Honda has been working on a new compact SUV for quite some time now and it will be based on the Amaze platform. It might sit below or completely replace the WR-V.
Honda has had the WR-V in the compact SUV segment for quite some years now but the WR-V never quite made the cut in the market. This segment of compact SUVs has got very competitive of lately. We saw two brand new launches – the Venue and the XUV300 – in this year itself. Rumours are that Honda is developing a brand new compact SUV for this segment based on the Amaze platform.
This new sub-4m compact SUV from Honda was originally expected to be launched by 2021. However, now it is expected that this car would be debuting in 2022, possibly at the Auto Expo. Now that’s certainly late to the party and by then expect this space to get more crowded with a Venue based Kia SUV and Jeep’s entry-level SUV.
Honda Cars India is said to be jointly developing this model along with Honda Prospect Motor Indonesia. This new compact SUV has been code named the 2UA-based and is based on the second generation Amaze that debuted in Auto Expo 2018. In fact, the talks about this compact SUV has been lingering since then itself.
Also Read : 2019 Honda X-ADV 150 Unveiled At GIIAS; Looks Like Smaller X-ADV 750
The Honda Amaze is Honda’s best selling car in India and it has contributed significantly in improving sales for Honda. 2022 is still a long time away and by then, we will see more electrification in the automobile industry. Chances are we will see an electrified version of the Mahindra XUV300 as well as the Tata Nexon, given how enthusiastic these two brands have been with electric technology. We might thus get to see some sort of electrification on the new Honda compact SUV too.
Honda is currently finalizing the suppliers for te compact SUV. Honda intends to have high levels of localisation to keep the costs competitive. The Amaze has been localized up to 90% and Honda hopes the same with this new compact SUV. It will rival the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport.
Also Read : What To Expect From The Upcoming Honda HR-V?
When this new SUV comes in, it will sit below the WR-V or might just replace the WR-V altogether. The WR-V sales has been declining consistently and having two cars in the same space does not make much sense either. We expect the 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel engines to be offered on the new compact SUV. Meanwhile, Honda is also prepping to launch the HR-V in India by 2020.
