Honda teases India-bound compact SUV: Official reveal on 2nd November 2022

Japanese automaker Honda desperately needs a hot selling compact SUV in the Indian car market, and the automaker is all set to unveil its India-bound Hyundai Creta rival on the 2nd of November, 2022. In a world premiere, the new Honda compact SUV will be unveiled in Indonesia, which is also the first market for this vehicle. Sometime next year, Honda will launch its compact SUV in the Indian market. Expect to see the new Honda compact SUV at the 2023 Indian Auto Expo that’s scheduled for early next year. Meanwhile, here’s an official teaser of the new Honda compact SUV.

The new Honda compact SUV is expected to use the Amaze platform, which means that it should be able to support both petrol and diesel engines. A diesel engine is unlikely to be a part of the final production version though as demand for diesel engined cars is falling in most parts of the world including India. A petrol-only approach is likely. To replace diesel, Honda Cars India is likely to offer a petrol-hybrid option on the new compact SUV – similar to the petrol hybrid powertrain offered on the latest City sedan. More details will surface next week, when the SUV is officially revealed.

As of now, the only hybrid car that Honda sells in India is the City C-segment sedan. The Honda City Hybrid is powered by a 1.5 liter petrol engine running on the Atkinson’s cycle, paired with two electric motors. Combined torque output is 253 Nm, and it’s available right off idle, making the City Hybrid quite a peppy performer. While one of the electric motors functions as an alternator, and is used to charge the batteries place in the boot of the car, the other electric motor is used to drive the car’s wheels. A similar set-up is likely on the new compact SUV for the Indian market.

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Honda’s top management has already confirmed that the next big launch from the Japanese car brand will be a compact SUV that will bring in big volumes for the brand. A cracker of a price tag, and extensive localization will be two important factors to drive sales of the new SUV from Honda. The automaker currently has a single SUV in its line-up, and in fact, it would be a stretch to call the WR-V a SUV. Rather, it’s a crossover that’s based on the Jazz platform, and has been a steady seller for the Japanese brand. Clearly, space for a compact SUV that looks the part exists in Honda’s Indian portfolio.

SUVs can save car brands

Since the Indian market loves SUV, a hot-selling SUV is just the formula for a brand to recapture mind and money space of buyers. Both Volkswagen and Skoda made a big comeback with the Taigun and the Kushaq. Why, even Nissan saved itself in India by launching the Magnite sub-4 meter SUV. Your turn, Honda.

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