The SUV version of the Civic is highly unlikely to come to Malaysia

Honda recently announced that it will begin sales of the all-new SUV, the ZR-V, on April 21, 2023, at dealerships across Japan.

Essentially a jacked-up SUV version of the Civic, the Honda ZR-V's exterior design features flowing proportions characterized by large, smooth surfaces that flow from front to rear.

The design of the front-fascia features a vertical grille, designed in concert with surrounding areas, and sharp-looking, wide-set headlights that flow horizontally. 
 

Meanwhile the rear of the body is shaped to emphasize the vehicle’s wide tread by adding volume around the bottom of the body, with a smooth, upswept look.

The interior on the other hand features an instrument panel that stretches out horizontally in a linear fashion. Moreover, the interior design features a functional and precise finish on all parts to accentuate the beauty of the form, creating a high-quality interior space. 

In addition, a high-deck center console between the driver and front passenger seats offers the right amount of “personal feeling” for both driver and front passenger.
 

There is also a variety of storage spaces, ensuring utility that accommodates various customer needs. The floor of the cargo area was designed as flat as possible, and a corrugated geometric pattern created through digital modeling design was adopted on the sides for the first time for any Honda vehicle in Japan. Also standard is the powered tailgate. 

Similar to the Civic, the ZR-V is also available with two powertrain options, namely the 1.5 VTEC Turbo and CVT combination, and the 2.0L hybrid setup comprising an Atkinson Cycle engine and a 2-motor hybrid system with an e-CVT.

Also worth mentioning here is that the ZR-V comes with a Real-time AWD system which is available on all variants. The driver can choose from four drive modes according to the driving situation - SPORT mode, NORMAL mode, ECON mode and SNOW mode.

All ZR-V models will be equipped with the latest features of the Honda Sensing safety and driver-assistive system.

The front wide-view camera system features a wide-angle camera with an effective horizontal viewing angle of approximately 100 degrees and a high-speed image processing chip to enhance the detection accuracy of objects for Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) and other applications. 

The sonar sensors mounted in four locations on both the front and rear bumpers detect objects such as exterior walls of buildings and glass at close range with a high level of accuracy, contributing to the suppression of false starts due mostly to the driver hitting the accelerator by mistake, as well as avoiding collisions.

In addition, radar built into the rear bumper detects vehicles approaching from behind within 25 meters, and the system alerts the driver of the presence of a vehicle diagonally behind with indicators in the door mirror. This Blind Spot Information is a standard feature of Honda Sensing for the ZR-V.

That being said, whether the funky Honda ZR-V will come to Malaysia remains unknown, although it is highly unlikely since we already have the BR-V, HR-V and CR-V covering the compact, mid, and full-sized SUV segments.