Honda has registered a new car code on the Jakarta PKB Samsat website suggesting that the launch of the production version of the RS SUV concept could be nearing
According to internet reports, Honda has registered a new car code on the Jakarta PKB Samsat government website namely DG 47 and DG 48 and they will be equipped with a 1.5-litre engine and the variants will be E and RS. The code is suspected to be for the production version of the RS SUV concept first showcased at the 2021 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS).
In the Southeast Asian markets, the concept designed to be a compact SUV could spawn a rival to the likes of Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize – both based on the low-cost DNGA platform. The Japanese manufacturer has intentions to widen its SUV portfolio in markets like Indonesia and India. Recently, the concept was displayed in various cities on the island of Java and for the first time, the east of Indonesia.
Honda did not reveal the dimensional figures of the RS concept upon its debut last year but its design was in a near-production state with the styling bits borrowed from the latest crop of Honda SUVs including the HR-V. The five-seater will undoubtedly sit below the HR-V and the exterior of the production model will likely boast angular wraparound headlights with the grille section blending with the bumper.
Other expected visual highlights are tapered roofline, sculpted bootlid, wide air intake, faux skid plate and vertical fog lamp slats, horizontally positioned LED taillights connected by a faux light bar, steeply raked front and rear glass area, muscular shoulder line, prominent body cladding, etc. It could be powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine in NA and mild-hybrid guises.
Both manual and CVT automatic transmissions will likely be on offer. Whether the production-spec RS SUV will influence the design of the upcoming sub-four-metre compact SUV for India or not is yet unknown. The company is working on a midsize and a compact SUV for our domestic market based on the updated version of the Amaze’s platform.
The compact SUV will reportedly launch in mid-2023 while the midsize SUV is believed to arrive in early 2024.