Honda midsize SUV for India could be launched sometime next year and it will more likely be based on the same platform as the fifth-gen City
Honda Cars India is one of the very few manufacturers that rely on its sedan range for the majority of its sales volume every month, courtesy of the success of the City and Amaze. The speculations surrounding a midsize SUV from Honda have existed for long and it looks like something brewing behind the curtain, judging by the recent internet reports.
The Japanese manufacturer’s domestic portfolio shrunk following the abrupt discontinuation of the Civic and CR-V following the closure of its production plant in Great Noida. Thus, stepping into a volume-based and popular space could be the next logical step the brand has been aiming at. Honda appears to be developing an all-new SUV specifically for India.
It could debut in India first before seeing the light in other international markets. Reports indicate that the 4.3 m long SUV will share the platform with the fifth generation City and it will compete against Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, upcoming Maruti Suzuki YFG and Toyota D22, MG Astor, Nissan Kicks and the likes.
Previous reports suggest that the midsize SUV for India could be relatable to the production-spec H7X concept, which is nothing but the latest BR-V sold in Southeast Asia. It could carry high local content for it to be positioned aggressively against rivals while the 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines could be borrowed from the City midsize sedan.
Only a few days ago, Honda introduced the City Hybrid in India as the range-topping variant with a claimed fuel economy of 26.8 kmpl. It also features ADAS based technologies like adaptive cruise control. Whether the equipment list of the upcoming midsize SUV will come with these features and powertrain or not is yet to be divulged.
Honda registered the Elevate name a while ago in India and it arises the rumours that it could be used for a derivative of the five-seater midsize SUV – possibly a three-row version to lock horns with Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, MG Hector Plus and others.