Finally! Honda Has Brewed An SUV For Indian Market, Teases Creta Challenger!

• Honda’s Creta challenger for the Indian market teased. 
• Upright front end and chunky design touches give it macho vibes.
• Expected features include ADAS, a large touchscreen and ventilated front seats.
• Likely to get NA petrol and strong-hybrid engine options.
• Prices likely to start around Rs 11 lakh. 

After a long hiatus, a new Honda car built from the ground up is finally on its way to the Indian market. The Japanese carmaker has teased its upcoming compact SUV for India, which will take on established models like the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. The SUV, which is yet to receive a name, is set to be unveiled in the summer of 2023, so you can expect it to break cover around April or May. 

The new Honda SUV seems to take heavy inspiration from international models such as the HR-V and CR-V. Its upright nose features a slatted grille with a chrome bar connecting both the LED headlights, similar to the City. It gets a chunky front bumper with LED fog lamps and a front skid plate. 

Note: WR-V image used for representation purposes. 

In profile, the flared wheel arches are nicely filled out by large alloys, while the body cladding gives it a dash of ruggedness. It also gets a nice and prominent shoulder line with a haunch over the rear fender, giving the SUV lots of character. Lastly, the model also gets roof rails, adding to the SUV quotient. 

Honda is expected to tease the interior of the SUV in the near future. It’s expected to be feature-loaded with a large touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, semi-digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, a wireless phone charger and probably ventilated front seats. 

Passenger safety should be taken care of by multiple airbags, electronic stability control, lane change monitoring and a full suite of ADAS. 

Now to engine options. Honda Cars India ditching diesel engines means we expect this model to be petrol-only, with powertrains probably borrowed from the City. The base option is expected to be the 121PS 1.5-litre petrol, while the top-end option could be the 126PS 1.5-litre strong-hybrid. A CVT will be standard, while the petrol-only engine will get the six-speed MT as well.

Post its debut this summer, Honda is expected to announce prices of the SUV soon. We expect it to start from around Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom), putting it in contention with the Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and the like. The Hyryder and Grand Vitara will also have a strong-hybrid rival in the form of this SUV.