Six Forgotten Honda Cars And SUVs Of India
Honda has had a rich, eventful past in our country. When you look at them now, you might find their portfolio and market share to be rather small. This Japanese manufacturer has, however, had a past when it used to post handsome monthly volumes with a handful of cars and SUVs. It has had some insanely successful nameplates here- the City and Civic to name a few. Let's revisit some of India's forgotten Honda cars and SUVs.
Dolphin City (City ZX)
Honda brought the first-generation City to the Indian shores in 1998. The nameplate gathered good interest from among Indian buyers. The first generation and its update gained a cult status over time, and are in good demand even today. The second generation that came in 2003, however, had an extremely unpleasant fate. Called the City ZX (and often referred to as the 'Dolphin City' due to its rounded shape), it was criticised by many for its unique proportions and design.
The City ZX used to come with a 1.5-litre i-DSI engine. Despite having a displacement of 1500cc, this powerhouse was frugal. Back then, the sedan segment was getting popular, and its fuel-efficiency upper hand made the City ZX amass bookings. It was also the car that premiered the CVT in the City lineup in India. It is extremely difficult to find a City ZX today, and the model ranks high in our list of forgotten Honda cars.
2003 Accord V6
This sedan debuted in the Indian market in 2003. It was the time when most sedans here were delivering below 100 bhp in engine output, and came with small capacity engines that prioritised fuel efficiency. Honda made a disruption in the sedan space with the Accord that had a massive V6, which used to produce 221 hp! It was a scary good deal for many.
This sedan sat at the top of Honda's India lineup. The 3.0-litre V6 was smooth and powerful. The car even had handsome kit levels with the likes of cruise control, a 6-CD changer, and dual-zone climate control being offered. It found a place in many celebrity garages back in its day, In 2025, however, this vehicle has almost vanished from our roads.
CRV
Honda first brought the CR-V to India in July 2003. Globally, it was the second generation of the SUV. The vehicle came with a capable 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine and had real-time 4-wheel drive.
The SUV excelled with its comfort levels. It offered sedan-like comfort levels and had the 'go anywhere' nature of an SUV. Dashboard-mounted parking brake, easy-to-read instrument cluster and easy-to-adjust knobs were the key highlights of the cabin.
The SUV also had recline functions for both front and rear seats. Honda brought the second-generation CRV to India in 2004. Both these vehicles have now become extremely rare finds.
Mobilio
The Mobilio was Honda's take on a people mover/MPV. It was introduced in India in 2014 with a starting price of 6.49 lakh, ex-showroom. It came in seven variants and had both petrol and diesel engines on offer. It was based on the Brio's platform and came at a time when the general market sentiment was slowly shifting towards SUVs. This vehicle has also vanished from Indian roads.
BRV
In 2016, the Mobilio was replaced by the BRV. It was in fact, the carmaker's response to the growing affinity towards SUVs. It was more or less a Mobilio that looked like an SUV and had a higher ground clearance (210mm). The BRV came in four variants- E, S, V and VX.
Both petrol and diesel engines were offered. Ex-showroom prices started at 8.75 lakh at launch. Like the MPV it replaced, the BRV had three-row seating. The BRV, despite being a pretentious SUV, failed to gather the attention it really deserved and is a rare find today.
WRV
The final name in this list is the WRV. It was launched in 2017, with a starting price of Rs 7.75 lakh. The WRV was essentially an SUV based on the Jazz platform. It came with the same underpinnings and powertrain choices. This mini SUV could be had with a 1.2-litre petrol i-VTEC engine or a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel.