Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), the leading manufacturer of passenger cars in India, recently kick-started its celebrations to commemorate 20 successful years of Honda City in India. Honda City started its journey in India in 1998, and now in its fourth generation avatar, has remained one of the longest running nameplates in the Indian automotive history. India is the largest and most important market for Honda City accounting for over 25% of the car’s current worldwide sales. The car continues to be an aspirational brand for many and enjoys huge brand loyalty amongst its customers.
Speaking about the milestone achievement for Honda City in India, Mr. Yoichiro Ueno, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd., said: “We are extremely delighted and proud as we celebrate incredible two decades for Honda City in India, having created new benchmarks ever since its first launch in 1998. With a strong legacy of 4 generations, the Honda City has re-invented each time according to the needs and aspirations of customers.” “Each generation of Honda City has offered a new design, latest automotive technology and new-age infotainment experiences. We thank all our City customers for their patronage of the brand” he added.
Outstanding Legacy of Honda City
1998      First Introduction of Honda City in India; First Honda model to be sold in India
              Two engine options – 1.3L and 1.5L in Petrol
2000      VTEC engine introduced in Honda City
2001      No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2003      Second generation of Honda City launched in India
              Engine – 1.5L i-DSI
   New family car benchmark in India – Spacious, comfortable, fuel efficient
   Introduction of CVT variant – a first on an Indian car
   No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2004      No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2005      Launch of City ZX with new looks and new 1.5L VTEC engine
              No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2006      No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2007      10th anniversary edition of City with ABS launched
              No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2008      Third Generation of Honda City launched in India
              Engine – 1.5L i-VTEC introduced
   Safety equipment – ABS and Airbags as standard offering
              No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2009      Honda City bags the Indian Car of the Year Award 2009
              No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2010      No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2011      First in Segment Sunroof introduced in new Honda City
              No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2012      CNG ready version of Honda City introduced
              Touch screen AVN introduced
   No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2013      World Premiere of 4th Generation of Honda City in India
              No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2014      Launch of 4th Gen City in India – Most successful Honda City ever
              Engine options – 1.5L i-VTEC petrol and 1.5L i-DTEC diesel
              First time introduction of Diesel engine in Honda City
             Introduction of new generation CVT offering more fuel economy than manual variant
2015     No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2016     Safety equipment like ISO FIX introduced in Honda City
             No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
2017     New Honda City launched           
             Achieves cumulative sales of 7 lakh Honda City in India
             No.1 in JD Power Initial Quality Study
Generation-wise sales of Honda City in India 
Honda City was developed as an Asian model, which became a global brand with presence in 60 countries and has registered cumulative sales of 3.6Mn units globally. The Honda City has been a leader in Quality, being ranked No.1 in the JD Power Initial Quality Study for 15 times during its presence in the Indian market. Product quality, matched by excellent after-sales service at the dealerships, has generated strong positive word of mouth for Honda.

Expansion of Honda business strongly led by Honda City sales

Dealer Network

1998 – 12 dealers in 11 cities

2017 – 349 outlets in 234 cities

Tier 1 Supplier Network

1998 – 57 suppliers

2017 – 221 suppliers

Tier-wise market distribution of Honda City sales (generation wise)

Strong penetration of Honda City in Tier 3 markets in 4th generation due to large scale Dealer expansion and availability of Diesel variant.

HCIL was established in December 1995 with a commitment to provide Honda’s latest passenger car models and technologies, to the Indian customers. HCIL has two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Greater Noida, UP and Tapukara, Distt. Alwar, Rajasthan.
The company’s product range includes Honda Brio, Honda Jazz, Honda Amaze, Honda City, Honda WR-V, Honda BR-V and Honda CR-V – which are manufactured in India. The Accord Hybrid is being sold as a CBU imported from Thailand. Honda’s models are strongly associated with advanced design and technology, apart from its established qualities of durability, reliability and fuel-efficiency. The company has a strong sales and distribution network with 349 facilities in 234 cities across spread across the country.