Back in September, Honda showed the first photos of the Southeast Asian version of its subcompact crossover, the HR-V. At the time details were scare, but at least the Japanese automaker showed full photos of it.
Now, it has made its full reveal with Thailand being the first market to get it. That shouldn’t come much of a surprise given that it’s assembled in the company’s facility in Thailand.
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So, what’s new with the ASEAN-spec Honda HR-V? At first glance, it appears identical to the model sold in Japan as the Vezel. There’s the smaller grille and updated headlight and tail light clusters.
However, there is one version that the Japanese market doesn’t get that our region has. It’s the RS variant, and it comes with a unique grille, front bumper design, and wheels. The rest of the variants mirror the Japan market models.
Speaking of variants, the model sold in Thailand comes with three. It starts with the base E, mid-spec EL, and the aforementioned RS. Locally, the equivalents are the S, V, and RS, respectively. However the big news is under the hood, which we’ll get to a little later.
Inside, the center stack has been redesigned to add more cubby spaces. There’s also a new infotainment screen with a higher-definition display. For RS models, it now comes standard with a panoramic sunroof and front seats with RS embossed on the backrests. It’s unknown if these changes will be seen in the Philippine-spec HR-V, particularly for the RS.
So, what’s the big news? In Thailand, at least, the entire Honda HR-V range is now hybrid only. No more 1.5-liter and 1.5-liter turbo are offered, and the e:HEV system in this crossover combines the familiar 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine to an electric motor. Total system output is rated at 129hp and 253Nm of torque which shifting is done with an e-CVT.
Given that Honda Cars Philippines is keen on expanding its electrified lineup, there’s a good chance of it coming here. If so, it will be interesting to see if the company will decide to go full hybrid for this model or retain the ICE options.
