Honda Cars is planning to roll out its first India-focused electric vehicle (EV) in the next three years, said its President and Chief Executive Officer Takuya Tsumura, adding that the Japanese carmaker would be launching a total of five premium sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in India by 2030.
The first of the five SUVs called the Elevate, powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE), was unveiled in Delhi on Tuesday. While the company did not declare its price, it is expected to be between Rs 12-17 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Elevate is Honda’s take on the midsize SUV segment that includes rivals like the Creta, the Seltos and the Grand Vitara, among others.
The second SUV would be an EV. It would be based on the Elevate, Tsumura said in an interview with Business Standard.
The company did not reveal whether the other three SUVs would be ICE-based or electric. Honda Cars’ annual domestic sales increased by about 7 per cent to 91,418 in 2022-23 (FY23). This was significantly lower than the Indian car industry’s growth that stood at 26.7 per cent in FY23, according to SIAM.