Honda announced that it will launch as many as six new models in the next three years in India. The new cars will be all-new and not mere mid-cycle facelifts.
The first car to make it here will be the next-gen CR-V, confirmed Honda India CEO Yoichiro Ueno. The CR-V will now be available with a 1.6-litre twin-turbo diesel engine for the first time. The second-gen Amaze sub-four-metre compact sedan will also debut next year. In 2019, the carmaker will launch the Civic in India and it is likely to be powered by a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder petrol motor and a 1.6-litre diesel engine as well.
The much-speculated Honda HR-V will be the second car to come here after the CR-V. This five-seat crossover will be pit against the Renault Captur, the Mahindra XUV500, Hyundai Creta, lower-variants of the Jeep Compass, the upcoming Tata Q501 SUV range and the Nissan Kicks crossover. The company has already begun work on the next-gen City sedan, which is due in 2020, and it is also readying an India-launch of the 10th-generation Accord, which was recently unveiled for the North American market.
Hybrid powertrain versions of these models will also make their way to India - Honda already sells hybrid models of the Civic, Accord, CR-V and the HR-V abroad.