Here’s Your First Look At Honda’s Hyundai Creta Rival On Our Roads

• Honda’s compact SUV being tested in India for the first time. 
• Expected features include a large infotainment system, ventilated front seats, and ADAS.
• Likely to get the 1.5-litre petrol and strong-hybrid options from City.
• No diesel engine expected.
• Prices expected to start around Rs 11 lakh.
• To rival Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and the like.

After a long long wait, Honda Cars India will be launching a brand new compact SUV for our market. This SUV will be built from scratch and is slated for an unveiling this summer, meaning you can expect the wraps to come off around mid-2023. Ahead of its debut, the carmaker has begun road-testing the SUV in the country, as it has been spotted for the first time. 

A teaser from Honda has shown the SUV in its concept guise, featuring a nice and chunky design. This prototype seems to have carried most of those design touches, featuring an upright design with good proportions. 

At the front, the SUV features a nice and large grille with what seems like a chrome bar (seen in most Honda offerings) connecting the LED headlights featuring a funky DRL insignia. The profile is more crossover-ish with a sleek design and squared-out wheel arches, nicely filled out by large alloys. The roof slopes down to the tailgate, which houses wrap-around tail lamps. 

The interior of Honda’s upcoming SUV is yet to be snapped. But keeping its competition in mind, it’s sure to be loaded with features. One can expect a large infotainment system with connected car tech, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control, and probably ventilated front seats. 

The camera on the left ORVM confirms the presence of blind-spot monitoring. Apart from that, the SUV should get multiple airbags, front and rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, and probably, a full suite of ADAS features from the City. 

Also Read: Facelifted Honda City Sedan To Be Launched On March 2, 2023

Honda ditching diesel due to more stringent RDE norms means the compact SUV is expected to be petrol-only. It’s likely to get the carmaker’s 121PS 1.5-litre petrol and 126PS 1.5-litre strong-hybrid powertrain options. The petrol engine should get the six-speed manual and CVT, while the strong-hybrid engine would get the e-CVT. 

More details of Honda’s upcoming compact SUV are expected as we inch towards its summer debut. Prices are expected to start around the Rs 11-lakh mark, and it will lock horns with the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq and the like.

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