Honda turns to Indian engineering giant Tata

Honda is reportedly handing development of a new vehicle platform to India's Tata Technologies in a move aimed at reducing costs.

The Indian engineering specialist began life designing vehicles for Tata Motors, it now undertakes projects for a range of global automotive clients, including Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR).

According to American media company Bloomberg, the platform is intended to underpin a family of vehicles and accommodate a variety of powertrains, from traditional internal-combustion engines through to hybrids and fully electric vehicles.

Honda is already developing its own dedicated electric vehicle architecture, set to debut in 2027 under the upcoming 0 Series range.

It's also working on a new V6 hybrid system for larger North American models, suggesting the Tata-developed platform is more likely destined for smaller vehicles.

Potential candidates could include replacements for developing-market models such as the Brio, City, Amaze, BR-V, WR-V and Elevate, all of which are due for renewal before the end of the decade.

The agreement would go much further than previous Honda collaborations.

While the recently discontinued Prologue electric SUV used General Motors underpinnings and battery technology, Honda retained responsibility for the vehicle's design.

There's no indication Australian Honda models will switch to Tata-developed underpinnings anytime soon, but the deal could help the Japanese brand cut development costs and speed up replacement programs in key overseas markets.

For Honda, it's another sign that partnerships are becoming increasingly important as car-makers juggle the rising costs of electrification, software development and stricter emissions regulations around the world.

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