2023 Honda HR-V For North America Will Debut On April 4

Honda has officially confirmed that the North American version of the 2023 Honda HR-V will debut on April 4th. In terms of design, the SUV will be different from the EU-spec HR-V and JDM-spec Vezel models as hinted by the official teaser accompanying the announcement.

Following a set of sketches published at the beginning of the year, the new teaser is the first one to show a portion of the actual SUV. It gives us a great view of the LED taillight, revealing a more aggressive design than that of the European model. The license plate is also going to be positioned higher, the rear windscreen is less inclined, and the full-width LED is gone if the previously released sketches are representative of the HR-V’s production version. The front end will also be fully redesigned with a Ford-style grille and larger bumper intakes.

The official sketches for the US-spec Honda HR-V compared to the EU-Spec model

Honda has been tight-lipped about the powertrain of the HR-V in North America, with rumors suggesting it could use the Civic’s 2.0-liter engine, rated at 158 hp (118 kW / 160 PS). In Europe, the HR-V is exclusively available with a hybrid powertrain producing a combined 129 hp (96 kW /131 PS). Other markets like Japan get an ICE-powered version with a 1.5-liter engine producing 117 hp (87 kW / 118 PS), while China gets the fully electric e:NS1 and e:NP1.

The timing of the HR-V debut is a few days before the 2022 New York International Auto Show that is scheduled for April 15-24 this year. This makes us believe that Honda will bring the SUV to New York for a proper launch. The automaker is describing 2022 as the “Year of the Honda SUV” hinting at another debut, possibly for the new generation of the larger CR-V.