Honda Brio Based SUV For India In Place Of Vezel

Until now it was believed that the newly launched Honda Vezel compact SUV would be launched in India in 2015 to fill the gap between the CR-V and the City. Unfortunately, it turns out introducing the Vezel in India is not financially viable for the Japanese automaker.

Also Read: Honda Vezel - Images & Details

As clearly explained by Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, managing officer Asia and Oceania, Honda, to the source of the news, the Vezel is too premium a product to be priced in the same range as Ford EcoSport or even Renault Duster. The problems are partly due to a weak rupee and partly due to the difficulties involved in localizing production of the Vezel.

The Vezel is based on the Jazz platform, however, electronically, the compact SUV comes with several advanced features that are not found in other Honda vehicles sold in India. Electronic handbrakes for example. As such, producing the Vezel locally would mean additional investment, which would in result in a very expensive product. Last, but not the least, the interior of the Vezel is premium compared to its would be competitors in India.

Hence, the task of creating a new product to fill in the void will once again be fulfilled by the multitasking Brio platform. The Brio platform has already proved its versatility by accommodating a compact sedan, Amaze and a compact MPV, Mobilio. However, building a compact SUV on that platform will not be a straightforward task.

Honda engineers will be required to make extensive modifications to the Brio platform before it is ready to hold a high riding SUV body. Modifications will also be required to allow large wheels to be fitted. Due to the work involved in turning the hatchback platform into one that is capable of holding an SUV body, the Brio based compact SUV should take a couple of years before it becomes ready for production.