remain in the country. Do you think Honda should launch the petrol Civic in India? Share your views in India.

Souce: Economic Times