[volkman10]

Honda to re-enter midsize SUV market, compact SUV plans dropped.

in favour of a City-based midsize SUV. Change of strategy pushes back launch by a year to 2023.

HR-V plans dropped, will concentrate on the development of a City-based compact SUV ( N7X ?)with a 2023 launch timeline.


The original timeline envisaged a 2022 launch for the compact SUV and now the midsize S-SUV won’t reach showrooms before September 2023.

Honda went back to the drawing board to design and develop an SUV based on the City platform, which would give it an increased level of local content and a lower cost structure. This is all-new SUV (code: 31XA) is internally known as the S-SUV and is likely to be similar to the production version of the Honda N7X concept SUV revealed recently in Indonesia.

For India, there are talks of the S-SUV having two seating layouts, a five-seater to rival the likes of the Creta, Seltos, Hector, Harrier and Kicks, and a three-row version aimed at the Alcazar, Safari and the Hector Plus.

there are possibilities that the upcoming Honda three-row SUV for Indonesia could be the one headed to India as well. The company has recently registered the "Elevate" trademark in India, which could be the production-spec, three-row Honda SUV’s name in our market.

Honda hopes to sell around 40,000 S-SUVs a year and has hence set tough cost targets to price it competitively against the Seltos and Creta. To keep a cap on costs, a localisation of over 90 percent is expected and key components from the City, like the pair of 1.5 petrol and 1.5 diesel, CVT gearbox and some suspension bits, will be carried over. To further save costs, the S-SUV will use the BR-V’s older electrical and electronic (E/E) architecture, but this could limit the number of electronic features and systems the new model can have.

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[saisree]

Targeting 2023 is it? These Japanese guys got addicted to our Biriyani and are sleeping for ever.

It has to be the best in class and undercut the current bunch to at least generate the investment back. Don’t do a BRV

[NICHE]

By 2023 there will be C segment SUVs from Kia, Hyundai, MG, Skoda, Volkswagen, Maruti and Toyota. Even Mahindra and Ford may join. So that segment also will get crowded. What will they do then. They should bring N7X as soon as possible

[M00M]

Originally Posted by volkman10

HR-V plans dropped, will concentrate on the development of a City-based compact SUV ( N7X ?)with a 2023 launch timeline.

Thanks for your update. I am soooo completely disappointed with this development but serves me right for expecting these fools to wake up from their deep slumber. This deep slumber seems to be inspired by Kumbhkaran wherein they will not wake up unless they wake up on their own. But I do remember a fellow BHPian @Sahil telling me not to be so optimistic and he has been correct in his assessment.

I guess its time to move on from Honda India in India sadly unless you want to buy a City (which is exceptional) and the Jazz (again very good). Anything different either you spend more on maintenance and get a preowned German or a new German as per your pocket as even Toyota India is lacklustre.

[Lowflyer23]

If it uses the major suspension components from the city, this would be a saggy SUV with moderate to high load.

[Sentinel17]

If it would have been launched within the next few months,it could have been a great option.Maybe a great alternative to the Nexon[reliabilty and refinement].By 2023,every C-SUV will be a proven product and every company will capitalise on it.They atleast have got to bring a Carnival and Innova rival.

[IP_Man]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Honda to re-enter midsize SUV market, compact SUV plans dropped.

Honda, you woke up late. That segment is already in premium category, please, don't bring half baked mediocre product like BRV to Indian market.

[rAijin_]

I don't think Honda can make a comeback in India. Although I really really wish they do.

If they wish to, I believe Honda should fire its entire Market Research team ( Or which ever team does the work of looking at what market wants ) and hire a team from Kia / Hyundai / Maruti.

• They brought BR-V at the time when Creta was a hit. The wonders Mahindra's XUV 500 did. And they countered their own Mobilio with BR-V.
  They could have instead brought XR-V which they launched in China.
• Sub 4 meter Compact SUV is the hottest selling segment right now. And they have dropped it.
• Seltos/Creta Rival : HR-V plans dropped looking at Kia Seltos and MG Hector. Heck even VAG has launched 2 products in this category ( Taigun will be launched soon ).
• By the time they launch their City based S-SUV, the offerings from Kia / Hyundai / Maruti / VAG would be so much better that they would again drop it and start back from drawing board.

If at all Honda wants to revive its sales in India, they need a good product in sub-4 meter Compact SUV and 4+ meter Compact SUV ASAP.
But, from what it looks like, the S-SUV will be available by Q4 of 2023. A 7 seater version by Q2 2024. And no sub-4 meter C-SUV.

[Axe77]

This is quite ridiculous. If i have to overpay for a Honda, I would rather pay 25 - 27 lakh (on road) for a proper hybrid HR-V (with the full magic seats, AT etc) rather than overpay for yet another attempt of what sounds like a made for India cut price, cheap BR-V 2.0 being sold at a Creta price. That too in 2023 / 24 or god knows when.

For heaven’s sake Honda, there are so many top notch products in your armoury - get the most suitable one in India in a locally built high quality format and you will see people pay Honda the premium it once commanded.

[chittybang]

Honda doesn't seem to have much of a way forward. They have boxed themselves in with decision paralysis. Every once in a while we get to know that Honda is planning to introduce something but then they reconsider and a new set of dates pop up. I feel they need to stop depending on the City platform. The city itself is not the Sedan king it used to be. That segment itself is slowly fading away.
They should have focused on the CRV as well as Civic and introduced more variants using that platform. Both those vehicles had potential. All they needed to do was price it right and give better engines for the CRV. May be go hybrid.
Honda's lack of products is letting new kids on the block such as Kia and MG to add market share.

[landcruiser123]

Despite being such a large company, surprising that Honda can't make an SUV that will be successful in India.

Originally Posted by Axe77

This is quite ridiculous. If i have to overpay for a Honda, I would rather pay 25 - 27 lakh (on road) for a proper hybrid HR-V

At 25-27 big ones, you'd be overpaying for a HR_V which is basically a Creta sized crossover. At 27 lakh, I'd expect a base CR-V.

But we all know how ridiculous Honda India's pricing strategy is.

[JishD]

While we endlessly wait for new Honda products , I believe WR-V updates with 1.5 petrol and diesel auto still has untapped potential in the subcompact SUV segment. The space management in that thing has to be experienced to be believed !

[DonHyd]

Nobody has any hopes on Honda India including Honda itself. The first thing that Honda should learn is proper pricing. They are no longer premium and cannot charge anything for straight H badge. But they will not. They will launch Creta competition at Tucson's price. If they bring Odyssey for Carnival money, they will find many takers and will also raise brand image. But they will launch underpowered crv at carnival's price. If at all they bring Odyssey, they will price it at par with S Class and make it DOA. So, the best thing for me is to forget that Honda India exists except in C1 and C2 sedan segments.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

At 25-27 big ones, you'd be overpaying for a HR_V which is basically a Creta sized crossover. At 27 lakh, I'd expect a base CR-V.

But we all know how ridiculous Honda India's pricing strategy is.

You’re right. I was counting on the important uniqueness of a full Camry like Hybrid but even accounting for premium probably 24-25L on road is also rich enough pricing. What i meant to underpin is I’d go a hint over that number as well just for the lack of full hybrid options. If it has nothing more than a Creta to offer it better be the same price of a Creta because their automatic engines in that segment are nothing to write home about.

They could have consider giving it the CR-V diesel automatic engine which is anyway more suited for Creta class positioning. All this is moot of course. All I expect is Honda City’s with new upholstery and different colours as their value add to the Indian market.

[Aditya]

Honda to re-enter midsize SUV market - Posts moved to a new thread.