2018 Honda HR-V receives a mid-life facelift

The 2018 Honda HR-V has been updated in Japan, with fresh styling, and active safety features introduced as standard.

The Honda HR-V is badged as the Vezel in Japan, with the car receiving its first significant makeover since its launch in 2014.

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The suite of updates includes cosmetic changes, with a restyled front fascia that includes a prominent chrome fitting spanning the width of the grille, along with revised LED headlights and unique alloy wheel designs.

In Japan, the car also receives Honda’s active safety suite across the range as standard. It’s likely this will also be fitted to cars in Australia.

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The ‘Honda Sensing’ suite includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane departure waring, and lane keep assist. The HR-V is currently sold locally without these features.

The interior has received a mild working-over, with reshaped front seats and stitching.

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The Japanese version of the HR-V is sold with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which isn’t featured on Australian cars.

Japan’s HR-V will sell with either a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a CVT transmission, or petrol-electric hybrid with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

We will have some news on HR-V later in the year, but we are not in a position to be able to confirm details just yet or make any comparisons with what is happening for Honda models in other global markets.

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