Honda N7X is expected to use the 121 bhp producing 1.5-litre petrol engine from the City; to act as a replacement for the BR-V
Earlier this year, Honda unveiled the N7X concept in Indonesia and it was initially scheduled to be revealed at the 2021 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. However, the health crisis postponed the plans and the N7X is finally all set to go on sale on September 21 in Indonesia and its reach will be expanded from there to other Southeast Asian countries.
Launching the production-spec N7X will give Honda the extension of all the benefits provided by the government for the luxury tax break for cars under 1.5-litre engine capacity. Thus, the consumers will pay marginal duties for cars coming under this class until the end of this calendar year and it will also benefit Honda big time.
The road-going Hond N7X will act as a successor to the BR-V and it may as well carry the same nameplate. It will compete against a host of midsize SUVs including Daihatsu Xenia, Toyota Avanza and others. Upon its debut, the conceptual version was in its near production-ready state and thus the model reaching showrooms may not have too many visual differences.
As for the performance, the Honda N7X will derive power from the 1.5-litre four-cylinder i-VTEC petrol engine as in the City and is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 121 bhp and 145 Nm of peak torque. As standard, a five-speed manual should be offered while the top-end variants may be restricted to a CVT automatic transmission.
The chances of the N7X getting a hybrid powertrain are less at least at the time of the launch. Recently, we reported that the Japanese manufacturer had shelved plans for a compact SUV based on the Amaze’s architecture as an India-specific midsize is in the development and it could launch only after late 2023.
The SUV could be offered in multiple seating configurations while sharing underpinnings with the City sedan and its exterior could resemble that of the upcoming N7X. It will rival Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Nissan Kicks, Skoda Kushaq, upcoming VW Taigun and so on.