Honda Avancier 7-seater SUV coming to ASEAN early next year – made in Thailand, to slot above CR-V

It’s no secret that Honda’s had a tough time in Asia recently, battered by stiff competition from Chinese rivals – a fact the company itself admitted to. But it’s staging a comeback, with its first riposte being a new seven-seater SUV that will slot above the CR-V.

The car is set to utilise the Avancier nameplate, currently used on a China-exclusive five-seater crossover. This time, however, it will be tailored for the Southeast Asian market, and in fact, it’s set to be built not in China but in Thailand, according to Philippine auto portal Autoindustriya.

We won’t have to wait all that long to see the Avancier, as production is set to begin some time in early 2027. A sole spyshot posted on Japan’s Creative Trend shows a brutalist design, with the rear end sporting slim vertical taillights joined by a full-width light bar, in a similar vein to the e:N2.

The Avancier is currently used on this five-seater SUV in China

The site also mentions that the Avancier will compete with the likes of the Mazda CX-80, measuring 4,960 mm long (30 mm shorter than the CX-80), 1,950 mm wide (60 mm wider) and 1,690 mm tall (20 mm lower). It’s possible that the car will be built on Honda’s new modular mid-size platform that is promised to be lighter than before, as the architecture is slated to enter production next year.

If that’s the case, it should also feature the company’s new e:HEV hybrid powertrain, incorporating a more efficient 2.0 litre direct-injected four-cylinder engine, a more powerful electric motor and S+ Shift synthesised gearshifts from the new Prelude. The higher outputs should balance out the larger and surely heavier body. The car will be offered solely as a hybrid, with no pure petrol option.

The Avancier will also be sold in Japan, where it’s expected to serve as an indirect replacement for the Odyssey, production of which is set to end this year. Do you think this car will be enough to help Honda mount a challenge against the Chinese makes here in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments.

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