Overnight Honda’s American division fully unveiled its new 2023 HR-V crossover, which we believe will be sold in the rest of the world as the ZR-V.
In mid-May Honda of Europe confirmed it will add a new crossover model to its range in 2023. Dubbed the ZR-V, the new model will sit between the Jazz-based HR-V and the CR-V.
We have every reason to suspect the ZR-V will be a lightly tweaked version of the car that will be marketed in the States as the new HR-V, as the recently revealed Chinese-market ZR-V is.
The exterior of the American HR-V was unveiled at the beginning of April, but the company didn’t provide any photos of the interior, nor did it furnish any details about drivetrains, dimensions or specifications. Those omissions have now been rectified.
At launch in the States the new HR-V will be available with just one engine option: a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine making 118kW of power at 6500rpm, and 187Nm of torque at 4200rpm.
It’s hooked up exclusively to a continuously-variable transmission, but buyers can choose between front- or all-wheel drive.
Hill Descent Control is standard on both front- and all-wheel drive models, and lets the driver select a constant downhill speed of between 3 and 19km/h.
ZR-V models sold in Europe will be fitted exclusively with a hybrid drivetrain, but details about this have yet to released.
Based on the latest Civic platform, the American HR-V misses out on the trick Magic Seats that grace the nameplate elsewhere, but it does have a lot more interior room, as well as a MacPherson strut front suspension and independent multi-link rear suspension.
The American HR-V is 4567mm long, 1839mm wide, between 1610mm and 1621mm tall, and rides on a 2654mm wheelbase.
This means it’s 232mm longer, 49mm wider, at least 20mm taller, and has a 44mm longer wheelbase than the global HR-V.
It is also not that much smaller than the current CR-V, but filings in China show the next-generation CR-V will grow to 4703mm long, 1866mm wide, 1690mm tall, and ride on a 2700mm wheelbase.
Once the CR-V roll out is complete, the new American HR-V/global ZR-V will lie smack bang in the middle of its two relatives.
The new Stateside HR-V shows its Civic influence most obviously in the just-revealed cabin. Like the Civic, the HR-V’s dashboard features a mesh strip that stretches from the central air vents to passenger’s side door frame.
It’s not a straight lift, though, as the HR-V has a rounder dashboard top, and different centre tunnel with a traditional gear shifter poking out of the middle.
Top-end models come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, and a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Lesser variants have a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and only wired CarPlay and Android Auto. A 7.0-inch multi-information display is standard on American HR-V models.
Standard safety features Stateside include a wide-angle front camera, traffic jam assist, front knee bags, traffic sign recognition, and driver attention monitoring. Improvements have been made to the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist systems.
Depending on the trim level, the HR-V rides on either 17-inch wheels with 215/60 tyres, or 18-inch rims with 225/55 rubber.
MORE: Everything Honda HR-V