Automotive News is reporting that Honda is reviving an old, but unused moniker for their new small crossover.
Honda fansite Temple of VTEC originally reported that Honda will ditch the “Vezel” name for North America, instead dubbing their new B-segment CUV the “HR-V”. This finding seems to be confirmed by AN, which found trademark filings for the moniker.
Like the Vezel, the original HR-V was positioned below the CR-V, though it never was exported to North America. For a Honda, its design was fairly progressive, though it was likely too small and too slow to succeed in the size-obsessed North American market in the early 2000’s.
This time, things are different. Crossovers, not SUVs, are the hot new thing, displacing sales of more traditional B, C and D segments. Honda will produce the HR-V at its new Mexican plant, which is set up to build both the Fit and the HR-V. And with the B-segment crossover space heating up, the HR-V is a well timed move for Honda.
Vezel…bezel…weasel…vajazzle?
Word Ugriest Ridder Kah
Go Vezer! Beat Juke!
Got to be as nice as the ZDX?
It’s Japanese, not Korean.
He ain’t from ‘Bama. He from Mi’ssippi.
Sorry, that’s not an equivalent comparison. Korean and Japanese are VASTLY different. They have less in common than Spanish and English.
Who wants to bet there won’t be a stick – just like the CR-V?
I’ll do you one better. Base trim stick, FWD only.
Why do CUVs need manual transmissions? MTs are either for sporty cars or as a price leader model in inexpensive cars.
They can still be a price leader in a compact CUV. They’d still sell relatively few though. As someone who got an AWD manual transmission CUV because it was cheap, they sure can be fun when driven as sports cars.
No MT, No Sale for me! No Slushbox, No CVT, MT only.
Wierd little car. I’m sure it will sell great.
We are officially becoming Europe.
I beg to differ. First, the near absence of mid to high end wagons/hatchbacks for mainstream models (bad thing). Second, we don’t get the super low-end engine choices (think 10 sec 0-60) except in only the worst low end econoboxes (good thing).
Not that I like this beast at all: I would choose a Civic Hatchback or Tourer any day of the week if I had to and if we had any chance of getting them in the US.
Fair points, not to mention lack of high end options packages in B and C segment cars. I was just commenting on the Euro proportions of a lot of the new models headed to our shores.
Why? There’s nothing really European about this design. Looks Japanese through and through, and dur to Japanese car acceptance in the US, even somwhat American.
Congratulations!
Enjoy the free healthcare and the diesel manual wagons.
Finally. Honda’s first successful product introduction in a decade. Easily sells 60K units in its first year. Almost successful enough to make us forget the Element, Insight and CR-Z.
Element was a qualified success. Just as an anecdote, a former coworker of mine just bought the final Element to replace his 2002 model. Apparently it matched his needs better than CR-V or FJ.
If you insist on 3 failures, Crosstour would probably be a better example alongside Insight and CR-Z, unless we include something designed for failure, like FCV Clarity.
The original HR-V was a very interesting and quirky looking trucklet, marred by an unfortunate CVT transmission, most of the failures could probably explained by old/incorrect fluid.
The design of this just looks way too busy, just like the 2015 Fit. My favorite Honda right now is definitely the Accord, with relatively straightforward and cohesive styling. I hate the sloping hatches as well, needless loss of utility.
Agree, I like the looks of it. It’s a jacked-up hatch-coupe (or 4-door) XC70!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Honda_HR-V_%28first_generation%29_%28rear%29,_Kuala_Lumpur.jpg
I was gonna go for the low-hanging fruit and say, “Remember when the CR-V was the size of the Vezel?” But then I looked up how big the original HR-V was, and it all made sense.
Go review the dimensions of the original CR-V to the current CR-V. You will be amazed at how close they are.
Yes, I did that too. Cars generally haven’t grown as much as we like to think/rant about; it’s just the current trends of higher beltlines and rear windows contributing to a perception of tallness.
