Honda Atlas is likely to discontinue its 10th Generation Civic in Pakistan this calendar year, say dealers, bringing down the curtain on the model it launched in 2016.
Officials at multiple dealerships told Business Recorder that the running model of the Civic could be discontinued this year, lending credence to social media posts making the rounds of a newer generation expected in 2022.
Dealers have not yet been informed of a timeline or made an official visit to see the new Civic – a routine tradition before the launch of a new generation – but said that they have been informing clients of the development.
“We have yet to be invited to see the new Civic,” one dealer, on condition of anonymity, told Business Recorder. “But we are telling customers who are making bookings that the running model (10th Generation) could be changed. As such, they need to keep in mind that there could also be a price differential between now and the delivery-date.”
Customers are currently getting a delivery-date of August 2022, an eight-month lag. In comparison, delivery time for the Honda City, launched last year, stretches to a maximum of five months. Additionally, new bookings for the Civic’s 1.8-litre i-VTEC and 1.5-litre Turbo variants are not being entertained.
“There is bound to be a price-difference. (But) we cannot confirm the amount. Market talk suggests the new Civic could fall in the range of Rs5.4-5.5 million,” another dealer told Business Recorder.
Reports also suggest the 11th Generation Civic could be introduced with minor variations, with Honda tweaking some specifications to suit their mandate in Pakistan. The company announced a profit of Rs939 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, up from Rs657 million in the same three-month period of the previous year, with sales jumping over 27%.
Meanwhile, vehicle deliveries – the running Civic model – slated for January are being made, added the official.
Honda Atlas had officially launched its 6th generation City model in Pakistan last year with the base variant priced at Rs2.599 million, marking the first major revamp of the vehicle in over a decade. The launch came amid steep competition in a market many believe is not big enough for more than three to four dominant players.
The stiff competition has also left many automakers scrambling to introduce upgrades, ‘face-lift’ variants, and add safety features missing for several years in their vehicles.
The City itself underwent a facelift a few years ago, but Pakistan's consumers had not seen a generation-change since 2009.
City’s base variant – the 1.2-litre manual transmission model – was priced at Rs2.599 million at the time of the launch. It is now Rs2.729 million.
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