Honda Siel Cars India Ltd., (HSCI) was
incorporated in December 1995 as a joint venture between Honda Motor Co. Ltd.,
Japan and Siel Limited, a Siddharth Shriram Group company, with a commitment to
providing Honda’s latest passenger car models and technologies, to the Indian
customers.
The Honda City, its first offering introduced in 1997, revolutionized the
Indian passenger car market and has ever since been recognized as an
engineering marvel in the Indian automobile industry. The success of City as
well as all its other models has led HSCI to become the leading premium car
manufacturer in India.
The total investment made by the company in India till date is Rs. 1620 crores.
The company has a capacity of manufacturing 100,000 cars.
Showcase Manufacturing Facility
HSCI’s state-of-the-art manufacturing unit was set up in 1997 at Greater Noida,
U.P with an investment of Rs. 450 crore. The green-field project is spread
across 150 acres of land (over 6,00,000 sq. m.).
The initial installed capacity of the plant was 30,000 cars per annum, which
was thereafter increased to 50,000 cars on a two-shift basis. The capacity has
further been enhanced to 1,00,000 units annually in February 2008 . The
capacity expansion was necessitated by the excellent performance of all the
Honda models, particularly the growing demand for City ZX in India.
Several modifications were done by the company with the objective of offering
higher quality products to its customers, faster and quicker. The expansion
process also included expansion of the covered area in the plant, from 1,07,000
sq. m. to 1,31,794 sq. m.
HSCI currently produces the Honda City ZX, Civic and Accord models in
India and the premium SUV, CR-V is sold as a fully imported unit from Japan.
The company operates under the stringent standards of ISO 9001 for quality
management and ISO 14001 for environment management.
Sales and Distribution Network
Honda Siel Cars India has a strong sales and distribution network spread across
the country. The network includes 80 facilities in 51 cities. HSCI
dealerships are based on the “3S Facility” (Sales, Service, Spares) format,
offering complete range of services to its customers.
Product Range
Honda Siel Cars’ product range in India includes the Honda City ZX in the
mid-size segment, Civic in the Lower D segment and Accord in the luxury segment
and third generation all-new CR-V (both 2.0L 2 WD and 2.4L 4WD) in the SUV
segment. While the City ZX, Civic and Accord are manufactured at the
company’s plant, the CR-V is imported from Japan as a Completely Built Unit.
City ZX
City ZX is today recognized as one of the most successful car brands in the
country. Its success is a replica of the success of its predecessor - the
original Honda City, launched way back in 1997. In fact, HSCI took a historic
step in 2003, when it introduced the New-City at a time when the original City
was still performing brilliantly – and it was an immediate success. The City ZX
was launched two years later in 2005 as an enhanced version of the New-City and
is strongly associated with durability, reliability, quality and
fuel-efficiency.
The City ZX range includes 4 variants - EXi, GXi, CVT (Automatic Transmission)
and VTEC. While EXi, GXi and CVT variants come with the advanced combustion
system of the 1.5 litre Intelligent Dual & Sequential Ignition (i-DSI)
engine, City VTEC embodies a 1.5 litre VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift
Electronic Control) engine. The VTEC version was reintroduced in the new City
in response to customer demand.
The City VTEC comes with sporty exteriors and plush interiors, catering to the
premium segment customers. On the outside, the car is adorned by 14” alloy
wheels, front and rear fog lamps and rear disc brake. The interiors are more
lavish with leather steering, centre console and beige and black upholstery.
The City is manufactured with 79% indigenisation level and currently
enjoys 25% market share in its segment.
CIVIC
HSCI launched the 1.8S Civic in India in July 2006 which became a runaway
success. The company has also launched the 1.8v version of the Civic in June
2007.
The Civic is Honda’s largest selling model globally and is now sold in
approximately 160 nations and regions worldwide. The Civic made its debut, with
a two-door model in July 1972, followed shortly by a three-door version. The
series was a major hit, especially among young people and for three consecutive
years, from 1972 to 1974, the Civic won the ‘Car of the Year Japan’ award.
Civic’s development process contrasted completely with Honda tradition. Rather
than pursue development based primarily on the vision of Company founder
Soichiro Honda, the Civic’s development team traveled to various world markets,
gained local knowledge and experience first-hand, and then set about creating a
car that “is needed right now.”
Overseas production of Civic began in Indonesia in 1975, and Civic vehicles are
now made in 11 countries, including North America, Europe, Asia and South
America. Total cumulative production of Civic models at the end of calendar
2004 was approximately 16 million units—making it one of the most popular
models in Honda history.
The eighth-generation Civic was launched towards the end of 2005 in the US and
early 2006 in Japan. It already has the distinction of being voted as the top
car in different markets and categories. Some of these include:
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“Car of the Year” at the prestigious Detroit Auto Show 2006.
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“Red dot: best of the best“ award for highest design quality in Europe.
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2006 ‘Car of the Year’ by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
(AJAC).
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2006 "North American Car of the Year" presented by a group of 49 international
automotive journalists.
