Honda Brio-Based Compact SUV Arrives in India

Expected to be launched by the end of 2016 or early 2017, the vehicle's research and development work might take place at the company's upcoming R&D center in Greater Noida. Though rumours claimed that Honda's compact SUV will be sub-4 metre in length, we believe it will be as big as the Mobilio since it will take on the likes of Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and Hyundai Creta, all of which measure above 4.2 metre. Also, since the company has already built the Mobilio (over 4.3 metre in length) on the Brio platform, developing a compact SUV with the same platform shoudln't be a concern for Honda.

Though there is no clarity about its design, we expect the Honda's compact SUV to be based on the Vision XS-1 concept that debuted at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. As far as the engine optios are concerned, the vehicle might feature the same 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel powertrains that do duty on the Honda City and Honda Mobilio.