Honda to Launch New Compact SUV in India

Honda Cars India is reevaluating its strategy for the Indian market this year. After discontinuing Civic and CR-V in the domestic market, it plans to break into the fast-growing compact SUV segment. After seeing a slew of new arrivals from rival automakers, Honda senses an opportunity in the segment. As per our friends at Team-BHP, the Japanese automaker plans to launch a new model by 2022 or 2023 in the Indian market. The sub-4-metre segment witnesses new arrivals every year with every manufacturer vying for attention from the Indian buyers. Likely, the new Honda SUV will compete against the likes of Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue. Pricing wise, Honda new compact SUV will be priced in the bracket of Rs 8 lakh - Rs 12 lakh (ex-showroom) to garner a market share in the lucrative subcompact SUV segment.

Not much is known about the upcoming car but it will share a lot of similarities with the WR-V which is currently retailing in the country. At the front, one can expect a refreshed front grille, projector headlamps, fog lamps and LED DRLs. Much is speculated about the design but do expect a continuous strip of LED taillights running across the rear. Overall, it will be aggressive and rugged in appearance.

Moving on to the interior, the manufacturer is expected to offer a large infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Alexa integration. Wireless charging, digital instrument console, cruise control, steering mounted controls and LED ambient lighting will also be available as features in the cabin.

To save costs and launch the car at a competitive price, Honda is likely to source the engine from the existing Honda WR-V crossover. The Honda compact SUV will be sold with two engine options: 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel. The former will belt out the power of 89 bhp and 110 Nm while the latter will churn out 99 bhp of maximum power output and 200 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options on offer could be both manual and automatic units.