A teaser image of Honda’s upcoming compact SUV has surfaced online, right off a billboard in Indonesia. In this day and age digital age, Japanese carmaker has taken it directly to the streets and announced the introduction of its next big launch that is expected to rake in numbers and bring big volumes for the brand. Teased with just two words ‘Wheeling in’, Honda has managed to send anticipators and fans of the SUV segment into a frenzy.
The Honda compact SUV is expected to be launched in Indonesia in the coming weeks and is likely to be a production version of the SUV RS concept displayed at the 2022 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. As per the image on the billboard, the SUV is finished in two shades, a red body and pillars, roof and outside rearview mirrors finished in black. A forward dipping bonnet structure and a raked front windshield is visible with sharp LED headlamps. The rear gets a pair of wraparound LED tail lamps as well.
The new Honda compact SUV is likely to use the platform of its popular compact sedan, the Amaze so expect both petrol and diesel engines to be on offer but with the demand for diesel engines falling in many parts of the globe including India, a petrol-hybrid powertrain might be more viable. Similar to the petrol-hybrid powertrain offered with the latest Honda City, the new compact SUV would rival the Hyundai Creta or even the latest petrol-hybrid SUV offerings namely the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and the Toyota Hyryder grabbing eyeballs due to their high claimed mileage figures.
Currently, Honda does not offer an SUV in the domestic market and it will be a stretch to label the WR-V as one. Honda Cars India previously introduced the second-generation CR-V in India in 2004 and discontinued the SUV after a shift to BS6 emissions in 2020.
