Honda has previewed plans for a new Jazz-based SUV with this Urban SUV Concept at the Detroit motor show.
Honda has already confirmed a production version, which closely follows the sleek style of this concept. It will be introduced in Japan late this year, the US in early 2014 and Europe later in 2014.
Underpinning the 4300mm-long Urban SUV Concept is the next-generation Jazz’s platform. A third generation of the standard Honda Jazz hatchback will be launched in 2014 with the new underpinnings. A saloon is also planned based on this platform and will be targeted at emerging markets.
Each of Honda’s global regions is being given autonomy to tune it to suit local conditions. Both the exterior and interior styling are also likely to differ slightly between global markets.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito has previously described the global small car platform as strategically very important to Honda’s bid to boost sales from about four million units to seven million annually by 2017. He called the Jazz SUV a “younger brother” to the new CR-V.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
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