First shown as a concept car at the Detroit Auto Show, Honda’s all-new compact SUV may debut in production form as early as the Tokyo Motor Show in the Spring.
Honda needs this car quickly in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and when production gets green-lighted, Honda Australia will be belting the doors of Honda’s head-office for an early start ‘downunder’.
Speaking to Car Showroom in New Zealand at the Honda Accord media launch, Honda Australia’s sales and marketing chief Stephen Collins said he would be: “at the head of the queue” for the all-new addition to Honda’s global model range.
Compact SUVs are ‘hot’ in Australia and while the excellent all-new Honda CR-V is selling-up a storm – more than 1200 sales per month and best-selling petrol mid-size SUV January through April – the fact is Honda doesn’t have a toe in the water in that segment.
As this image shows, Honda’s styling department have well-and-truly sharpened their crayons with the compact SUV concept looking bold and athletic.
Obviously no details are known at this stage, but you can bet petrol engines in 1.6-litre and/or 2.0-litre and a turbo-diesel or two.
To go toe-to-toe with the likes of Hyundai ix35, Mitsubishi ASX and Nissan Dualis, Honda would need to price its newcomer between $26,000 and $35,000.
