Honda 2Wheelers sells 450,888 units in June, down 16 percent

Even as the monsoon spreads across the country, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), the company with the second largest two-wheeler market share, continues to feel the heat of slowing sales.

In June, the company sold /despatched a total of 450,888 units which marks a decline of 15.80 percent (June 2018: 535,512 / +28.62%). In May 2019, HMSI had despatched 459,923 units (-11.40%) and 432,767 units in April 2019 (-31.94%).

HMSI, which revealed its first BS VI product in the form of the Activa 125 scooter last month, is set to completely overhaul its model line-up to meet upcoming BS-VI emission norms. The company says that its major investments are being done to significantly revamp the major portion of its existing portfolio, an approach it is adopting differently from the rest of the market.

While most two-wheeler OEMs are looking to incorporate electronic fuel injection (EFI), three-way catalytic converter, an O2 sensor, electronic control unit (ECU) and an on-board diagnostic (OBD-I) module in their conventional four-stroke scooters and motorcycles, HMSI, which has a 26 percent share of the two-wheeler market is working on a major model revamp in its portfolio.

In addition to upgrading its powertrain technology to comply with the stricter norms that'll kick in from April 1, 2020, Honda is also working on new architectural platforms to re-energise a good number of its existing models.