Launched in 2014, the Brio based MPV, Mobilio has been discontinued in India, owning to sluggish demand. While the compact MPV was a direct competitor to the segment leader Ertiga, it aimed at clinching away Toyota Innova’s reign in the MPV space. As the demand for SUVs continue to surge, the larger family vehicles (MPVs) have been disregarded by the customers.
The company had stopped Mobilio’s production sometime back and now all the dealers have cleared the inventory. Media reports suggest that Honda is yet to decide on the re-launch plan of the MPV in India. Sources in the know have revealed that Honda is contemplating on the possibility, though it has not confirmed anything as of yet.
Based on the extended Brio platform, Mobilio shared styling cues with the hatchback and other models based on the same platform. Available in petrol and diesel fuel options, the MPV opened to good start, albeit most of the sales were driven by the fleet segment.
In retrospect, Honda has brought back some of its vehicles to India such as Jazz, Accord etc. The new Jazz was re-introduced in 2015, sporting new elements and Honda’s 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine. To further push Jazz’s sales, Honda India is working on a facelift version, that is likely to go on sale by year end. In fact, Honda is also planning to bring 10th generation Civic to India, which is already available in the international markets. As for Accord, it was relaunched in hybrid version, though with the new GST tax regime, hybrids have become pricier, which puts a big question mark on their existence.
To further bolster its position in the SUV space, Honda could bring HR-V SUV to India that will compete with Mahindra XUV500, Tata Hexa, Toyota Innova Crysta and Hyundai Tucson in the segment. From its current line of products, City is raking in good numbers, maintaining its popularity in the segment.
Source – Overdrive
