Honda Cars India Limited, a completely owned subsidiary of Japanese multinational auto maker Honda Motor Company, is going to officially launch its reworked CR-V premium Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in the domestic market, by the second week of February, 2013. The company has already started shipping the new CR-V units (for demo and training purposes) to its dealerships, all over the country.
Unlike the outgoing model which was retailed in India through Completely Built Unit (CBU) route, the new Honda CR-V is believed to be locally produced via Completely Knocked Down (CKD) assembly. Accordingly, the CKD manufacturing process is expected to result in significant cutback in the market price of the yet-to-be launched 2013 CR-V in India.
The base model of the 2013 Honda CR-V is expected to come assimilated with a 2 litre, 4-cylinder, i-VTEC petrol powertrain, which will be configured for its 4x2 variant. Further, the top-end model will get an extra powerful 2.4 litre powertrain and will be laced with an All Wheel Drive (AWD) system. The engine assemblies are expected to come mated to five speed manual and automatic transmission systems, depending upon the model.
The upcoming 2013 Honda CR-V will be pitched against Mahindra SsangYong Rexton, Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Outlander and Pajero Sport, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan X-Trail and Chevrolet Captiva, amongst others in Indian utility vehicle market. The Japanese auto major is expected to launch its reworked CR-V premium SUV with an introductory price tag over Rs. 20 lakhs.
