Honda

The Honda Prologue electric SUV does not try too hard to look outlandish or futuristic, but it does look goodHonda Prologue Electric SUV TeaserThe rapid shift in the paradigm towards electric vehicles has been giving rise to mergers and joint production developments which were almost unthinkable a few decades ago. One such partnership is between Honda and General Motors which involves electric vehicle platform sharing. The first Japanese derivative of this tie-up has been teased in the form of an official rendering.General Motors’ Ultium modular EV architecture will be underpinning the upcoming Honda Prologue SUV. With North America as its primary target market, the Prologue is an imposing crossover with a bold new front fascia which speaks the “neo-rugged” design language. The front is characterized by narrow LED headlamps and grille, trapezoidal secondary airdam and vertically oriented foglight enclosures.Honda Prologue Electric SUV TeasedThe longish profile is composed of an accentuated waistline, prominent tyres, flared wheel arches, sleek greenhouse, and contrast ORVMs and door handles. The rear is not visible but expect it to be sculpted and sporty.The Honda Prologue’s design process commenced during COVID-19 and its creators mostly worked from home. Developed at the brand’s Los Angeles design studio in collaboration with Honda Japan, the Prologue benefited from Virtual Reality.Honda Prologue Electric SUV TeaserWe expect the Japanese automaker to tease the interiors sometime in the near future. Keeping up with the trend, the electric Honda SUV for North America is likely to be equipped with a simple, uncluttered cockpit with a good amount of colour displays. One can expect the vehicle to come packed with the latest in terms of connectivity, ADAS and safety.PowertrainGM’s Utltium architecture benefits from a floor-mounted modular battery design which allows the engineers to setup a capacity ranging anywhere between 50 kWh to 200 kWh with an autonomy starting from 300 miles (480 kms) depending on the top-hat. As per definition, a modular EV architecture should be capable of FWD, RWD or AWD configurations depending on customer preference, product and target segment.Being an SUV primarily targeting the Americans, Honda is likely to go for an AWD setup with plenty of power and torque to boot. In addition to teasing the new electric SUV, Honda has also revealed the look of their dealer showrooms and service centers of the future.Honda dealer showroom – New lookHonda Prologue Electric SUV LaunchThe Honda Prologue electric SUV is slated to be launched in North America sometime in 2024. While there is no official announcement made yet, industry reports strongly indicate the presence of an Acura derivative of the Ultium platform which is also in the works for a 2024 debut. While Honda declined to comment on possible production locations for its upcoming EV, it is being said that GM’s Mexico plant will produce it.It remains to be seen what other markets will receive the Prologue but given electrification is the talk of the town pretty much everywhere, we expect the crossover to eventually enter markets like Europe and select Asian countries. Honda’s future in India appears to be challenging to say the least, and the Prologue doesn’t appear to make a good business for our country as a CBU or CKD. More

Honda will be launching a pure Hybrid variant of City in India in a few weeks’ timeHonda HRV Based Electric SUV Concept – E:Ny1While 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 DetailsIt 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.Honda HRV Based Electric SUV Concept – E:Ny1Although, 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 IndiaNot 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. More