Honda Urban SUV Concept: 2013 Detroit Auto Show

Honda has revealed their Urban SUV Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, previewing a new compact SUV based on the new Honda Jazz.

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If there’s a car market that’s growing faster than any other, it’s the very compact crossover come SUV. From offerings like the Nissan Juke to the new Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008 and Ford EcoSport, car makers are scrambling to give car buyers a rufty-tufty little SUV to negotiate the urban landscape.

The latest offering in this burgeoning sector is the Honda Urban SUV Concept – teased in December –  debuting at the Detroit Auto Show this week and previewing a new, more compact SUV, from Honda, designed to sit below the CR-V.

The Urban SUV has a relatively low roof line, lots of crease lines, rounded shapes and a statement nose, and does look a lot like the Nissan Juke’s smoother older sibling.

Honda say the Urban SUV is dynamic and sporty, and the coupe-like roofline and hidden door handles on the back doors do give a sense of a coupe on stilts.

Under the bonnet we’re likely to see the same range of engines as we get in the JAzz, including a 1.6 diesel good for sub-100g/km and the Urban SUV will come with the Magic Seats from the current Jazz that offer lots of different configurations.

The Honda Urban SUV looks set to go in to production in Japan before the end of 2013, but it’s unlikely to reach the UK much before the start of 2015.