The 2018 Honda Vezel/ HR-V facelift is now on sale in Japan. The mid-life refresh brings minor design revisions and equipment changes to the subcompact crossover SUV.
At the front, the 2018 Honda Vezel features a more upright upper grille that flows into the new LED headlamps, sharper bumper, new fog light housing and revised lower grille. Thanks to the revisions to the headlamps and the bumper, the new front-end looks a little more dynamic, however there are no drastic changes. At the rear, changes are minimal with a thin chrome strip connecting the tail lamps.
Inside, Honda has changed the shape of the front seats to improve comfort and introduced a new 7-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system that features not only navigation and voice control, but also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Honda Sensing, previously unavailable in the basic grades, now comes as standard.
Related: KIA K5 (Optima) Facelift Launched
The 2018 Honda Vezel is available with 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-VTEC hybrid engines carried over from the old model. In the hybrid version, the company has re-tuned the Sport Hybrid i-DCD system to provide smoother acceleration and smoothed out the brake feel.
In the petrol version, it has added vibration damping material and reviewed the fuel pump inside the engine to make the cabin quieter. Reduced cam chain friction has improved the fuel economy from 20.6 km/liter to 21.2 km/liter (JC08 cycle). Lastly, the 4WD system now offers a more reliable and better quality ride when turning on snow and climbing uphill.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
