Honda midsize SUV for India is expected to be launched in the first half of next year and it will compete against Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and others
According to a recent report that emerged on the internet, Honda Cars India has confirmed the development of a new SUV specifically for the domestic market. The report further noted the forthcoming SUV will go on sale as early as next year and it will be the first major launch from the brand following the arrival of the hybridized City in May 2022.
It has been quite a long while since the Japanese auto major brought in any new product for India as the fifth generation City entered in July 2020. The existing product lineup of Honda comprises City midsize sedan, Amaze compact sedan, which received a facelift last year, Jazz premium hatchback and WR-V crossover in the volume space.
The Jazz and WR-V are certainly aging and the replacement for the former does not seem to be in the works judging by the latest speculations. The departure of the Civic and CR-V shrunk the portfolio further as well leaving Honda to think about alternate segments as the midsize space appears to be the one targeted as the SUV will likely rival Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, etc.
The segment will also see the debut of Maruti Suzuki and Toyota later this year as more competition is on the horizon. While no official details are available yet, the report says the SUV will share platform and underpinnings with the fifth-gen City. Thus, we can expect the proven 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines to be featured.
However, if Honda chooses to introduce the strong hybrid setup, it could give the brand a distinctive advantage considering that it has different modes including an EV-only mode. As for the features, the 2023 Honda midsize SUV could get ADAS tech, automatic climate control, a large touchscreen infotainment system, sunroof, wireless charger and so on.
The safety sensing suite could boast six airbags, TPMS, ESC, HHC and so on. The report further said the SUV will likely be priced from Rs. 12 lakh for the entry-level variant.