New Delhi: Honda Cars India is gearing up to revive its business with a range of new SUVs and a revamp of its sales network. The automaker has confirmed that its new SUV will hit the roads sometime next year.
In an interview with an online media publication, Takuya Tsumura, president and CEO of Honda Cars India, revealed that the company has witnessed a tough period in the past three years due to the global shift towards electric mobility and the restructuring of its facilities and operations.
Now, the Japanese automaker is ready to revive its market by introducing new models in the segment of high-selling SUVs. Tsumura further confirmed that Honda’s new SUV model will arrive next year and help boost its volumes. Currently, the company is primarily focusing on increasing production capacity utilization at the plant in Rajasthan.
Honda’s upcoming new SUV has completed its development phase and will soon enter mass production. Before that, the company will make some final adjustments.
Although the automaker has not yet released the names and details of the upcoming new Honda SUV. It is likely to be a mid-size SUV or less than 4 meters. Honda’s new subcompact SUV might take some of its design inspiration from the Honda RS SUV concept that broke ground at GIIAS 2022.
It will support the Amaze platform and could be offered with a 1.5L i-VTEC petrol engine (121 hp /145 Nm). Transmission options may include a 6-speed manual and an automatic CVT unit.
In the mid-size SUV space, Honda will focus on cars like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The model could share its powertrain with the City Hybrid, which comes with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder Atkinson Cycle with two electric motors. The new Honda SUV will measure around 4.3 meters in length.
