Honda ZR-V Petrol-Hybrid For India Launch Soon
With only three models in its lineup, Honda has been finding it difficult to cling onto market share in India, where it is thinking of introducing the ZR-V SUV. We anticipate Honda bringing the ZR-V here by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, however a precise date is not yet known.
Honda is probably going to import the ZR-V into India in its entirety, like it did with the CR-V and the Accord Hybrid. This would result in increased tariffs, which would raise the selling price.
Honda’s Greater Noida facility used to do CKD operations for a few models in India, however it hasn’t been in operation since December 2020. Even if Honda is thinking about the ZR-V for India, a decision has not yet been made.
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The company has previously abandoned initiatives even when its items were prepared for the market. As an example, the previous generation HR-V was abruptly cancelled because Honda was only able to localize 30% of it, which would have led to uncompetitive costs. As a result, Honda India never saw the SUV in stores.
The ZR-V, which debuted globally in 2022, is available for purchase in Japan and a few other ASEAN countries. It shares a lot of similarities with the HR-V SUV that is offered for sale in North America.
The ZR-V, which is 4.56 meters long and has a wheelbase of 2,655 mm—slightly longer than the Creta’s (2,610 mm)—is aimed directly at the well-liked Toyota Corolla Cross abroad. The bigger CR-V SUV, which we Indians are accustomed to, is positioned above the ZR-V, which is based on the most recent generation Honda Civic.
The ZR-V has an octagonal grille with many vertical slats stacked on top of horizontal ones. In certain markets, the vertical slats are treated with chrome, whereas in others, they are gloss-black. A broad air dam with a gloss-black finish sits beneath the tall bumper, which has delicate cutouts on each corner that blend in perfectly with the chin.
The SUV has a wide glasshouse with an upward curve aft of the back door, and its sides are rounded with few wrinkles. Tall and elegantly tapering in the back, the roofline blends in well with the tailgate’s curved glass.
It has an attractive dashboard with digital instrument cluster, freestanding touchscreen, physical climate control buttons, and built-in air conditioning vents. Similar to the CR-V, the ZR-V lacks the traditional shift lever seen on the North American HR-V and instead has a button-operated gear shift screen.
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With an AWD petrol-hybrid configuration consisting of a 2.0-liter petrol engine, an electric CVT transmission, and two electric motors, the ZR-V, which is available in Japan and other ASEAN markets, has a combined power output of around 180 horsepower, depending on the market.
This is the version that is most likely going to India, according to our sources. A 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine coupled to a CVT transmission with AWD is part of Honda’s pure-petrol powertrain.
