Two New Honda Cars Coming to India Soon: Honda City Facelift & ZR-V SUV
Honda cars in India have not been very active for a long time, and with rising competition, it is actually very important for them to come up with new and updated products. It looks like Honda has finally realised the need for a revised strategy, and as part of the same, they are aiming to bring two new cars to the Indian market soon.
A recent social media post shared by one of Honda’s authorised dealers, Crown Honda, hinted at the upcoming two new products. In the post, we see two heavily camouflaged cars that are getting ready for our market. The post is not available online anymore. One of them is a sedan, and the other is an SUV. From the image, it looks like the sedan is the Honda City facelift, while the other one is an SUV, and it is likely to be the Honda ZR-V hybrid SUV.
Honda’s longest-running nameplate in India, the City sedan, is currently in its fifth generation. While the next-generation City is still a couple of years away, Honda will be offering a facelift for the current-generation model. The sedan has already been spotted testing in Brazil, and the official launch of the same is expected to happen sometime later this year.
As this is just a facelift, the overall design of the sedan is more or less likely to remain the same. We expect to see a revised front grille, bumper, and maybe minor tweaks in the headlamps too. We could also see a revised rear bumper, along with minor tweaks to the tail lamps and alloy wheels.
The overall look and dimensions of the sedan are expected to remain the same as the current version. Mechanically, the Honda City facelift will also remain unchanged. It will continue to use the same 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine that generates 121 PS and 145 Nm of peak torque. This will be offered with both manual and CVT gearbox options.
Apart from the regular version, the hybrid (e:HEV) version of the City will also get the same updates. It will continue to offer the same 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine paired with an electric motor setup powered by a battery pack in the boot. Honda is also working on a cost-effective or affordable hybrid technology, but the facelift is expected to use the same tech as the current version. The hybrid version is available with an e-CVT gearbox as standard.
This is the other car in the image that the dealer had shared. The SUV is shown from the rear, and it looks like the ZR-V. The SUV is expected to be launched in the market sometime later this year. It would be the flagship SUV from Honda in the Indian market, and it will be sold as a CBU. The ZR-V will be positioned below the CR-V and will compete with the likes of the Volkswagen Tayron and Skoda Kodiaq in the segment.
It recently received an update internationally, and the turbo-petrol engine has been replaced in the SUV. It now comes only as a hybrid. It is offered with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, which is paired with an e-CVT gearbox. The ZR-V hybrid sold internationally makes 141 PS and 182 Nm of torque from its combustion engine. Meanwhile, the electric motor produces 184 PS and 315 Nm of torque.
As this will be a premium or flagship model, Honda is expected to offer all premium features such as a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Google Assistant integration, Honda Sensing (ADAS suite), a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, multi-zone climate control, ventilated seats, a 360-degree camera, USB ports, an auto-dimming frameless IRVM, an electric gear selector, multiple drive modes, and more.