Honda ZR-V compact SUV teased: Will rival Kia Sonet & Hyundai Venue

Honda is working on a sub-compact SUV which is expected to be called ZR-V. The new mini SUV was first teased last month when they revealed the BR-V. It will be a mini SUV that measures under 4 metres. It will be positioned below the BR-V that was recently revealed. The ZR-V will be based on the same platform as the BR-V but it could be using the engine from the Amaze compact sedan. The new mini SUV is expected to be unveiled by mid-2022.

The new mini SUV will be using the same platform as the fifth generation City. This will help in saving manufacturing costs. The design looks like a mini version of the BR-V. Up-front, there are sleek headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lamps. There is a black grille and vertical fog lamp housing.

The mini SUV is finished in white colour and the roof, wing mirrors and roof rails are painted in black. At the side profile, there is thick plastic cladding on the wheel arches and on the doors. This gives ZR-V, a SUV look. It also has new 5-spoke alloy wheels. The B-pillar is finished in black.

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If Honda launches the ZR-V in India, it will compete against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet and Toyota Urban Cruiser. The ZR-V is expected to use the same engine as the Amaze compact sedan. The engine is a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated unit that produces 90 PS of max power and 110 Nm of peak torque. It is offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic transmission.

Honda BR-V

Honda BR-V is a 7-seater SUV that is based on the N7X Concept. It has simple and elegant lines so the design looks minimalistic. BR-V has a ground clearance of 220 mm and it rides on 17-inch alloy wheels. There is a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, push-button to start/stop, 4.2-inch TFT screen, Lane Watch camera, cruise control and much more. There are some autonomous features on offer as well. But Honda BR-V will not be coming to India because Honda is working on a new SUV for the Indian market.

SUV for India

The development of SUV for the Indian market has already begun. It is expected to launch somewhere in September 2023. It will be a mid-size SUV and will measure 4.3 metres in length. The powertrain options will be shared with the fifth-generation Honda City. So, there will be petrol as well as a diesel engine. It is not known if there will be a hybrid on offer as well. It is expected that Honda will be selling the SUV as a 5-seater and 7-seater as well.

The 5-seater version will compete with Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Hector, Tata Harrier, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun. The 7-seater version will go against the MG Hector Plus, Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Safari and Mahindra XUV700. The new SUV has been codenamed 31XA internally and they have already registered the “Elevate” nameplate. So, we expect that the production of the 31XA will be called Elevate.

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