Honda Mid-Size SUV India Launch Details — New Honda SUV Coming In 2023

Currently, Honda in India lacks a strong contender for the SUV segment and the current product portfolio is dominated by sedans and hatchbacks. In a country where the love for SUVs is high, the Japanese carmaker currently has a very weak SUV line-up.

Reflecting this view is the statement from Honda Cars India President and CEO, Gaku Nakanishi, In a recent interview, he was quoted as saying, "I can confirm that Honda is under development of a new SUV product specially developed for the Indian market since the customers are focusing more on SUVs and its segment share is increasing."

Even though Honda is being tight-lipped about the details on their upcoming SUV, as per various sources, the upcoming Honda SUV will feature powertrain from the current-generation Honda City.

This means a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with 121bhp of power and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine with 100bhp will be the most likely choices for propulsion. However, given the time frame for the development of the SUV and the fact that the launch of the Honda City Hybrid has been confirmed for 2022, we can also expect Honda to offer a hybrid variant.

This Hybrid variant is most likely to use the identical powertrain setup as that of the Honda City Hybrid. One of the electric motors will be acting as an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), while the more powerful motor will be used to power the vehicle with 108bhp on tap.

However, instead of the front-wheel-drive setup as seen in the Honda City Hybrid, it will be great if Honda integrates the electric motor to the rear axle; effectively making it an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

We expect Honda to load their upcoming SUV with all the available tech. This includes a large touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a digital driver's display, connected car tech, keyless entry, possibly a large sunroof and many more.

Safety-wise, we expect Honda to play it safer with the inclusion of ABS with EBD, Airbags, Blind Spot monitoring system, electronic stability program (ESP), parking sensors, and a few more to complete the list.

Thoughts On Honda Mid-Size SUV Being Launched In India

Although Honda is already having an SUV in the sub-4-metre category, things have not been as fruitful for Honda. Now the Japanese brand is betting big on the mid-size SUV segment. It should be interesting to see how things turn out for Honda in the near future.

Source: ET Auto