Honda has showcased the Concept M Minivan at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, which has been developed mainly for the Chinese market. The automobile market in China is largely dominated by local companies and International auto giants are bent on boosting their presence in the country with Toyota, Hyundai and Nissan showcasing their concept vehicles at the event. Designed at the Automobile R&D Center of Honda Japan, the Concept M is a niche product in the MPV segment which is largely dominated by commercial vehicles.
Honda is trying to bridge the gap by adding a hint of luxury with a comfortable and spacious cabin along with a fun-to-drive factor made possible by Honda’s packaging technologies. The Concept M looks like an advanced version of Honda Odyssey (which again shares the same front fascia as the City). The specifications of this concept vehicle have not been revealed but Honda is planning a mass-production vehicle based on this concept model, aiming for market introduction next year.
The Honda Concept M MPV does look bold but too much of chrome has been used at the front, which will definitely not make its way into the production model. This concept vehicle does seem to have the dimensions to yield excellent interior space to the occupants. In the Indian Scenario, the MPV segment is diesel driven and we don’t expect Honda to launch this MPV here. However Honda will bring a Brio and next generation Jazz based MPVs here, which will compete with the likes of the Maruti Ertiga and Toyota Innova.
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