Honda is expected to slot the ZR-V between the smaller HR-V and larger CR-V when it arrives in Australia.
The 2023 Honda ZR-V has been previewed in Japan ahead of the model’s launch there in the coming months.
While the ZR-V has yet to be officially confirmed for our market, it’s expected Honda will offer the small Civic-based SUV in Australia based on the Japanese version.
The carmaker has announced the ZR-V will be available with the choice of two powertrains in Japan: a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a CVT automatic, or a 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with a hybrid system.
The hybrid powertrain in the ZR-V e:HEV is expected to quote a similar power output to its application in the Civic hybrid, which produces 135kW and 315Nm.
However, unlike the Civic, Honda says both the engines in the ZR-V will utilise all-wheel drive.
The ZR-V’s interior also mimics the Civic’s handsome design, with a honeycomb vent stretching across three quarters of the dashboard, and a tablet-style 9.0-inch infotainment screen fitted atop. The driver also gains a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.
Sitting between the HR-V and the CR-V, the ZR-V is expected to come in at 4567mm long, 1829mm wide, and 1610mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2654mm.
“We will have an all-new SUV model joining the Honda line-up in Australia in the next 12-18 months,” a spokesperson for Honda Australia told Drive in June 2022.
“We’ll be able to confirm further details on the new model, including the name, as we get closer to launch.”
