Honda India Launches The New City & Cuts Prices Of Sedan

Desperate times call for desperate measures. After losing out to Volkswagen's Vento, Japanese carmaker Honda is striking back by slashing prices and improving features of its flagship City sedan.

The carmaker has cut prices of City for the second time in six months and launched a new version priced at Rs6.99 lakh (exshowroom, Delhi).

This will pit the sedan, which had been a market leader for many years, in direct competition with Hyundai Verna and Volkswagen Vento that are also priced at Rs 6.99 lakh.

"We are adding features and cutting prices to make our cars more realistic to the prevailing competition in the market," Seki Inaba, who took over as director (marketing) at Honda's India subsidiary in March this year, told ET.

TopGear Awards Announced!! Audi RS5

Last night BBC TopGear India awarded some of the best cars and bikes of the year in a sizzling ceremony held in Mumbai. Maruti Suzuki's most sought after small car, Swift, won the Small car of the Year. "We are pleased to receive an award from TopGear which is not a magazine but an institution in itself and it endorses the iconic status of the Swift," said Mayank Pareek,managing executive officer, sales & marketing, Maruti Suzuki "Every award is a validation to the fact that the direction we are heading is right and the product innovation strategy that we have put in place is correct.

Whilst the all important award of Car of the Year 2011 was given to the fierce Audi RS5.  The Bike of the Year went to Honda CBR 250RR and the Superbike of the Year award went to BMW 1200 GS. Mahindra & Mahindra's hot selling SUV XUV 5OO received two awards for Best Value for Money Car of the year and Reader's Choice Car of the year. TopGear Man of the Year award went to Sameer Gaur, MD & CEO, Jaypee Sports International for successfully staging the first F1 race in India. 


"It's not a conventional choice, but Top-Gear is never about conventions," said Girish Karkera, editor, TopGear magazine India

FYI: October Auto Sales Figures

Volkswagen has reported a souring 67.30% increase in its India sales to 7,266 units in October as opposed to the 4,343 units in the corresponding period last year according to a statement given by Volkswagen. Compact car Polo and sedan Vento continue to be the flag bearers for the brand, with a total of 6,814 units sold in October, 2011, the company said. "Our action model strategy has once again proved to be very successful, with the Polo and the Vento Breeze being a huge attraction for customers during the festive season," Volkswagen Group Sales India Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Neeraj Garg said.

Toyota Kirloskar sales have also seen a whooping jump of 63% in October. Despite the Tsunami effect and the resulting delays in the delivery the company's sales stats makes Toyota one of the major players in the industry.

Also, according to the latest figures, Honda Siel Cars sales jump 5% in October as a result of selling 1,220 units of its new compact car Brio, 463 units of hatchback Jazz, 3,376 units of its flagship sedan City, 281 units of premium sedan Civic, 172 units of luxury sedan Accord and 14 units of its sports utility vehicle CR-V.

Other figures reveal:

• Hyundai Motor India sales down 7%
• GM India Oct sales rise marginally
• Tata Motors sales rise 5% in October