Honda to shift production of its City sedan to the Tapukara plant

Having recently launched the 7-seater Mobilio MPV, Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) has now announced that the Honda City will now be produced at the Japanese manufacturer Tapukara facility in Rajasthan. This move has been carried out as Honda is looking to keep up with demand for its cars. As production of Honda’s MPV began at the Greater Noida plant, it was decided that the City will be produced at the Tapukara plant, where the Amaze is produced.

The month of August won’t see the roll-out of a single unit of the City sedan though production will resume in September, 2014. The Tapukara facility has an annual capacity of 1,20,000 units per annum and currently runs on a single shift. This means that the plant, which is spread over 450 acres of land, is, at the moment, quite under-utilised.

The fourth-generation Honda City has proved itself as a market leader by hogging the lion’s share (50 per cent) of the market segment. Cumulative sales of the mid-size sedan for the period between January — July 2014 stood at 53,605 units.

Speaking on this development, Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “The shift of City production to Tapukara will ensure better availability and timely deliveries of Honda City and the newly launched Mobilio. We have received an overwhelming response to both the City and the Mobilio, and it is necessary to maximise production at both the plants for the benefit of the customer.”