“We are now not thinking too much about diesel. It’s very hard to clear RDE (Real Driving Emission norms) with the diesel. Even in Europe, most of the brands could not continue with diesel.” These are the words of Takuya Tsumura, the CEO of Honda Cars India, during a recent interview, indicating that the Japanese marque may discontinue diesel cars from March 2023 as the new emission standards are supposed to enforce in India.
Currently, Honda has three diesel cars in India: Amaze, WR-V, and 5th-gen City. And cumulatively, diesel-powered City and Amaze sales account for less than 10% of their total sales, pointing out that updating them to new emission norms will not benefit the carmaker.
For those who aren’t aware, Honda City has already taken the hybrid route and we expect the Japanese carmaker to offer similar fuel-efficient technology in its upcoming models.
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Reports also suggest that Honda could pull the plugs on from the Jazz, WR-V and 4th-gen City. However, a new Honda SUV is in the pipeline that could see the sunlight sometime next year. It is expected to be based on the Honda RS concept that made its global debut at the 2022 GIIAS (Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show).
