Honda Vezel Relaunches In Japan With A Mild Facelift

It may not seem like that long ago since Honda rolled out the Vezel – known as the HR-V around these parts. But it’s actually been over four years now.

That makes it about time for a bit of a refresh, and that’s just what the Japanese automaker has rolled out… in its home market, for the time being, at least.

Most noticeable is the updated styling. The revised crossover features a new grille, LED headlights, and front bumper. Inside, you’ll find reshaped front seats, along with updated connectivity functions with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Under the hood, Honda has retuned the hybrid powertrain, and redesigned the brake pedal mechanism for better brake feel. The manufacturer also says it has made the Vezel quieter inside, thanks to improved insulation and a quieter fuel pump.

While it was at it, Honda took the opportunity to fit its latest Sensing suite of driver assistance systems as standard across the entire model line. And the all-wheel drive system promises better traction in the snow, too.

These changes have been announced for the Japanese domestic market, where Honda projects selling 5,000 of the revises Vezels each month. Local pricing starts at ¥2,075,000 (about $19.5k at current exchange rates) for the base model with the conventional internal combustion engine and front-wheel drive, and tops out at ¥ 2,926,000 (nearly 50 percent more at $27.5k) for a fully equipped, all-wheel-drive hybrid.

We can expect similar revisions – if not quite the exact same – to make their way to other markets as the HR-V as well.