Euro-Spec Honda HR-V Prototype Shown at Paris Motor Show

Today we have another new Japanese car from the 2014 Paris Motor Show. It’s the Honda HR-V Prototype, shown here in fiery metallic red. So far this event has been defined by small SUVs, and this B-segment crossover is a fitting follow up for yesterday’s C-segment C-HR Concept.

We have a well put together video of Honda’s new HR-V Prototype to kick things off:

You may remember last month when Honda first previewed the new HR-V. They gave us a cursory overview of what to expect, but very few specific details. With the Paris debut they’ve given us a lot more to expect when the SUV goes on sale next summer.

A quick disclaimer for our US readers – Honda dropped a couple images of a US-spec HR-V earlier this year at the New York Auto Show, but made no mention of that car here in Paris. Take the specs you find here with a grain of salt since things could change when the car makes it to NA shores.

Now back to today’s HR-V Prototype…

The SUV nomenclature that Honda uses throughout the press release is a little bit misleading, as it’s actually built on the same chassis as the Honda Fit. So, whether it’s an SUV, hatchback or something in between is up for debate. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though; Honda tells us that they wanted to pair the sportiness of a coupe with the interior space of an SUV, which sounds like a fantastic combination to us.

Since we’d already seen the Honda HR-V in pictures, the biggest thing we learned about Honda’s new SUV pertains to the powertrain. Honda tells us there will be two options in the European market – a 1.6L i-DTEC diesel engine and a 1.5L i-VTEC petrol, both from their Earth Dreams series. Even though they didn’t say more than that, there are a few inferences we can make about these two powertrains…

It’s safe to assume that the HR-V will get the same 1.5L i-VTEC that’s in the 2015 Honda Fit, which means you can expect 130hp and probably about 35mpg. The 1.6L i-DTEC that’s in the 2014 CR-V offers only 118bhp, but makes up for it with 55 mpg in the crossover, and an astonishing 78.5 mpg in the Civic hatch. Both engines are paired with a lightweight six-speed manual transmission, although the petrol can be had with a semi-automatic CVT.

With the HR-V’s premiere, Honda tells us that the secret behind the expansive cabin space is the SUV’s central fuel tank location. In addition, Honda Magic Seats will help you get more out of the space by allowing you to fully customize your seating through a wide range of configurations. As you’d expect, the second row seats can be folded down completely flat for extra cargo space.

All in all, the Honda HR-V may not be the most progressive, shocking car you’ll see at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. However, it’s a realistic representation of what you’ll see when the car goes on sale next summer, and with that in mind it looks pretty darn good.