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Honda’s all-new compact SUV is still two years away from arriving in showrooms, with production scheduled to start in Q4 2028
In line with its new strategy to leverage external resources for new products, Honda will outsource the powertrains for its upcoming compact SUV, specially designed for India, to Horse Powertrain. There’s a strong possibility that one of these powertrains would be shared with the Renault Bridger, which will arrive earlier.
According to a new report from Autocar Professional, Honda plans to offer a 1.2-litre engine in petrol, petrol-electric hybrid, and petrol-CNG variants in the upcoming India-focused SUV, which will measure no longer than 4,000 mm. This engine capacity and restricted length will qualify the model for a low 18% GST.
This model would be in an extremely competitive segment, so Honda is under pressure to price it right. Developing a new 1.2-litre engine in multiple variants may prove to be too costly, which has pushed Honda to explore outsourcing. Horse Powertrain, owned 45% each by Renault and Geely and 10% by Aramco, already manufactures a 1.2-litre multi-fuel engine, codenamed H12. The company showcased it at ACMA Automechanika in New Delhi this February.
Also Read: Honda, Renault, Hyundai And Tata To Launch New SUVs Soon
Horse Powertrain is expected to develop a hybrid system based on a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine for the Renault Bridger. Honda may license the same for its sub-4 metre SUV. Of course, each brand may opt for a different state of tune based on their priorities for driving performance and fuel efficiency. Whether the conventional petrol and petrol-CNG engines of the two compact SUVs will also be related remains to be seen.
Outsourcing the powertrain is a clear indication that Honda is going beyond the norm to cut costs and reduce development time. The company is in talks with Tata Technologies for the design and engineering of the sub-4 metre SUV and is expected to involve TCS in the development of the infotainment system. It wants to be ready with the all-new India-focused model in approximately 30 months instead of the usual time of around 49 months.
For the platform, Honda is considering an existing one already commercialised in Indonesia, as per the report. Perhaps the company is evaluating the platform of the second-generation WR-V, not to be confused with the renamed Elevate sold in Japan and Latin America.
Despite the various cost-cutting measures, Honda is targeting a price range of Rs. 9-12 lakh for the upcoming compact SUV. This means that, in the base trim, it could be around Rs. 1 lakh more expensive than the Hyundai Venue, around Rs. 1.5 lakh more than the Maruti Brezza, and around Rs. 1.6 lakh more than the Tata Nexon. The company has set October 2028 as the SOP timeline, aiming for a festive season launch.
The post Upcoming Honda compact SUV To Use Horse Powertrain Developed Engines appeared first on Gaadiwaadi.com - Latest Car & Bike News by Team GaadiWaadi.
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