Honda has been teasing the market with its Urban SUV Concept for some time now, and finally the company is believed to be all set to unveil the production version at the Tokyo Motor Show which begins on November 20th.
Prior to the official teaser, a leaked patent filing gave the first clue as to the details of the car. The Urban SUV uses the same platform as the next-generation Honda Jazz and features a very low roofline topping off a squat stance. The rear door handles are hidden, similar to the Chevrolet Beat and the Nissan Juke, which give it a coupe-like form.
The production version is likely to be about 4.3m long i.e. 0.2m shorter than the CR-V. In India, it could be positioned alongside the new City. Speculation abounds as to the naming of the car, with guesses including a possible revival of the HR-V nameplate (the HR-V – or Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle – was a Honda mini SUV produced from 1999-2006).
Power is likely to come from the newly-developed Earth Dreams engine family, including the 1.6-litre diesel in Europe and the 1.5-litre diesel in India. Sharing of the Jazz platform means that the Urban SUV could also use the ‘Magic Seats’ format of the Jazz, allowing the seats to be arranged in different ways.
Honda will manufacture this car at its plant in Celaya, Mexico for the US market, with plants in India and Japan also likely to produce the car.
