First local Honda ZR-V details firm

First Australian details of the 2023 Honda ZR-V have appeared on the federal government’s vehicle homologation website, suggesting the all-new medium SUV is on track for local release sooner rather than later.

Honda Australia previously confirmed the ZR-V would arrive here sometime in 2023 and still refuses to be more specific, but it’s safe to expect Honda’s fresh rival for the Toyota RAV4 will enter Aussie showrooms in the first half of next year.

The data reveals that like the Honda Civic with which it shares its platform and the smaller Honda HR-V, the ZR-V will be offered Down Under with two distinct powertrains – a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a pricier but greener e:HEV petrol-electric hybrid system.

We only know these powertrain specifics because of previous intel supplied by Honda both at a local and international level; the homologation data actually reveals nothing besides the variant count and the ZR-V’s ‘full compliance’ with all relevant Australian Design Rules.

The Honda ZR-V was first revealed in April as the North American market’s Honda HR-V – the US doesn’t get the global HR-V we’re familiar with – and then again in July in global Honda ZR-V form.

This global version has been developed for Japan, Europe and Australia and will sit between the compact HR-V and the larger Honda CR-V, which will itself be replaced by an all-new model in 2023.

With the new CR-V being bigger and more advanced than ever before (and set to receive a hybrid option for the first time in Australia), the ZR-V will likely serve as Honda’s primary competitor for top-selling mid-sized SUVs including the RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5.

The e:HEV hybrid version will predictably lock horns with the RAV4 Hybrid but could ultimately be more of a rival for the inbound 2023 Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER in terms of range positioning, pricing and philosophy – both models primarily use electric motors to drive the wheels as opposed to an internal combustion engine.

Instead, the internal combustion engines act as generators for the on-board battery systems, which in turn power the motors.

Nissan’s system outputs a healthy 157kW compared to an anticipated 135kW/315Nm for the Honda (based on the Civic e:HEV).

We’ll keep an eye on the relevant government databases for updates on the ZR-V’s local specifications, so watch this space.

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