The Honda Vezel has officially gone on sale in Japan, where it is sold as both a regular Vezel with front-wheel drive or 4WD, as well as a Vezel Hybrid, equipped with Honda’s new Sport Hybrid i-DCD system, also available as either a front-wheel drive or 4WD.
The Vezel made its debut at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show and is Honda’s answer for the increasingly popular B-segment SUV market, where it will face competitors such as the Ford EcoSport and the Peugeot 2008.
The new 1.5 litre Sport Hybrid i-DCD system combines a new normally-aspirated 1.5 litre direct-injection DOHC engine with a 29.5 PS/160 Nm lithium-ion-powered electric motor, matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The front-wheel drive version is rated to do 27 km/l based on the JC08 driving cycle. The regular petrol version uses a 131 PS/155 Nm normally-aspirated 1.5 litre DOHC engine codenamed L15B, mated to a CVT gearbox.
We have a huge 120-photo gallery of the new Honda Vezel, so if you’re interested in getting it when it eventually comes to Malaysia, enjoy pictures below. You can also check out our live gallery from Tokyo 2013.
