There are always plenty of concept cars unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, but this year seemed like there were even more than usual. One of the more exciting reveals was from Honda. Honda unveiled their Urban SUV Concept – a subcompact SUV in which they see as the wave of the future. The excitement from the reveal was on one part for the sleek and shiny utility vehicle concept and the other from the confidence Honda showed in their presentation towards their Global Compact Series vision.

Honda’s Global Compact Series will consist of the Fit, the City (not sold in North America), and this new Urban SUV concept. Honda believes that smaller, more fuel-efficient cars are the key to the future and they will capitalize on this growing market starting in 2014 with a plan to sell more than 1.5 million vehicles of all three globally by the end of 2016. 

“No one has had greater success with small cars than Honda, and this Urban SUV Concept will create new value in the growing small-SUV segment,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales at American Honda. “With the continued expansion of our North American manufacturing operations, we expect fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive ‘small’ cars to play a key role in meeting the needs of our customers in the U.S.”

The Urban SUV Concept will be built in Honda’s newest North American plant near Celaya, Mexico that will be operational in the spring of 2014. It’s nine inches shorter than the Honda CR-V slotting it just below it when choosing an SUV from Honda. It’s put together nicely with a sporty coupe-like sculpted body and a modernized horn-shaped grille that blends in with its LED headlights. It will also have a center-tank layout that’s featured on the Fit that will maximize interior space which is desperately needed for this 5-passenger subcompact SUV. 

Fuel economy numbers will be key to this concept’s success and Honda will be using their company’s Earth Dreams Technology in order to lower those numbers and reduce CO2 emissions.

The Honda Urban SUV concept will be priced below the CR-V and production is expected to begin in late 2014. Only time will tell whether Honda is on the right track with this new concept SUV and the rest of their Global Compact Series, but for what I saw – I have a feeling the Urban SUV will be a success.