Indonesia - Honda Vezel prepares for a battle with the Ford EcoSport

14/07/2014 - 21:48 ,   Nithyanandh K

The Honda Vezel SUV made its international debut at last year's Tokyo Motor Show and is currently sold only in Japan. The compact crossover is now preparing to enter the Indonesian market, as per a new report.

Otosia.com has uploaded a supposedly leaked document which shows the Vezel listed in the Motor Vehicle Registration database of the Ministry of Industry, government of Indonesia. At the unveiling in Tokyo, Honda officials asked the Indonesian media contingent to expect the Vezel's launch in the archipelago sooner or later.

Honda Vezel front quarter
The Honda Vezel will fight it out with the Ford EcoSport in Indonesia.

Based on the new Honda Jazz platform, the Vezel is available with petrol and hybrid powertrain options. The Indonesia-bound model is expected to be offered only with the 1.5-litre petrol engine which comes mated to a CVT or a 7-step CVT with paddle shifters.

The motor develops a healthy 129.1 bhp (131 PS) and 155 Nm of torque and is available in both 2WD and 4WD configurations. The 2WD returns a fuel economy of 20.06 km/l under the Japanese driving conditions while the 4WD version manages 19 km/l.

The Honda Vezel, though in a higher price category, would mainly target buyers of the Ford EcoSport, according to Indonesian media.

Ford EcoSport launched in India side
The Indonesian EcoSport is also powered by a 1.5L petrol engine. It is imported from the Rayong plant in Thailand.

To be positioned between the recently launched Jazz and the CR-V, the Vezel's pricing would be in the range of IDR 242 million (around INR 12.46 lakhs) to IDR 387 million (around INR 19.92 lakhs). In comparison, the EcoSport is priced between IDR 195 million (INR 10.00 lakhs) to IDR 242 million (INR 12.55 lakhs)

The Vezel won't come to India since Honda India's EcoSport rival is likely to be a sub-4 metre product, developed specifically for India, based on the more cost effective Honda Brio platform.

[Source: Otosia.com]

Honda Vezel

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