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Honda has finally confirmed the ZR-V for Australia, with a choice of turbo and hybrid variants due in mid 2023.
The 2023 Honda ZR-V will join the company’s local line-up this year, with the medium SUV to sit between the smaller HR-V and larger CR-V.
While pricing is yet to be announced, it’s expected the hybrid will be the range-topping model, badged as the ZR-V e:HEV.
Also available will be the entry-level ZR-V VTi X, along with the mid-range VTi L and VTi LX variants – all powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.
Only the ZR-V e:HEV will use a 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid system.
Performance numbers haven’t been confirmed for the Australian market at this stage, however the ZR-V is available overseas with 131kW and 240Nm from the 1.5-litre, while the 2.0-litre hybrid offers 135kW and 315Nm.
It’s expected the Honda will go head-to-head with the Mazda CX-5, with the two sharing near-identical dimensions.
The Mazda CX-5 reported 2600 sales in February 2023 alone – an increase of 105.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2022. However, the Toyota RAV4 remains the top-seller in the class.
Along with front and rear parking sensors as standard, the ZR-V will come with Honda’s Sensing safety suite, which includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.
Also standard are LED headlights with adaptive driving beam, 17-inch alloy wheels on the VTi X grade, 18-inch alloy wheels for all other variants, while inside a 9.0-inch screen looks after infotainment duties, with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay capability.
The 2023 Honda ZR-V is due to launch in mid 2023, with full pricing and specifications to be announced in the coming months.
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