After spending quite a few years in the European market, the Japanese want to win back a market that they have always been good at. Three SUVs will be launched next year, the Honda ZR-V will be vital.
The year 2023 is just a few weeks away from starting, and there is already a lot of desire for it to arrive. The next course is very active in terms of launches in European territory. Numerous models to be updated will see their competition compromised with the arrival of new models. Next year is marked in red on the Honda calendar. The Japanese want to take the pulse of one of their main markets again and for this, they plan to launch not one or two, but three SUVs in the same year. The news will be important.
Throughout these last few months, Honda has already been leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. The most important launch at the sales level will be the Honda ZR-V. Officially presented worldwide last summer, the United States is already beginning to enjoy it, while Japan and Europe will have to wait until 2023. The Japanese and European versions will share a hybrid system derived from the Honda Civic, although with certain modifications, the most important of which is the incorporation of an all-wheel drive system.
Under the hood will be installed the two-liter atmospheric block that is already present in the compact. Although at the moment the official performance data is not known, the estimated power should be around 184 horsepower, the same as the Civic, although in this case performance may be increased taking into account the greater weight and size. The ZR-V will immediately target the C-SUV segment, the most popular in terms of sales, positioning it as the most important car in the European catalog. Once we get closer to its commercial launch, we will know the sale prices, although they should be around 36,000 euros as a starting point.
The ZR-V will arrive escorted by two more SUVs. We already know the first of them: the Honda CR-V. Presented this past summer, it will be the sixth edition to be launched on the market. In addition to a complete redesign and considerable technological upgrade, the CR-V will have the privilege of being Honda’s first plug-in hybrid in Europe. Its mechanical catalog will include hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. In this way, Honda will stand up in a D-SUV segment where every day more units offer plug-in versions, as is the case with the Toyota RAV4, its great nemesis.
Last but not least, 2023 will be the year that Europe meets the Honda e: Ny1. With a less unusual name, the e: Ny1 will become Honda’s first 100% electric SUV, the second emission-free model after the Honda e. At the moment there are many details to specify, but its introduction into the market will allow the Japanese to enter the electric B-SUV segment, where models such as the Hyundai KONA or the MG ZS EV lead the sales table. The objective is difficult, but the plans encourage confidence.
In recent years Honda has been somewhat missing from the European market. The environmental policies of the old continent have made many manufacturers doubt the viability of betting on Europe, although already in 2022 the Japanese have taken the first steps in this new conquest. The Honda Civic has just started its commercial life cycle, but it has immediately established itself as one of the best compacts on the market. If we talk about sales, the most popular model in the house is currently the Honda HR-V, which has recently ousted the Honda Jazz.
