Tucked in between yet another NSX show car and the stunning S660 concept on the Honda stand in Tokyo is the oddly named Vezel. Were you just to see the name on a press release you would probably stick it in the 'can't be bothered' column and move on, but the Vezel is worthy of further investigation, as it will arrive in Ireland next year and may even wear the defunct HR-V badge.
The Vezel (the new car's name in Japan) was originally previewed by the Urban SUV Concept at the Detroit Auto Show in January and is essentially a Jazz-based SUV that will go up against the likes of the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008.
Exterior
According to Honda the Vezel "fuses together multifaceted values," with the "dynamic qualities of an SUV" blended with the "functionality of a minivan" in a package styled with the "elegance of a coupé" so that has all bases of BS bingo covered, but looking at the images it is immediately obvious that the design has been inspired by the larger CR-V, with a touch of Honda's premium brand, Acura, around the rear end.
To give that 'elegance of a coupé' the handles for the rear doors have been hidden away in the C-pillar much like those on the Alfa Romeo 156. Meanwhile, the lower body has the sturdy stance of a sport-utility vehicle, but with sharp character lines and a sleeker roof profile above the window line.
Mechanicals
Naturally the Tokyo Motor Show concept is hybrid powered, using the same i-DCD (intelligent Dual Clutch Drive) as the Jazz Hybrid that is currently offered in Japan. When the Vezel goes on sale in Japan on December 20 it will also be available with a more conventional 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. This unit may be offered when the Vezel/HR-V arrives in Ireland, but it is also likely that the recently introduced 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel - that has proven so successful in both the Civic and CR-V - will be shoehorned in.
Anything else?
Like most of its rivals, the Vezel, despite the crossover looks, will only be offered in front-wheel drive guise. Not that this has harmed sales of the Juke et al.