A report out of Australia’s GoAuto suggests Honda is looking at a smaller than HR-V, city-sized SUV for the broader world market.
Although it sells the Brio-based BR-V in some markets such as Indonesia and Thailand, Honda Australia’s director Stephen Collins ruled it out, saying: “I’m sure you know there is a BR-V which is a Brio-based SUV. It’s primarily made for emerging markets, so at this stage it is not in our plans,”
However, he does predict that market segment is the next growth hotspot, indicating the follow-up model might be more suited to Australian and other markets.
“My personal view is I think that is the next segment which is going to take off. So it will be interesting to see who is in there and who is first and who is not. Basically we are investigating it, so we need to investigate more and more. But … there may be some possibility.”
Tellingly, when quizzed about the next-gen CR-V; a model line which has declined in Australia, he hints at the possibility of a seven-seater option: “I think we are looking at everything. I think engine technology is an important point that we are looking very closely at. We are looking at how can we expand opportunities more into the lower end of the larger SUVs and the seven-seat question comes up. So we are exploring all of those opportunities.”
By Mitchell Jones
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