The Honda Vezel Compact SUV, christened as the 2015 HR-V for the US market was unveiled at the ongoing 2014 New York Auto Show. Even though, the SUV was not present at the show in flesh, Honda released the images of the production ready model that will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Mexico. Essentially sold as the Honda Vezel in Japan, the automaker resorted to resurrecting the old HR-V nameplate from one its old crossover model that was previously not sold in the US.
Coming to the aesthetics, the 2015 Honda HR-V shares the silhouette with the concept model, albeit a few revisions to give the compact SUV a rather sobered up look. The front grille has been partially changed, while the headlights have had to make do with conventional fixtures with less fancy equipment on the inside. The roofline too has slightly receded for a less aggressive look. Compared to the concept, the HR-V retains most of the lines and design cues giving a sporty and modern look to the compact SUV. The HR-V measures 4295 mm in length, 1770 mm in width, 1605 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2610 mm.
Based on the next generation Jazz platform (known as Fit in many markets), the 2015 HR-V is expected to get similar powertrains under its hood. The 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, i-VTEC engine could be tuned to produce 130 HP of power with manual and CVT transmissions on offer. The HR-V will also get the magic seat option, which allows for multiple seating configurations along with the ability to fold the second row completely flat for added luggage space. Expect several components from the 2015 Jazz to feature on the HR-V. The compact SUV will be competing against the Chevrolet Equinox, Buick Encore and the Chevrolet Trax (also unveiled at NY Auto Show) in the US.
In Indian context, Honda had confirmed that the country won’t be getting any versions of the Vezel owing to the rupee downfall, which would make the compact SUV too expensive to sell. The Japanese manufacturer will instead spawn off an all-new compact SUV from the Brio platform which will be shorter (possibly under 4-metres) than the Vezel. The 2015 HR-V SUV on the other hand will be launched by the end of this year in the States.
