Honda Siel Cars India Limited introduced Civic Hybrid in the Indian automobile industry in June 2008. The luxurious sedan is the first hybrid ever launched in the country. An inescapable exhilaration will be felt the moment you turn on the ignition of this car. Honda Civic Hybrid is definitely one of the most environment friendly cars seen on Indian roads. Powered by a high-tech engine, the automobile boasts of stunning looks and good fuel efficiency. Nov 12 2008. 6:53 PM IST Carmaker Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) on Wednesday slashed the price of its eco-friendly sedan, Civic Hybrid, to Rs13. 6 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) from Rs21. 50 lakh earlier for a limited period, till December this year. “There was a huge response from customers, who wanted to buy the car, but they were unable to do so because of the high import duty cost. As our priority is to popularise the technology, we have decided to cut the price for a limited period,” HSCI Vice-President (Marketing) Jananeswar Sen said. He said part of the cost would be borne by the company and a limited number of units would be imported during the offer period.
Till last month, the company sold 60 units of the ‘Civic Hybrid’. Honda has launched Civic Hybrid model last year. It had also offered one of the biggest discounts in the history of Indian auto market to lure the customers and clear off its inventory. It had offered a discount of Rs. 8 lakh on the Hybrid model for a limited period of time in November 2008. At that time the complete inventory was cleared in less than 10 days. Now the company intends to completely stop retailing of the model through its dealership networks.
If anyone places the order for Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Siel Cars India Limited will take 3-4 months to directly import the model and deliver it to the customer. The customers can either place their orders with the dealers or directly approach the company with their requests. Honda Civic Hybrid runs on both petrol and diesel models and offers a mileage of 21 kmpl. However, the Hybrid model failed to make its impact on the Indian customers due to its high price of Rs. 21. 5 lakh. There were no takers when the model was readily available with the dealers for immediate delivery.
