Honda has a total of six SUV in China, namely Binzhi (XR-V), CR-V (Haoying) and Guandao (UR-V), which are aimed at the small, compact and mid-size SUV markets, and the sales volume in their respective market segments is very good, and it also contributes a large proportion of sales to Honda China.
Just recently, Guangqi Honda released a set of new SUV trailers, combined with the previous road attempt film, this new car is obviously the US version of the new HR-V domestic model. Speaking of which, many small partners may have some doubts, is this new SUV a successor model of Binzhi or a new model? For this problem, Lao Wang's statement seen on the Internet is also different. So, today we're going to talk about this topic.
Why do many friends think that this new car will succeed Binzhi? First of all, in terms of model history, the Honda HR-V has been positioned as a small SUV since its debut in 1997. Although this model was not introduced in China, a few years ago, Honda changed a new name for the HR-V - Vezel, which is also known as Binzhi. The name Vezel is divided into sales areas, mainly for the Japanese version and domestic Hiromoto. In many markets around the world, the name of this car continues to be HR-V. So, on the previous generation, hr-V and Vezel were essentially the same model, but they were named differently.
In 2021, Honda released a new generation of Binzhi in the Japanese market, the new car wheelbase has not changed, but it uses a tougher exterior design and a new interior, which is still the standard small SUV in positioning. In 2022, Honda's HR-V released in the US market uses the platform architecture of the eleventh generation Civic, and uses rear independent suspension, and the larger size also makes it no longer the same model as the HR-V previously sold in the US market, but a small compact SUV (positioned like a Qashqai).
Speaking of which, I believe that everyone should have a number of new Binzhi and HR-V. Then the new SUV released by Guangqi Honda is obviously the domestic version of the US version of HR-V, which also means that it has no connection with Binzhi, and there is no inheritance relationship between the two.
So will Guangqi Honda let this new SUV replace Binzhi? Judging from the current market performance, the market share of small SUVs is indeed gradually shrinking, and even some brands have stopped launching small SUV models. But for Honda, the market performance of Binzhi and XR-V is still "passable". Even at the end of the product's life, sales are still in hand, so for Honda, it seems that there is no need to give up small SUVs.
In fact, the new generation of Binzhi has been listed in the domestic market, but it is not a fuel version but a pure electric version. From this signal, it is not difficult to see that even Japanese brands that oppose pure electric models have to bow their heads in the face of the trend of electrification. But for consumers, the appeal of e:NP1 and e:NS1 is always limited, and consumers naturally focus more on fuel versions.
At about the same time, Dongfeng Honda's new XR-V was officially declared in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which also means that the fuel version of the XR-V will continue the small SUV setting. Then under Honda's dual-car strategy, IT is naturally impossible for GAC Honda not to produce this model domestically. Speaking of this, it is not difficult to see that the new SUV released by Guangqi Honda is not a Binzhi, but a brand new model.
Referring to the American version of HR-V, it must be admitted that the new car produced by GAC Honda is pure take-ism. Perhaps in the US market, HR-V can replace the smaller Binzhi, but in the Chinese market, larger size, higher platform is bound to mean higher price! If the new car replaces Binzhi, it also means that the price of The Broad Entry SUV will rise, which is an unwanted situation for manufacturers and consumers.
But if this new car is sold as a standalone model, then in the context of such a clear trend of segmentation in the domestic SUV market, it can become a new model stuck between Binzhi and CR-V. For young consumers, if the budget is sufficient, and they feel that the Space of Binzhi and XR-V is not large enough, the suspension is too hard, and they want a more balanced driving experience, then this new model will enter their choice!