Will look at Honda HR-V for India if there are customer requests, says HCIL boss

24/10/2016 - 13:04 Honda HR-V, Honda Anjan Ravi

Honda WR-V to launch in India around March 2017.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India, Honda Cars India's President and CEO, Yoichiro Ueno, said that the company would consider the premium Honda HR-V if it received demand. The chief executive said -

It really depends on customers’ voice. If there is a lot of demand or request, then we might look at it.

Honda HR-V front three quarter view at 2015 Geneva Motor Show — The Honda HR-V is available with hybrid powertrains in Japan, and with 1.5- and 1.8-liter i-VTEC petrol engines in many South East Asian markets.

Having made its world premiere at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, the Honda HR-V (known as Honda Vezel in Japan), was quickly ruled out for the Indian market owing to its expensive cost. Though it is based on the Honda Jazz's platform, which is well localized in the country, the parts and components of the HR-V's interior are vastly different from the Jazz in that they look and feel premium, and as a result, will cost more to manufacture.

Even in other Asian developing markets where the HR-V is sold, it is priced and positioned as a premium product. As a result, Honda developed and introduced the more affordable Brio-based Honda BR-V, which slots beneath the HR-V in Asian markets where the HR-V is sold, and forms the core of Honda Cars India's SUV lineup. In the Indonesian market, which is considered similar to the Indian market, the top-end Honda HR-V costs an equivalent INR 7 lakhs more than the top-end Honda BR-V.

Honda HR-V interior for Europe pressshots — Despite being based on the Jazz platform, the HR-V features vastly different parts and components inside which drive up its cost.

Also read: 2016 Honda Brio (facelift) - Review

If Honda Cars India goes through with the introduction of the Honda HR-V, it will use its current 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine and 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel engine, with the former getting a CVT and manual transmission, and only a manual gearbox for the latter. At the moment, Honda Cars India will reportedly launch the Jazz-based crossover, the Honda WR-V, around March 2017. The WR-V will have its premiere next month at the Sao Paulo Auto Show.

[Source: PTI]