After a record-breaking year, India's automobile industry is entering 2026 on a relatively strong footing, with sales growth expected in the 6-8 per cent range. The outlook is underpinned by policy support, including GST rationalisation, easing monetary conditions, and income tax relief, which together are likely to improve affordability and sustain consumer demand across vehicle segments.
The GST Council on Wednesday approved two slabs of 5 per cent and 18 per cent effective from September 22, the first day of Navaratri.
Manufacturers of passenger vehicles (PVs) in the first half of the calendar year (2025) reported a modest 0.5 per cent year-on-year increase in wholesale dispatches, while retail sales grew 2.5 per cent for the same period, reflecting a calibrated approach by automakers amid elevated dealership inventories and cautious consumer sentiment. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), dispatches rose marginally to 2.16 million units, up from 2.15 million units a year earlier.
Despite the benefits of hybrid technology, a lack of government backing and few launches have kept the segment from gaining ground.
When a manufacturer launches the fifth generation of a product, it is given that earlier avatars hit the mark. Ditto for the new Honda City, the latest version of which also brings in sweeping changes to the carmaker's product strategy for the Indian market, says Pavan Lall.
Formula One may have to wait a decade for a return to screaming V10 or V8 engines and jettisoning the next generation V6 due to be introduced next year is simply not feasible, according to F1's former chief technical officer Pat Symonds.
However, while Splendor's annual sales surged 31.7 per cent to 3.638 million units between 2019 and 2024, Hero's other models suffered sharp drops.
According to media reports, while Honda is planning to sell 20 per cent stake to the other promoter, Munjal family of the Hero Group, it is looking at selling 6 per cent to private equity firm KKR.
Honda cars has strengthend market share in India in the past five years.
Honda will launch 4 cars in India soon.
From premium electric motorcycles to mass-market scooters, manufacturers are rapidly expanding their portfolios to capture a larger share of the booming market.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), the country's second-largest two-wheeler manufacturer, is planning to launch its first electric vehicle (EV) here by March next year, said CEO & MD Atsushi Ogata on Monday. The company would also enter the low-end motorcycle market in March by launching a 100cc engine bike at a price that will "positively shock" customers, he said while speaking with reporters, after launching the Activa with Honda Smart Key. HMSI's first EV, an electric scooter, will have a fixed battery and the second model will have two swappable batteries, Ogata explained.
Compact sedans (Maruti Dzire, Hyundai Aura, Tata Tigor)' share in the overall sedan category grew from 68% in 2021 to 74.6% in 2024. Mid-sedans' (Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Virtus) share declined from 26.2% in 2021 to 20.2%.
A three-hour heavy downpour accompanied by a dust storm hit Delhi-NCR early morning on Friday, causing flight delays and traffic disruptions as seven people were killed in rain-related incidents across north India.
In this industry, a company's strategy needs to be adaptable in order to keep up with the pace of change.
Accord has registered sales of over 25,000 units since its launch in India.
Alleging misconduct by its permanent workers, labour unions and contract staff, the plant management informed all stakeholders, through a notice, that starting Monday "normal operations" at the plant are being suspended.
For the first time, the event will take place across three locations in Delhi: Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan, Yashobhoomi Convention Centre at Dwarka, and India Expo Mart at Greater Noida.
According to trade experts Hero MotoCorp's Maestro is going to give a tough competition to Honda Activa.
The company aims to follow the government's push for environment-friendly vehicles by driving in models with green technologies.
Though Hero still leads by a wide margin in annual and monthly sales, for the first time, Honda has considerably bridged the sales gap with the Pawan Munjal-led firm in April lagging only by 12,134 units
Around 200 contract workers of two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, the fully owned subsidiary of Japan's Honda Motor Co, went on strike on Tuesday demanding regularisation of services.
The Rs 17.70-lakh Honda Civic competes with the Skoda Octavia, Toyota Corola Altis and Hyundai Elantra.
The local arm of the Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer accounts for every second scooter sold in India.
The Honda Amaze is the perfect embodiment of what an economical, reliable and affordable car should be according to our Indian conditions.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), India's second-largest two-wheeler maker, on Wednesday revealed its electric vehicle (EV) roadmap, which includes setting up a dedicated EV factory, launching the first two EVs in 2023-24, and establishing 6,000 battery exchange points in the country. HMSI plans to establish a specialised unit for the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), named 'Factory E', at its Narsapura plant located in Karnataka. Factory E will be created by converting an existing production line that currently manufactures internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, said Atsushi Ogata, HMSI managing director and chief executive officer.
Millions of vehicles have been recalled across the globe due to defective safety airbag manufactured by Japan's Takata Corp.
'Nearly all companies are extending festival offers for entry-level, sedan, and hatchback segments.'
City looked absolutely futuristic and needed no plastic surgery whatsoever for the next five-odd years.\n
Honda will try to help Japan's Takuma Sato and Briton Anthony Davidson after the demise of the Super Aguri F1 team.
Honda dealers stopped taking orders for Jazz. The company will, however, deliver pending orders.
Japanese auto giant Honda on Monday announced to recall 11,500 units of Standard variant of its premium motorcycle CBR 250R, which were produced and sold in India, due to defective brake system.
HSCI has now appointed Seki Inaba the director (marketing) for the Indian market. Inaba, who takes over from Tatsuya Natsume, will be responsible for marketing, sales and after-sales initiatives of the company in the country.
Her immovable assets are worth over Rs 7.74 crore, which includes two inherited half shares of agricultural land in Mehrauli area of New Delhi and a half share in a farmhouse building located therein, all of which together are now worth over Rs 2.10 crore.
Honda Siel Cars India on Friday said it will hike the prices of its production models in India by next week, while a new version of its top-end model Accord is expected by the second week of January.
Honda Cars India approached the Gujarat government with a proposal to set up a car manufacturing plant in the state.
The vehicle was launched in India in 2009 with a hefty price tag of over Rs 700,000 which was slashed by Rs 160,000 later.
It sold 1,218 units of its flagship City and 2,199 units of its small car Brio.
Apple and its vendors are aiming to assemble 32 per cent of iPhone's global production volume and 26 per cent of its value in India by 2026-27 -a year after the final year of the five-year production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile devices. This could translate into a production value of over $34 billion, assuming global iPhone sales remain consistent with 2023-24 (FY24) levels. The estimates are based on discussions between Apple Inc and its vendors, along with central and state governments, regarding the assembly of products in India, according to sources.
The radical styling that consists of 17-inch diamond-cut wheel rims and a chrome grill that comes with a sleek coupe-inspired profile -- the kind you'd expect to see in an Acura or a Lexus sports car -- make the Civic one of the best-looking cars on the road today irrespective of price.
