Honda WR-V Is Now HCIL’s Best Seller, Overtakes City’s Sales In July
Riding high on the strong demand for its crossover SUV-the WR-V, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) registered a strong 22 per cent sales growth in July 2017. The company’s domestic sales stood at 17,085 units in July 2017 against 14,033 units in corresponding month last year.
The major trend seen in HCIL’s sales last months was that the newly launched WR-V overtook the established City’s sales. Honda sold 4,894 units of WR-V as against 4,854 Units City in July 2017.
Yoichiro Ueno, President and CEO, HCIL, said, “We have increased the WR-V supply for our waiting customers from last month and is reflected in the good numbers posted by the model in July.”
Owing to the strong demand, the company has now decided to ramp up WR-V production to around 5,000 units a month. At present, the company manufactures around 3,400 units of WR-V per month. Till date, the car has received over 23,000 bookings but managed to deliver only 16,000 units.
The WR-V commands a waiting period of up to two months and in coming months demand for WR-V is expected to grow further.
“The post-GST price benefits, healthy monsoon and onset of festive season in many regions from August will give another boost to our sales,” Ueno said. Honda’s other cars such as Jazz and Amaze also saw jump in sales last month but half of its total sale came jointly from City and WR-V sales.
Launched in March 2017, Honda WR-V is the first car developed by the combined effort of Honda’s India and Japan R&D team to suit Indian conditions. Since its launch, the compact SUV garnered positive response in the market and now has become the fifth best seller in the segment. The WR-V competes with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Hyundai i20 crossover.
Beside unique design, good infotainment system and premium safety features, WR-V has become a popular choice among consumer due to its class leading mileage at a decent price point. The petrol trim gives a decent mileage of 17.5 kmpl, while the diesel offers a best-in-class 25.5 kmpl.
Post the implementation of GST, the car received a price cut of almost Rs 10,000 and now the prices start from Rs 7.66 lakh to Rs 9.91 lakh.
