It appears the upcoming US-market Honda HR-V won’t stay exclusive to the country for long. Honda has announced that the crossover will be offered in Europe as well, albeit with an expected new name – the HR-V moniker, as you know, is already attached to the B-segment crossover we all know and love.
While the company didn’t write this verbatim in its press release, the sketches it provided were exactly the same ones used to tease the American HR-V back in January – minus, of course, the HR-V branding on the “number plates”. The car itself will be revealed on April 4, so it won’t be too long before we know what it will actually look like.
For now, we can gather from the renders that the American HR-V will sport a very un-Honda front end (more like a Ford, actually), with a large, vaguely hexagonal grille framed by trapezoidal headlights and a U-shaped air intake design. The L-shaped taillights, meanwhile, give the rear end an almost Acura-like look to it.
Honda has also confirmed that the new car will indeed be larger than the global HR-V, calling it a C-segment SUV. This was hinted at in the sketches through the additional rear quarter light windows, suggesting a longer and more upright rear end. Given that the company already has a larger C-segment model in the shape of the CR-V, this means this new model will be aimed squarely at the Toyota Corolla Cross.
In Europe, the new model will be offered solely as a hybrid, meaning it will include Honda’s e:HEV powertrain. Although no details were released, it should receive the Civic‘s more powerful 184 PS/315 Nm electric motor, juiced by a new direct-injected version of the Accord Hybrid‘s 2.0 litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine.
This contrasts with the engine options expected in the United States. Again, we still don’t know exactly what those options are, but the car should debut with the same engines as the Civic sold there, including a 152 PS 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated i-VTEC four-cylinder and a 182 PS 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo mill. The e:HEV model should also be offered there at some point.
The good news for us is that the as-yet-unnamed C-segment SUV likely won’t be exclusive to Europe either, as Japanese and Chinese portals Creative Trend and Autohome have published spyshots of the car in their respective countries. This opens the door for it to be sold in Southeast Asia, which would make a lot of sense given that the Corolla Cross has been developed with our markets in mind and that sales of the car are gaining traction both in Malaysia and across the region.
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America HRV has more curvy lines which reminds us a lot of current HRV (2nd Gen). Seems to be design towards youth market.
Japan HRV reflects a lot of XR-V which was sold in China, design wise for mature (lines) consumers.
PaulTan Team, why not set a pool to see which your readers would prefer?
More to precise B/C segment. Bigger than typical B SUV but smaller than brand’s C SUV. Toyota with Corolla Cross, Mazda with CX30, Nissan with Qashqai/Rouge Sport. But in US, they classified those cars as Subcompact SUV/crossover (B SUV) which sits below Compact SUV/Crossover (C SUV) like RAV4 or CX-5.
The rear looks like the City Hatchback, which is very nice but the front is like nothing else from Honda… very muscular and European! I hope it will translate well into the metal.
Meanwhile to fight HRV here, Toyota is calling Corolla Cross a Bsegment fighter. They are so konfuis how to place their car, either B- or C- segment pun tak tau. Last last priced sohai so few bought it like predecessor CHR, then blame gomen excise duty lar, SST lar, import tax lar, what others lar. Sendiri management kelam kabut on product placing, add to the long delivery delay, and parts shortages, Toyota is in huge trouble.
Corolla Cross is C segment and platform said is TNGA-C
Toyota Csegment to fight Honda Bsegment? What loser
Before you called me loser, please get the facts right. HRV isn’t as big as Corolla Cross, even size is slightly smaller than Corolla Cross.
Toyota can call whatever segment they want. Fact is, interior space is cramp. Like a CX5 is huge outside but the interior is so tight. So the Cross can be physically larger but if that ticks your fancy, sure.
Sorry but I’m putting my money on a BRZ… or something mid engine.
Maybe it is only you, who complains about interior space for Corolla Cross and CX5 but satisfied customers don’t see anyone complain
Subaru XV is not exactly a spacious car, but it has way more legroom than the Cross. So sure, no complains.
Please look at all the market comparisons and you’ll see that CX5 has the least legroom in the segment. I guess all those reviewers in blogs and YouTube are nobody so I am the only one who complains. There is no denying that it is a very nice SUV to drive but for someone who likes a spacious SUV, Mazda is pretty much at the bottom of the list. Except CX8 and CX9. Please check dimension data. They don’t lie, unlike fanboys.
@KNS
Car space is subjective. Everyone have their own experience and thoughts
Why are you so jealous?
Why do so many Toyota fanboys appear in all the Honda articles to whack Honda? I get it that you prefer Toyota but is it wrong for others to like Honda instead? Wow…
I have owned a Toyota Corolla 1.6 Liftback, a Honda Prelude BA5 4WS and a few other JDM cars but have moved to German makes now. Each and every car have their own merits but honestly, Toyota fanboys are making me hate Toyota for the wrong reasons. I was going to wait for the GR86 but it’s a Toyota with a Subaru heart. I’m going to order a BRZ instead.
Yes there is, however it is used to be as it is now opposite, I don’t see anyone from toyota fanboys hate honda, instead people give opinions which I agree with them because honda design looks too bland and other flaws these days and that I can’t agree with you more. How many honda fanboys appear by whacking toyota, mazda, subaru and others including national cars like proton and perodua? How many do you think need to bash honda and yet they still haven’t improve on aftersales service, quality, spec like still using lanewatch but don’t get blind spot monitor and etc?