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"Top Safety Pick - Gold" award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) for earning "Good" ratings in frontal, side impact and rear impact tests
and measurements.
2007 ‘Indian Car of the Year’
The Civic has an indigenisation level of
72% and enjoys
45% market
share in its segment.
ACCORD
New Accord comes with fresh new exterior styling, enhanced interiors and
several new value-added features. The new Accord has a new-look, sporty rear
with revamped LED Tail lamps and rear bumper garnish that further enhances its
stunning exterior styling. Adding greater value to the 2.4 lt model, the new
car now has premium wood & leather steering wheel and turn indicators on
side-view mirrors, features which were earlier available only in the V6 model.
For easy and convenient parking, the new Accord has front and rear Parking
Assistance Sensors, which warn the driver of obstacles in his way while
parking. The Accord V6 now has enhanced safety in the form of Vehicle Stability
Assist (VSA) technology and also new 10-spoke 16” alloy wheels.
The Honda Accord, which has been a popular premium sedan ever since its launch
in 2003, will continue to delight the customers with its class-leading
performance and luxury features such as leather upholstery, dual-zone climate
control and six-CD changer.
The Accord has won recognition all over the world from the automobile press for
its commitment to innovation and value. To name a few, it received the
‘Japanese Car of the Year Award 2002-2003’ for the third time, Best Selling
Car’ in 2001 in the US, ‘Product of the Year’ by Fortune Magazine in 1993 and
‘Best Selling Car’ from 1989-91 in the US.
The Accord is manufactured with
34% indigenisation level and currently
enjoys
27% market share in its segment.
CR-V
The 3rd generation CR-V was introduced in November 2006. The all-new, third
generation Honda CR-V offers its customers a distinctive combination of ‘the
comfort of a sedan with the thrills of a SUV’.
The engine is a 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC, which delivers a powerful torque of 162
ps @ 5,800 rpm. Realtime 4WD is a unique feature of the car which is the first
in its class. The Realtime 4WD intelligently detects adverse road conditions
and switches to 4-wheel drive instantly. In normal conditions the all-new CR-V
operates in front wheel drive mode but in wet, muddy roads or off-road
conditions, it automatically switches to 4-wheel drive instantly. An enlarged
clutch and stiffened transmission parts help distribute 20% additional torque
to the rear wheels which ensures smooth drive in bad road conditions without
compromising on safety or fuel consumption.
HSCI recently introduced the 2.0L 2WD (2-Wheel Drive) Honda CR-V which is more
agile & has a sporty handling. The new lighter engine gives good fuel
efficiency, without compromising on performance.
The CR-V currently enjoys
37% market share in its segment.
Sales Performance
HSCI closed the 2006-07financial year on an upbeat note with total sales of
61,327 units in the domestic market – a growth of 41.5% over the previous
financial year. The company’s flagship model, the
Honda City ZX,
accounted for 40,464 units in the year. Total Accord and CR-V sales for 2006-07
stood at 2,728 and 1,873 units respectively.
Environment and Safety
The Honda Group is globally recognized for its concern towards environment,
safety and conservation of the society in which it operates. HSCI follows the
same in India for achieving high standards in environmental safety in the
various processes of car manufacturing.
Corporate Awards and Accolades
2008
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Total Customer Satisfaction (Honda City and Honda CR-V) by TNS
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‘Best Executive Car’ (Honda Civic), CNBC Autocar Auto Awards
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‘Best Brand for eco friendliness’ (HSCI) by Auto India
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‘Best ad campaign of the year’ (HSCI’s 10th anniversary campaign) by Overdrive
2007
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Manufacturer of the Year by CNBC TV–18 Autocar
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‘SUV of the Year’ (Honda CR-V) by NDTV Profit Car & Bike
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‘SUV of the Year’ (Honda CR-V) by Overdrive
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‘Best Driver’s Car’ award by CNBC TV-18 Autocar Auto Awards
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‘Car of the Year’ (Honda Civic) by CNBC TV-18 Autocar Auto Awards 2007
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‘Car of the Year’ (Honda Civic) by NDTV Profit Car & Bike Awards 2007
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Viewers’ Choice’ award by NDTV, CNBC and Aaj Tak
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TNS Total Customer Satisfaction Study – 2006 (Accord, CR-V & City)
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‘NDTV CNB-AAA PR & Communications Team of the Year’
2006
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Best Indian Company (unlisted) by Business Standard Group
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Manufacturer of the Year by NDTV Profit-Car India
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Manufacturer of the Year by CNBC-TV 18 Autocar India
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No 1 Mid Size Car (Honda City); No 1 Entry Luxury Car (Honda Accord) and No 1
Premium SUV (Honda CR-V) by TNS
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Best Mid-size Car in Initial Quality (Honda City) and Most Appealing Mid-size
car (Honda City) by JD Power
2004
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CNBC Autocar CAR of the year 2004 - Honda City
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ICICI Overdrive SUV of the Year 2004 - Honda CR-V
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ICICI Overdrive Car of the Year 2004 - Honda City
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Business Standard Motoring Car of the Year 2004 - Honda City