Honda has released the first teaser of the production 2023 Honda HR-V for the US market, saying that the “all new sporty and versatile SUV” will be fully revealed on April 4. This follows sketches of the new US-market HR-V that were issued in January.
Today’s teaser shows the tail lamp of the production car, and it’s a curvy thing that’s different from the full-width item that the rest of the world gets. We know that already from the sketches, which show a rather Acura-like rear end.
The front end of the US-market HR-V is the real shocker though, as it’s very un-Honda, if that’s such a thing. Not in line with the Japanese brand’s current corporate face, the SUV features a large, hexagonal-like grille framed by trapezoidal headlights and a U-shaped air intake design. LED DRLs underline what has to be full LED headlamps with a scaled look. The sketch also shows a unique grille insert, which differs from the mesh below.
This is speculation on our part, but the US HR-V could be larger than the global version, as the additional rear quarter light windows might suggest – the global car’s side windows end at the C-pillars.
No technical details have been revealed, but expect the North American HR-V to share its engines with the latest Civic. That means a 150 hp 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated i-VTEC four-pot and a 180 hp 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo. The SUV will most probably come with a CVT and front-wheel drive, with AWD being a possible option. Honda already has e:HEV tech for the HR-V and a hybrid can also be expected down the line.
What do you think of this unique US-look for the HR-V? The global version, which is similar to the JDM Vezel, will be coming to Malaysia pretty soon, having already been spotted testing on local roads.
The second-generation HR-V (or third, if you count the boxy two-door oddball that existed in the noughties) was launched in Thailand late last year, in sole hybrid guise. Yesterday was the Indonesian launch, and our other neighbour is getting the HR-V in 1.5L NA (121 PS/145 Nm) and Turbo RS (177 PS/240 Nm) forms. Click on the links to see the Thai and Indonesian specs in full.
GALLERY: 2022 Honda HR-V e:HEV RS, Thailand
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us version looks nicer. got jaguar headlamp and audi Q7 rear lamp.
Bring it on. It will be hot selling. With X50 fiasco, this suv is a saver.
Nah Malaysia not gonna get the us model