Honda has finally released the first teaser of its upcoming SUV for India. This new SUV has been long under development and will see a debut by summer 2023, as confirmed by the brand. As we've reported earlier, this Honda SUV is expected to be launched by the festive season of 2023.
- New Honda midsize SUV expected to launch in festive season this year
- It will come with petrol-hybrid, pure petrol powertrains
- Expected to get HR-V-like styling cues
New Honda SUV for India: What does the teaser reveal?
The only image shared by Honda Car India on social media shows the silhouette of its upcoming SUV. The teaser, however, does reveal some interesting details about what the SUV would look like. First up, like the newer Honda SUVs sold globally, this SUV designed for India will have an upright nose and grille with wide wraparound headlamps, a multi-slat grille with a large Honda badge sitting up front, and LED daytime running lights positioned above the headlamps and could get a connected DRL theme, similar to the ones seen on the Kia Seltos.
What can also be confirmed is that the SUV will have a coupe-like appearance with a tapering roof. It will also have chunky cladding on the wheel arches and large wheels in order to give it a rugged appearance.
While the SUV shown in the teaser does look a lot like the Honda HR-V sold overseas, there are some design cues which confirm that this is a completely different model. The front bumper has a unique look and seems to get a dedicated air dam, a faux skid plate and circular fog lamps. The second and most important differentiator are the wheel arches, which are more angular than the circular ones seen on the HR-V, confirming that the body panels on this SUV will be unique and not the ones seen on the HR-V.
Honda’s new midsize SUV will measure around 4.2-4.3 metres in length and will be based on an updated version of the platform used by the Amaze in India.
Honda midsize SUV: powertrain options
The upcoming Honda midsize SUV will come with the 121hp, 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine from the fifth-gen City. Honda will also offer the 1.5-litre strong-hybrid petrol powertrain seen on the City e:HEV. Gearbox options could be similar to what’s already offered with both powertrains in India – a 5-speed manual and CVT for the 1.5-litre NA petrol and an e-drive transmission for the strong-hybrid.
Honda midsize SUV: rivals in India
Sources tell us this new SUV will be India-focused and will debut here first by April-May this year. A price announcement will only take place sometime in the festive season of this year. Upon launch, it will find itself in one of the most aggressive segments with rivals including the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun, as well as the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder that come with strong-hybrid options. Sources tell us that this new Honda SUV will have high levels of localisation, so one can expect prices to be competitive.