It is basically the American HR-V but for the Chinese market
The new Honda ZR-V, which was first shown as the SUV RS Concept back in November 2021, has been officially unveiled at the 2022 Guangzhou Auto Show in China. If you think it looks like the US-market Honda HR-V, you’re not mistaken because that is exactly what GAC Honda‘s ZR-V is.
This means that like the North American HR-V, the ZR-V is built on the same platform as the 11th generation Civic and even shares the same 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. Being a C-segment vehicle, the ZR-V will be positioned between the global HR-V (the one that we will get soon) and the CR-V in Honda’s crossover portfolio.
The exterior design shows a rather stark contrast from the current crop of Honda cars, with a gaping grille featuring an intricate 3D hexagon lattice insert and a slim headlight design that is a reminiscent of the Civic FE’s. At the back, you’ll see that the ZR-V ditches the global HR-V’s full-width taillights for more conventional ones. The rear windshield also appears much more upright and the spoiler is more prominent.
Inside, the interior design appears very similar to that of the Civic thanks to the new steering wheel design, free-standing infotainment display and honeycomb mesh air-con vent covers. That said, the centre console looks much simpler with the absence of cup holders next to the gear lever. Electronic parking brake and a few buttons are positioned behind the lever, near the centre armrest.
Under the bonnet of the ZR-V is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that churns out 182 PS and 240 Nm of torque, the same amount of power as the Civic. A CVT is tasked to channel the output to the front wheels. Elsewhere in the mechanical department, the crossover should feature the same independent rear suspension.
Pricing for the ZR-V has not been revealed at this point but we’ll know soon enough when the crossover launches officially.
