Facing increasing pressure from Chinese automotive brands, Honda is preparing a "counterattack" in the Southeast Asian market with an entirely new seven-seater SUV named Avancier.

Recently, Honda itself acknowledged significant challenges in the Asian market due to fierce competition from Chinese rivals. To regain its standing, the Japanese automaker plans to introduce a new seven-seater SUV, positioned above the CR-V segment.

Honda Avancier - new seven-seater SUV spotted during road tests. *Photo: Creative311.com*

While the Avancier name is currently used for a five-seater crossover in the Chinese market, the upcoming version will target customers in Southeast Asia. According to Autoindustriya, a Philippine automotive news site, this model will not be produced in China but assembled in Thailand, with production expected to begin in early 2027.

Images shared by Japan's Creative Trend reveal the Avancier features Honda's distinctive design language and a sporty aesthetic. Key design elements include slender vertical taillights, connected by a full-width LED strip, mirroring the styling seen on the e:N2 electric vehicle.

The Avancier measures 4.960 x 1.950 x 1.690 mm (length x width x height). These dimensions make it longer and wider than the Ford Everest (4.914 x 1.923 x 1.840 mm) but significantly lower. According to the Japanese news site, the Avancier is built on Honda's new mid-size modular platform, which helps reduce weight compared to previous platforms. Notably, Honda intends for the Avancier to exclusively use a hybrid (e:HEV) powertrain, foregoing a traditional gasoline engine variant.

The hybrid powertrain is expected to combine a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with a powerful electric motor and the S+ shift electronic transmission, derived from the new Prelude.

Beyond Southeast Asia, the Avancier is also expected to enter the Japanese market, serving as an indirect replacement for the Odyssey, a legendary minivan model slated to cease production this year.

By establishing its production facility in Thailand, Southeast Asia's largest automotive manufacturing hub, the seven-seater Honda Avancier stands to benefit from ASEAN internal trade preferences. This will enable competitive pricing when it officially goes on sale across the region. This move is seen as a strategic play by Honda, aiming to create balance against the rising tide of electric and hybrid vehicles from Chinese manufacturers.

Minh Vu (via Paultan)