Honda’s urban crossover SUV, the Vezel, which will be supposedly named the CR-U in some markets, has been spied before its Tokyo Motor Show unveiling. Many units of this compact SUV were spotted at the manufacturer’s facility in Suzuka, Japan.
The pictures of the upcoming car have been taken by spy photographers at Noticiasautomotivas.com.br who report that the production cars have been parked in the factory’s yard. With the unveiling just around the corner, these Japan-bound Vezel will be launched soon. It is speculated that it will also be sold in emerging markets like India.
The Honda Vezel based on the Jazz, shares some traits like a similar roofline from its bigger sibling, the CRV. While the Japanese variant Vezel will be available in petrol as well as a hybrid with an electric motor, the India-bound vehicle is expected to be powered by the 1.5-litre VTEC engine from the Honda City. Media speculations also state that the diesel version will be equipped with the 1.5-litre diesel mill from the Amaze. The Vezel is said to be available in both two-wheel and four-wheel-drive layouts. Honda will first bring the Mobilio, then the Jazz and later might also bring the Vezel to India next year.
The production version of the Vezel has matured a lot from its original concept on which it is based on. Honda might have been slightly late in entering the compact SUV segment, but the Vezel seems to be Honda’s answer to all compact SUVs from different manufacturers. It will take on the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and even the Mahindra XUV500.
The Honda Vezel should be priced between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. We don’t expect the Honda Vezel to be present at the Delhi Auto Expo 2014 in February. However, we can expect the manufacturer to show us a glimpse of the India-specific model.
