Honda Cars India Names Ryuto Shimizu as New Director, Marketing & Sales
Having spent over two and a half decades at Honda Cars India, Ryuto Shimizu brings a wealth of expertise in marketing & sales, including product planning, overseas operations, and business planning.
By Kanika Sachdeva
Honda Cars India has announced the appointment of Ryuto Shimizu as its new Director, Marketing & Sales, effective from April 1, 2024. Shimizu takes over from Yuichi Murata, who has moved to Honda Mexico as President. Having spent over two and a half decades at Honda, Shimizu brings a wealth of expertise in marketing & sales, encompassing product planning, overseas operations, and business planning. Most recently, he served as the Head of the Business Planning Office at Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co. Ltd. from 2021-23. Thanks to his extensive experience across several international markets and proven track record, Shimizu is well-positioned to lead Honda's marketing and sales strategies forward.
Japanese automaker Honda reported domestic sales of 7,071 units in March 2024, up from 6,692 units in March 2023. During the financial year 2023-24, the company cumulatively delivered 1,24,173 units (domestic + international) against 1,14,140 units registered in FY2022-23. Honda says its Elevate, launched in September 2023, has "become a strong business pillar contributing significantly to our domestic sales and strengthening our exports by the addition of new destination Japan."
Honda Elevate: Powertrain
Under the hood, the Honda Elevate gets a 1.5-litre iVTEC petrol unit that also powers the City sedan. This engine is capable of churning out 120bhp and 145Nm of peak torque. On offer are two transmission options: a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed CVT. The 6-speed manual gearbox is standard on all 4 variants (SV, V, VX, and ZX), whereas the 7-speed CVT is offered across the V, VX, and ZX versions.
Honda Elevate: Features
As part of a revamp, the Honda Elevate is equipped with three-point seat belts with an Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR), six airbags, and seat belt reminders for all occupants, all three of which are now standard. Not just the SUV, but both the sedans (Amaze and City) get the same updates. Other standard features available with the Honda Elevate are a 7.0-inch TFT display, adjustable head restraints for all occupants, and sun visors with vanity mirrors for the driver and co-passenger.
Honda Elevate SUV: Price, Rivals
The addition of the new safety features comes along with a price hike. The Honda Elevate now starts at Rs 11.91 lakh, indicating that the starting price is about Rs 33,000 more than before. Meanwhile, the top-spec ZX CVT, which was earlier available at Rs 16.20 lakh, retails at Rs 16.43 lakh. The prices are ex-showroom. In the segment, the Elevate rivals the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, MG Astor, and Tata Nexon.
