At one time the Japanese automaker, Honda, was counted among the top car manufacturing brands in India but because of a small portfolio, Honda’s position dropped down heavily. The current Indian car market demands SUVs and the sedan segment is down to the bottom which is why Honda is finally making a pair of serious SUVs for the Indian car market. Due to the delay by Honda, MG Motors and Kia entered the SUV segment in India and swept away a huge chunk of the lucrative mid-premium crossover segment that was up for taking.
Honda previously launched the BR-V and WR-V which were the derivatives of a hatchback and MPV but these cars failed to establish their presence and help aid the company’s sales. Honda was close to going towards the same fate as GM and Ford but due to the do-or-die Honda decision of giving a last try by launching new two crossovers a sub-4m and a Creta-sized SUV in India, the company could come out of the bottom.
The upcoming products of Honda are reported to be based on the company’s largest and heavily localized platform in India which is the Amaze platform. The small crossover codename is PF2 and the mid-size SUV codename is PF2S. The PF2 is said to be launching this year and the PF2S launch will take place in 2024. A teaser of what appears to be the PF2 was released by Honda at the beginning of the new year. Pratyush Rout, an internal design expert, used the information to create a relatively accurate image of the mid-size SUV, which will compete with the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.
The rendered exterior design of Honda’s upcoming SUV is clean and modern, it is similar to the company’s international cars with a prominent grille that houses the Honda chrome logo in the middle. The LED headlamps have slim DRLs on top and look very eye catchy due to the premium styling. The front bumper is sporty with side cut-outs for the fog lamps and a silver chin which enhances the overall front of the SUV well without getting noticed.
The roof of the SUV is straight which makes the cabin more spacious and on top, you also find the functional roof rails which give the SUV a bulky look. The interior space, comfort, and technology of Honda’s upcoming SUV will be highly competitive in its segment. Due to the late entry in the SUV segment, there are no chances of error left for the Honda to make in the price point. These new products are the last chance for Honda to restore its former glory.
Powertrain options The upcoming SUV of Honda ‘PF2S’, could carry the Honda City’s powertrains under the hood, which are – a 1.5-liter petrol engine that produces 120hp of power and 245 Nm of torque and a 1.5-liter eHEV hybrid unit that gives an ARAI-rated mileage of 26.5 km/l. Both these powertrains are expected to have the option of manual and automatic transmission.
