2017 Honda HR-V Hybrid RS Is JDM Goodness Not Headed To US Shores
By Paulo Acoba
Honda introduced a sportier looking 2017 Honda HR-V Hybrid RS
The Honda HR-V as we know it has been selling in Japan since late 2013 under the model name Honda Vezel. Earlier Tuesday, Honda of Japan announced a Honda HR-V Hybrid RS that takes their already best-selling Hybrid variant of the Vezel and adds on quite an attractive aero package.
In the United States, the Honda HR-V is offered with Honda’s bigger 1.8L engine found in the previous generation Honda Civic. In Japan, fuel efficiency reigns king over anything else and power takes a backseat to fuel-sipping capabilities. As such, the Vezel Hybrid comes with a 1.5L engine with 130 HP and 115 lb-ft found in the Jazz (Honda Fit) with a 30 HP and 118 lb-ft electric motor. With a combined horsepower rating of 150 HP, it has more power on tap than the USDM model HR-V and offers the added benefit of better fuel efficiency when you’re puttering around town.
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With this new Hybrid RS trim level, Honda kicked it up a notch by offering Vezel owners a bit of sport with their hybrid variant. All Hybrid RS’s come with front and rear black lip spoilers, special sporty side skirts, faux-wheel overfenders and protected door mirrors. Additionally, the front end sports LED Fog lights with 18-inch alloys around each corner. Inside, the interior is handsomely laid out with special black interior trim pieces to compliment the aero add-ons.
While this trim level is plenty more attractive and sportier than the HR-V we have here in the United States, it’s a shame that Honda of North America doesn’t offer it as an option.
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We do wonder if we can import the pieces of the aero kit directly from Japan to add on to our U.S. Spec HR-V at our discretion.
H/T- Paul Tan