The Japanese car marque is fresh from the launch of the 3rd-generation Amaze to rival the Maruti Dzire, Hyundai Aura and Tata Tigor in India
Honda has announced plans to introduce 3 new SUVs by 2026-27 which will carry hybrid and electric powertrains. Honda has been in the country since 1998 with the City. Over its 26 years of existence, it has been able to post decent sales. In the last few years, Honda has reduced the number of models on sale. In fact, at the moment, there are only 3 cars on offer – City, Amaze and Elevate. Out of these, Elevate is the only SUV it sells. That is quite interesting since the SUV market has really taken off in the last few years in our country. Hence, it wants to remedy that.
Honda to Launch 3 New SUVs in India
Honda Cars India President, Takuya Tsumura said, “We plan to introduce three new models, with hybrid and electric powertrains by the 2026-27 fiscal thus expanding the company’s presence in the SUV segment.” He mentioned the need to develop new models like hybrids and BEVs that suit the Indian market. Having said that, it would be interesting to see the kind of new SUVs we encounter from Honda going forward. At present, there are no reports of which segment these SUVs will belong to.
In any case, it is critical to have a compelling SUV in the portfolio at competitive prices. India is one of the hardest markets to crack. The cars need to be value for money to motivate new customers. That is what brands like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra, Tata Motors, etc. have been able to do. Hence, we see them achieve new sales records from time to time. I am curious to witness which models and powertrains we will get to see from Honda in the next couple of years.
My View
In today’s market scenario, it is clear that customers are more inclined towards large SUVs for better road presence. They are certainly more practical and the higher ground clearance suits our road conditions much better. All these factors contribute to making them more attractive which is why Honda has chosen to focus on these to mark its future in India. I shall keep our readers updated with the latest information on this matter in times to come.