Honda will be launching a pure Hybrid variant of City in India in a few weeks’ time
While some might describe Honda’s presence in the Indian passenger vehicle market as inconspicuous, they have been actively expanding its lineup in several international markets. Honda has especially set its focus on developing new models in the electric mobility space.
In this regard, the Japanese auto giant has previewed a concept prototype of its upcoming e:Ny1. The electric SUV has been developed keeping specifically European and North American markets in mind. e:Ny1 appears to be a derivative of the Honda e:Ns1 and e:Np1 electric SUVs that will go on sale in China in the coming future.
Design and proportions of the e:Ny1 concept is similar to HRV barring a sealed front face which is typical of an EV. A sloping roofline and a heavily raked C pillar with a fastback-style tailgate give it a contemporary crossover look. At rear, it features similar wraparound LED headlamps on both sides connected to each other by a thin stripe of LED across the width of the tailgate.
2023 Honda Electric SUV – Platform Details
It is the third electric vehicle (EV) in the e:N series of SUVs with the first two revealed in China. All three electric SUVs seem to be based on the new-gen HRV which is co-incidentally set for its global debut on 4 April 2022. Honda has revealed that the e:Ny1 electric SUV will be underpinned by a brand new e:N Architecture F platform that has been specifically developed for the upcoming model.
Although, for economies of sales, this architecture is expected to be utilized in more future EVs. Earlier, the company has revealed that it will be developing a new platform that will exclusively cater to the EV segment. This architecture is essentially a stretched version of the platform underpinning Honda E which is the brand’s first fully electric car.
The next product to be developed on this platform is likely to be a hybrid mid-size SUV which could be of a similar size as CR-V. Apart from electric SUVs under the e: series, Honda has also showcased pre-production prototypes of e:N Coupé, e:N SUV and e:N GT which are expected to go into production in the next five years.
Honda’s Electrification Plan in India
Not much is known about the e:Ny1 electric SUV yet. In India, Honda’s first major step towards electrification will be the launch of City Hybrid which is slated to take place in the next few weeks.
It is likely to be priced well over the standard City, at an expected price range of Rs 18-20 lakh (ex-showroom). Post launch, it will become the second locally assembled vehicle in India to run on a true hybrid powertrain after Toyota Camry.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
