Honda’s Chinese market XR-V crossover puts the American HR-V to shame

By Andrew Hard September 5, 2014

Honda XR-V — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Honda debuted the Chinese market XR-V crossover at the 17^th Chengdu Motor Show yesterday, but it’s not the first time we’ve seen this car.

In fact, the XR-V is mainly a retouched version of the Japanese market Vezel and the North American HR-V. It’s also the best looking of the bunch by a country mile.

The redesigned front fascia, complete with new foglights and integrated indicators, give the XR-V an aesthetic edge over the XR-V’s foreign cousins.

The compact crossover has been given a facelift out back as well (would that be a buttlift?), with slimmer, connected taillights and a resculpted bumper giving the XR-V a more dynamic posterior. This is especially apparent when compared to the HR-V, which basically looks like the Acura RDX from the rear. Add in the stylized wheels and the XR-V makes its branded brethren look pretty boring in comparison.

Call me crazy, but a few styling carryovers from the Chinese version would fit right into the American market, one that has been increasingly enthusiastic over eager and showy small crossovers lately (I’m looking at you, Kia Soul and Nissan Juke).

Related: 2015 Honda HR-V makes photographic debut in New York

As far as dimensions go, the XR-V fits right in with the aforementioned Kia and Nissan. The crossover’s wheelbase measures 2610mm (102.7 inches), the height sits at 1605mm (63.1 inches), and the width comes in at 1770mm (69.6 inches).

Honda is planning two four-cylinder engines for the Chinese vehicle: a 1.5-liter unit and a 1.8-liter mill. Power outputs weren’t listed for the engines, but both will be equipped with a gas-sipping start-stop system. The XR-V also comes standard with a panoramic roof.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

Cars

Tesla introduces ‘congestion fee’ for Supercharger stations

Tesla Supercharger

Tesla has been charging an idle fee for years in a bid to free up its Superchargers and prevent traffic jams at charging stations. But now it’s introducing a new congestion fee, which in some places will replace the idle fee.

To recap, idle fees kick in when a Supercharger station is at 50% capacity. It means that if a car is left plugged in after it is fully charged, the owner has to pay 50 cents a minute until they leave. If the station is 100% occupied, the fee doubles to $1 a minute.

Cars

This popular car jump starter is 86% off for Black Friday

AVAPOW 6000A Car Jump Starter

There's nothing worse than needing to go somewhere and having to deal with a dead car battery. Fixing that issue can also be a problem since you'll need to call for help from a friend or neighbor or something like AAA. Luckily, car starters have become pretty powerful in recent years, so even if you have a truck or an RV, you can start a dead battery relatively easily. One great example is the Avapow 6000A car jump starter, which has an excellent Black Friday deal from Walmart, knocking it down to $86 from $144.

Why you should buy the AVAPOW 6000A Car Jump Starter
As the name might suggest, the Avapow 6000A has a massive 6000A peak current, which means it's suitable for everything from trucks to tractors, so it's a very versatile tool, and it's even had upgraded jumper cable to handle those currents. It's also a pretty smart system since it has eight layers of safety protocols to ensure you don't accidentally fry a battery or yourself trying to jump-start, and even the jumper cables have safety indicators on them, which is a great design choice.

Cars

This Graco car seat lasts for ten years, and it’s 25% off for Black Friday

Graco 4EVER 4-in-1 baby car seat black friday deal

A good car seat will adjust as your child grows, reducing the amount of times you have to buy a newer, bigger model. How, you ask? Well, Graco's 4EVER DLX 4-in-1 car seat is the ideal example. It offers up to ten years of use, with seamless transformations between rear-facing harness, forward-facing harness, high back belt positioned, and backless belt positioned booster modes.

For Black Friday -- and really, this should be featured in the best Black Friday deals -- this exact car seat is on sale for 25% off, which is a discount of $82. Normally $330, it's yours today for just $248. Considering you'll never have to buy another seat for ten years, and by then, they can use a seatbelt, it's a fantastic investment.