With the introduction of the compact SUV segment, all other size segments have taken a toll. With the increase in demand, most of the manufacturers have shifted their focus from the small car segment to the mid-size segment. Honda has also revealed its future SUV concept called the RS Concept. Today, at the Gaikindo Indonesian International Auto Show or GIIAS the RS made its first of many appearances. The car is said to be a competitor to the Hyundai Creta, the class-leading compact SUV in the market.
Design
The RS concept is a sub-compact SUV. At first glance, the car does give a City look with its sharp headlight, slim LED DRLs, and the chrome insert running along with the nose of the car. But the deeper you look, the more the car opens up. The car offers a slightly bigger front bumper giving it a bold look, and the way the grille just merges into the bumper is one of a kind.
Along the side, there isn’t much to talk about except for the red stripe that runs along the base of the doors. At the back, the lights are in a stripe fashion connected by a single line of red. The tailgate in this car seems rather small, thanks to the beefy rear bumper. The overall look of the car is heightened by the dual-tone finish, with the roof and the ORVMs in black. We get to see a similar set of alloy wheels as we saw in the WR-V but this time with a matte black paint finish. The car also gets scuff plates at the front and back and roof rails to give it a more rugged look.
Powertrain
This new SUV is based on the City and BR-V platform; thus, we hope to see the same 1.5L i-VTEC petrol engine with VTC along with its more recent mild-hybrid version. The engine is offered with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission. Sometime back, Honda had confirmed that it is working on an India-Specific mid-size SUV which would also be based on the City platform. Though there haven’t been any official announcements by the brand, the RS Concept SUV could be the India-specific model that Honda talked about, which would mean that the RS will be on its way to the Indian shores by the year 2023.