Honda Planning To Launch Creta Rival – Likely To Borrow Powertrain From The City

In recent years, Honda Cars has been struggling to keep up with the South Koreans in terms of sales figures in India.

Also, looking at Honda car's current product portfolio in India, the Japanese car manufacturer lacks a C-segment SUV, which is currently one of the most in-demand segments in the country.

Earlier, Honda Cars India President & CEO, Mr Takuya Tsumura also stated that the company is looking forward to launching a new SUV in 2023 to improve the overall sales volume of the automaker in the country. "We are confident that with the launch of the SUV next year, we will enhance volumes" Mr Tsumura added.

With such a decision made, Honda is gearing up for a major re-entry into the SUV segment in India. Apart from that, it is also quite surprising to realise a major automaker without a proper SUV in the Indian automobile market for such a long time.

At present, Honda's current product portfolio in India consists of models such as Honda Amaze, Honda City (4th Gen), Honda City (5th Gen), Honda Jazz, and Honda WR-V. Out of these models, the Honda Jazz, WR-V and 4th Gen City will be gradually phased out.

That being said, Honda's upcoming C-Segment SUV is said to use the heavily modified version of Amaze's platform. On top of that, this model is expected to be around 4.2 to 4.3 metres long and sport 5th Gen Honda City's 121bhp, 1.5-litre, naturally-aspirated, 4-cylinder petrol engine.

Apart from that, the Japanese automaker is also likely to plonk the Strong Hybrid powertrain from the newly launched Honda City e: HEV Strong Hybrid sedan to compete with the newly launched Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid SUV and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Strong Hybrid SUV.

In terms of features, this upcoming SUV is expected to come with features such as a panoramic sunroof, a large 10+ inch digital driver's display, a 12.3-inch infotainment display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a wireless charging pad, ADAS and a few other modern features.

Thoughts About The Upcoming Honda SUV In India

Since Honda lacks a proper SUV in the Indian market, it seems ideal for Honda to launch a competitive C-Segment SUV in India. Moreover, the lack of SUVs in Honda's product portfolio is clearly visible as the sales figures have dwindled down over the years in India.