Better Late Than Never: Honda’s Coming To The SUV Party In 2023

Honda has seen its market share in India dip over the years, and one of the key reasons has been the Japanese carmaker’s reluctance to hop onto the SUV bandwagon

Pictured here: Gaku Nakanishi, President and CEO of HCIL

According to reports, Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) will launch an SUV here in 2023. The revelation was made on the sidelines of the launch event of the facelifted Amaze. 

In conversation with ET Auto, President and CEO of HCIL Gaku Nakanishi said, “Last time, I said that we were investigating and preparing, but now 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.”

Also See: Latest Cars In India

While the company’s top brass didn’t comment on which segment the new SUV will compete in, it is expected that Honda will rival the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the compact SUV space.

 Currently, Honda only has the City in a similar price bracket as cars like the Hyundai Creta.

Senior VP and Director for Marketing and Sales at HCIL, Rajesh Goel, said, “Yes, we are late but the SUV market is crowded so it was important to study everything and then develop something to meet customer expectations. We are developing a brand new India-focused SUV.” 

We expect Honda to provide the upcoming SUV with the 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines found in the City. The carmaker might also introduce a new turbo-petrol engine, considering both Creta and Seltos have it. 

The SUV will likely be a five-seater and is expected to be priced from Rs 10 lakh to 17 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Source