Designed & MADE IN INDIA FOR the world

Vijay C Roy

IN August 2020, Kia Sonet made its global debut in India. Sonet was the newest entrant in the sub-4-metre space and the third model to come out of Kia Motors’ India stable. In June this year, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) unveiled its latest global SUV — Honda Elevate — at a world premiere event in India, making it the first country to manufacture and sell the all-new Elevate globally.

In October, Tata Motors’ flagship SUVs’ new (facelift versions) Harrier and Safari made their global debut. In December, the much-awaited Kia Sonet Facelift also made its global debut in New Delhi.

With increasing spending power, car buyers are veering towards spacious four-wheelers, leaving passenger vehicle makers more desirous of a slice of the world’s third largest market. This is evident from the fact that some of the offerings by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have made their global debut in India in the recent past, and are also exporting from India.

To have a bigger share of the market, the passenger vehicle makers are specifically designing products to cater to the preferences and needs of the Indian consumers. For example, Honda Elevate made its debut in India as it is the lead country for its production and sales worldwide. Elevate has been designed to cater to the preferences of Indian consumers.

During the launch of Kia Sonet facelift version, Hardeep Singh Brar, head of sales and marketing, Kia India, said, “This (Sonet) is our third world premiere in India. It is the biggest market for compact and mid-size SUVs, so the global premiere has to happen in India.” Since its inception in 2020, Sonet has been exported to over 100 countries.

India, being the world’s third largest automotive market, is extremely important for all the major OEMs. According to analysts, the country offers a diverse and dynamic market with a promising outlook on becoming a manufacturing and export hub. “We have received an overwhelming response from the market and recently crossed the sales milestone of 20,000 in the first 100 days of the launch. We have also started export of Elevate to Nepal. In a first for HCIL (Honda Cars India Ltd), Elevate will also be exported to Japan from India. This strategic move is a strong reflection of the manufacturing capabilities of India operations and also solidifies our vision of making the country a key export hub in Honda business,” says Kunal Behl, vice-president, marketing and sales, HCIL.

According to Behl, India is a key market for Honda in the Asia and Oceania regions and with its future growth potential, the country is playing a vital role in the development and introduction of models. “In the past, we have had several other models which made their global debut in India. This includes the 4th generation of Honda City in 2013 and 2nd generation of Honda Amaze in 2018,” he adds.

After its successful debut in India earlier this year, Honda Elevate that is to be exported to Japan will be launched in the market there under the brand name WR-V.

In addition to this, French automaker Citroen’s C3 Aircross SUV made its global debut in India in April this year.

Automaker Jeep India has also launched its 4x2 Compass automatic. This product has been designed and engineered specifically for India. Compass is one of the most sought-after vehicles in India.

Every Jeep nameplate is available with 4X4 but recently, the Compass 4x2 was launched to have a larger share of the market. “It is a make-for-India product. With this, what we have done is to increase the accessible market. Also, India is the only country outside North America where Jeep makes four models locally — Jeep Compass, Meridian, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler — and also exports to other right-hand-drive markets around the world,” says Aditya Jairaj, head of Jeep India Operations and deputy managing director, Stellantis India.

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