Wow… that is surprising! Visually, the new one apprears so bulky compared to the original, yet is the same size.
I had an original HR-V 13 or 14 years ago, and quirky looks aside it’s what you always thought a Honda would be – revvy, light, agile and properly made.
I’m willing to bet this will sell more than the new FIT.
If this has the new 1.5 turbo, yeehaw
My question – has the CR-V actually grown that much to necessitate this vehicle?
Competes with Juke?
Meh, the Vezel has been part of Honda’s line up for a while. Its customer base will be 99% women and domesticated men. It’s a good lower cost, lower size substitute. It mainly competes with the Nissan Joke.
As for the CR-V, it’s grown bigger, which is sad. I’ve driven the new one, and while it drives ok, it’s still fat and don’t got front double wishbones.
I’m just about to close a deal on a 2000 4WD CR-V with a standard transmission. I need the ground clearance. Getting it properly ‘winterized’ would be a good side project during the summer.
Too bad Honda doesn’t offer their 4WD fit ‘Hybrid’ in North America. I’d love to take the batteries out and disable the front wheel drive portion.
http://www.honda.co.jp/Fit/webcatalog/performance/?from=FIT-header
“Its [sic] customer base will be 99% women and domesticated men.”
I don’t want to start too much of a debate here, but why should “domesticated” man be set apart from just “man”? Is it because he’s not a “real” man? Or less of a man, just because he drives a certain type of vehicle?
I thought it was an absurd thing to say as well, just didn’t mention it.
I suppose it’s open to interpretation.
To me, a domesticated man is a man who will purchase, in whole or in part a Honda ‘Vezel’, a Nissan Juke/Cube, or a ‘crossover/cuv/cute ute’ without having any input into the decision making that commited him (in whole or in part) to the purchase of the vehicle.
Nothing I have said implies to any degree that a domesticated man is set apart from a ‘man’.
Though, I can tell you that as a non-domesticated man, my purchase of a 2000 Honda CRV was made with no ‘external’ influence. It will only be used by me and because I value the superiority of front double wishbones/hydraulic power steering/manual transmission vis a vis regular macpherson struts/automatic/cvt/a backup camera/electric power steering/tampon dispenser.
Have yourself an excellent day :)
Aaaand there we go. I had a feeling from the manner in which you presented yourself in your original comment that you would be articulate, composed, and thoroughly correct in your rebuttal, and I’m glad to see my feeling was correct.
For what it’s worth, anyone who buys a vehicle solely for its outward looks is a fool. As the driver, you will not even see most of what attracted you to it in the first place!
I’m sorry if I came across as accusatory or offensive; that was never my intention.
I agree with you wholeheartedly, that any man (or woman!) worth his (or her!) salt will not allow other people’s needs/input to override his (or her!) own when it comes to such an important purchase as a vehicle, especially as the expected retention of said vehicle will only increase from here. Furthermore, I am glad that we didn’t have to blow this up into an uncivil exchange.
You have yourself a great day too. It’s beautiful here today, and it’s gonna be even better on Wednesday.
“For what it’s worth, anyone who buys a vehicle solely for its outward looks is a fool. As the driver, you will not even see most of what attracted you to it in the first place!”
Great! When discussing the merits of a car’s appearance, I like to say, “I can’t see it when I’m driving it”.
“[A]ny man (or woman!) worth his (or her!) salt will not allow other people’s needs/input to override his (or her!) own when it comes to such an important purchase as a vehicle….”
Well said! Now excuse me while I go listen to some music on my 4″ decor-blending, bass-light cube speakers while my old thumping vinyl-clad monsters collect dust in the attic.
If you name one well-built, reliable car that came off any Mexican assembly plant, I will stop saying that I will not buy it because it is built in Mexico. Hello Juke Nismo. Made in Japan.
Down here se get the mexican CRV, and I know people who wouldn’t trade in their now over seven years old nipponese import for a brand-new car.