Honda’s HR-V subcompact crossover has been around for a few years now without any significant updates, but a look at the company’s home-market website suggests that it might get some updates soon. We found images of a refreshed Honda Vezel, the HR-V’s JDM cousin, that give a glimpse at some changes that are likely in store for the HR-V sooner rather than later.
The most noticeable change is to the Vezel’s grille, which gets LED headlights reminiscent of those on the Civic and a chunky chrome grille bar that looks like it was borrowed from the previous-gen Accord sedan. It also sports a few different wheel options, including an attractive new 10-spoke design that we hope makes it to our shores. The Vezel additionally gains new active-safety features that fall under the Honda Sensing umbrella, which will be a long-overdue addition to the HR-V’s feature set given that it currently lacks any active-safety technology.
The Vezel’s updates don’t have any bearing on possible powertrain changes for the HR-V, as the Japan-market car uses a different set of engines, including a hybrid. We hope that Honda will see fit to install the turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four from the Civic, CR-V, and Accord, as that engine would provide a much needed bump over the current HR-V’s 141-hp naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder.

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