The Hindu Business Line : Honda Siel focusing on diesel, hybrid fuels

Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) is eyeing diesel and hybrid fuel options for the country. The diesel case study has been an ongoing process, said Mr Masahiro Takedagawa, President and CEO, HSCI.

It is in tandem with the company’s tests on multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) that were conducted two years ago on Honda Steam and Odyssey. The MPV market in India is primarily dominated by diesel models.

The study may reflect that the seven-eight seater segments, which Honda wants to venture into, is dominated by diesel. Furthermore, considering the growth in this segment in developed regions like Europe and developing countries like India, the company is set to develop new generation diesel engines that will have very low emissions and modern technology.

Currently, the company has just one 2.2-litre diesel engine available in the Accord and CR-V models for the European market.

Hybrid technology

The company may also venture into hybrid technology, with Civic as model offering in the market.

A hybrid car features a fuel-efficient gas engine combined with an electric motor that assists the engine when accelerating. The electric motor is powered by batteries that recharge automatically while driving.

The model, if it gets approval from governing bodies such as Automotive Research Association of India, will be imported through the CBU (completely built unit) route by next year-end, said senior officials.

However, the company faces challenges. For example, there are no clear set of rules defined to homologate a vehicle of this sort.

Besides regulations, pricing of the car and exposure to such technology is an industry first for the company, which it needs to evaluate and comprehend.

The hybrid case study is the continuous persuasion of the company’s mantra on offering better fuel efficiency and value for money proposition in each and every model offering.

The hybrid technology is said to improve fuel efficiency by 25 per cent, said experts.