Honda has confirmed that its previously announced new C-segment SUV, due for launch next year and designed to fit between its HR-V and CR-V models, will be named the ZR-V.
Not a great deal is currently known about the rest of the ZR-V except for the fact that it's set to be powered by one of Honda's e:HEV hybrid powertrains. The e:HEV system primarily uses the engine as a generator to run twin electric motors, though it can also when called for, directly drive the front wheels. The ZR-V may feature the version of the e:HEV system found in the hybrid Civic using a 2.0-litre petrol engine and developing 184hp or the one found in the Honda Jazz and HR-V which employs a 1.5-litre engine and generates 131hp.
When it's launched in 2023, the ZR-V's main rivals will be cars such as the Nissan Qashqai, Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage.
"With further electrified SUV models set to follow," said the company, "the ZR-V marks an important evolution in the Honda line up, with the brand concentrating even further on this rapidly growing segment."
e:Ny1
Plans for the ZR-V were announced at a preview of the e:Ny1 Prototype in March. The e:Ny1, also due for launch next year, is an electric vehicle around the same size as the HR-V, sharing many of the HR-V's handsome styling cues and is based on the Honda e:NP1/e:NS1 models which are sold in China. If those Chinese models are anything to go by when it arrives in Europe the e:Ny1 could feature a 68.8kWh battery, giving it a range of around 500km.
"Coming to market in 2023, this new B-segment SUV EV will be at the centre of Honda's future product line-up," said Katsuhisa Okudo, president of Honda Europe.
"Offering the unique blend of dynamics, technology and design that Honda is known for, this car will provide a great option for families looking for their first EV."
The e:Ny1 is set to be one of 30 electric vehicles which Honda plans to launch globally by the end of the decade and which will see an investment of €36.6 billion by the firm in developing its own EV platforms as well as in working with other car-makers such as General Motors on new electric cars and SUVs. By 2030, it intends that 40 per cent of its European sales will be made up of battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, though in the short-term it has said that it still very much sees a place for hybrid-electric vehicles such as the ZR-V.