Honda SUV RS Concept Revealed In Indonesia, Will Possibly Rival Hyundai Venue

Honda has revealed the SUV RS concept at GIIAS, and we expect it to come to India and fight it out in the subcompact SUV space

• The RS concept will likely spawn a sub-4 metre SUV.

• Will rival the Vitara Brezza, Venue, Sonet and Nexon.

• Could debut Honda’s 1.0-litre turbo petrol in India

• The production-spec SUV should arrive in India next year.

• Could be a successor to the WR-V.

Honda has been late to the SUV party, at least in India. The carmaker has for long relied on the popularity of its sedans from over a decade ago, whereas the likes of Hyundai, Kia, and even Maruti have kept up with the times and introduced SUVs. But Honda seems to have found its going again.

The carmaker has revealed the SUV RS Concept at GIIAS (Indonesia Motors Show) 2021, premiering the SUV on the global stage.

The concept revealed at GIIAS appears to be a subcompact offering, and so we expect this to be a sub-4 metre SUV in India. This means it will compete in the most populated segment in the country, with the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, and Mahindra XUV300.

The SUV RS Concept is a crossover with sleek design elements, a low roofline, and highly raked windscreens at either end. In its silhouette, it looks like a sporty SUV. For reference, if you only looked at the silhouette of the Honda, it would look a lot like the Volkswagen T-Roc.

All that said, we don’t have much information on its interior or the powertrains, for that matter. It could get the City’s 1.5-litre diesel engine that makes 100PS/200Nm. Alternatively, it could also debut the carmaker’s 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (120PS/173Nm) in India, given that almost every rival has such an engine. There is a chance that the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine from the Jazz is used in the entry-level variants.

As far as features are concerned, we expect it to mirror the City. That means LED headlights, an Alexa-powered infotainment system, a digital instrument cluster, and a sunroof. The SUV is still some time away from being introduced in India (we reckon sometime in 2022), and it could be a spiritual successor to the WR-V here.