Honda Cars India is gearing up to launch a new sub-4 meter SUV in the next few years. According to reports, the company may launch this SUV in the market with several powertrain options. Now a new report has surfaced claiming that Honda is in talks to source a new 1.2 liter engine from Horse Powertrain for the project.

This engine may be used in the upcoming sub-4 meter SUV. The special thing is that it is likely to be used in hybrid and CNG setups in addition to petrol. If this happens, Honda’s new SUV may offer customers different fuel options within the same model.

What is a Horse Powertrain?

Horse Powertrain is known for producing petrol and hybrid powertrains. It is a joint venture between Renault Group and Geely, in which Saudi Aramco is also a shareholder.

The company is gearing up to expand its presence in India. According to reports, Horse Powertrain is looking to increase its customer base with Indian car companies and is also working on plans to set up an engine manufacturing plant in the country. Starting local production of engines in India can help car companies keep costs down.

Horse engine will also be used in Renault Duster

A horse powertrain engine can also be seen in the new Renault Duster Hybrid coming to India. According to the report, the company’s 1.8 liter hybrid engine will be used in the Duster Hybrid. In this setup, a 1.8-litre petrol engine can be paired with two electric motors and a 1.4kWh battery pack.

Why does Honda need a new engine?

Currently, Honda Cars India has 1.2 liter 4-cylinder and 1.5 liter 4-cylinder i-VTEC petrol engines. The Amaze uses a 1.2 liter engine and the City and Elevate use a 1.5 liter engine.

In view of the upcoming stringent emission and fuel efficiency regulations, the company is also gearing up to update these current engines. Along with this, Honda is also working on different powertrains to enter the new segment.

With the growing demand for technologies like CNG and hybrids in India, it may be necessary for the company to develop an engine platform that can be used with different fuel technologies. Fully developing such technology may require significant investment and time. So Honda may look to have a ready-made multi-fuel engine family.

Honda’s new compact SUV could arrive by 2028

According to reports, Honda’s new sub-4 meter SUV could be launched by 2028. The SUV could be based on the platform that is being used to develop the new generation WR-V in Indonesia.

The report also claims that Tata Technologies is assisting in the design and engineering work of this SUV. At the same time, TCS is likely to work on its infotainment system.

Honda also wants to reduce the time it takes to manufacture its new model. The company aims to reduce the development cycle from about 49 months to about 30 months for a complete model change. For this, strategies can be adopted to move design, testing and supplier development work together.

This will compete with SUVs

This new sub-4 meter SUV from Honda will compete with popular SUVs like Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Brezza in the market. Apart from this, models like the new Kia Sonet, Renault Bridger and Mahindra Vision S can also compete with it in the coming time.

However, most of the information regarding the engine, powertrain and launch timeline of Honda’s new SUV is based on reports. These details will be fully confirmed only after the official announcement of the company.

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