The new edition of the Honda HR-V just launched in Europe, sporting a design that we can probably expect for the U.S. iteration later this year. The SUV is going all-hybrid, with the e:HEV system added to every new model and a facelift to make it more alike the Asia-specific Vezel.
The HR-V’s 2019 update was to make it hipper and cooler, more of a statement SUV than its cheap but very compact 2018 version. This time, Honda’s taken that a step further for the 2022 update and gone a bit Honda-e’s big brother, a meaner and blockier but still kind of expressive look to the front of the car.
At the moment, most of the details we’ve got are cosmetic. Honda says “the design includes a new bold integrated grille, while the body shape incorporates a long hood and sharper, more vertical sides to ensure there is no impact on interior space. The hood’s centre is low and flat, with a shoulder line that flows to the base of the A-pillars, projecting a sense of stability and security that further enhances the SUV aesthetic.”
The biggest difference, maybe, is that what had been a very budget compact SUV is going all hybrid, which will probably have a price impact. Both in the sense that hybrids cost more—and that there are more subsidy plans to help consumers buy them, as cleaner vehicles. Electrifying the HR-V is a key part of it for Honda, who’ve said that this HR-V update follows the same hybrid systems going into the CR-V and Jazz in Europe.
The question is: is it coming to the U.S.? Honda has said “sort of”—there will be an update to the HR-V stateside but it will be a different car with different specs. “The development of a successor to the Honda HR-V for the U.S. market is underway. This new HR-V will be designed to meet the distinct needs of U.S. customers, and will differ from the Honda Vezel/HR-V that will be revealed on February 18 for other regions.”
Whether that means non-hybrid options will stay available for the US or some further restyling, we can’t currently know, but at least the general look of the European version is likely to transfer.
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