Honda To Launch Three New Car Models by 2026 – 2027, Says Kunal Behl – Exclusive

Upcoming Honda Cars: Honda Cars India recently launched the third generation of the Amaze in India. It is the entry-level Honda Car in India that is offered with a petrol engine. On the sidelines of the launch, we sat down for a conversation with Kunal Behl, VP of Sales and Marketing, Honda Cars India, to talk about the company’s future plans, and upcoming launches. We also dicussed the company's plans of developing alternative fuel options.

Here are snippets of our conversation with Mr Behl.

Honda Cars' upcoming launches in 2026-27

Speaking at the event, Behl highlighted that Honda Cars India will be launching three new models in India. He also focussed on sustainability and said that by 2030, two-thirds of vehicles will be electrified, and by 2040, 100 per cent of vehicles will be electric.

“So 2026-27, we're going to have three launches. One is going to be pure electric, SUVs more than four meters. The other two models would be electric or hybrid,” Behl said.

Talking about the upcoming models, Behl highlighted that these will be based on a completely new platform and will be more than four metres in length.

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Honda Cars working on alternative fuel options

At the moment, all the cars in Honda Cars' India portfolio, including the newly launched Honda Amaze, come with a petrol engine variant. The only exceptipn is the Honda City e:HEV that comes offers a combination of petrol and electric engine. During our conversation Behl highlighted the company’s efforts of providing a CNG option in its lineup in India.

“So, from a factory fitment perspective, we are going to focus on the petrol naturally aspirated engine. But yes, I understand that the CNG market is quite catching up in this segment."

“We have tested this car in CNG and at the dealership side, the customer, can facilitate a retrofit CNG. That option is always available," he said adding that there were no plans of bringing factory-fitted CNG models in India just yet.

Honda Amaze vs competition

Honda launched the Amaze with Level-2 ADAS safety features, six airbags across variants, and more. As an accessory pack, Honda offers Amaze with front-ventilated seats and massage functions, ambient lighting, and more. However, there are some features such as a sunroof, and electro-chromic IRVM, that remain missing in the 2024 Honda Amaze despite being offered by the competition, including the Maruti Suzuki Dzire.

Responding to a query on why these features are missing from the car, Behl said, "Now, sunroof, of course, a lot of people who like it, but how many are able to use it in terms of applicability of the sunroof is pretty low, is what we believe.”

He also highlighted the availability of some of the advanced safety features in the newly launched car. “Customers desire and want safety, which comes with ADAS. I believe it is the cheapest less than 10 lakh ADAS car which has never been available in the segment," he said.