180bhp Honda ZR-V showcased in India ahead of July 2026 launch

The Honda ZR-V will become Honda’s new flagship for India, positioned above the Honda Elevate and Honda City e:HEV in the brand’s line-up. The mid-size SUV is expected to pack a 2-litre petrol engine paired with a strong hybrid system, making it the most powerful Honda on sale here since the Honda Accord Hybrid arrived nearly a decade ago. More importantly, the ZR-V signals Honda’s intent to reclaim the image it once enjoyed among enthusiasts — an era defined by cars like the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Honda City and Honda CR-V. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming ZR-V.

Honda ZR-V design

The Honda ZR-V looks similar to some other car from the front right? Yes, it does. It’s because of the black grille with vertical slats. It looks very similar to the Elevate’s grille, in fact more like the Elevate was inspired by this car’s grille, but here the logo sits on the bonnet. Something we expect the Elevate facelift to get as well. The bumper also gets functioning air dams to reduce drag and increase fuel-efficiency. The LED headlamps with integrated DRLs also get sequential indicators. The car rides on 18-inch wheels and gets a 2655mm wheelbase which is 35mm shorter than the Kia Seltos and 45mm longer than the Hyundai Creta. At the back, you get clear lens tail lamps, and dual exhaust pipes that make the car look sporty.

Honda ZR-V interior

The Honda ZR-V’s cabin takes a different approach than most modern cars today. In most cars you will see connected screens or a triple screen layout even, but Honda has decided to take a slightly more minimalistic route which rather works well. There’s all black leather upholstery, a low set dashboard, floating centre console with an electronic gear shifter, and soft touch materials in the cabin. The dashboard gets a floating 9-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there’s a 10.2-inch digital cluster. The highlight in the cabin is the 12-speaker Bose audio system. In terms of features, you get ADAS level 2, ambient lighting, powered front seats, a powered tailgate, dual zone climate control, and paddle shifters for switching levels of regeneration. The ZR-V will be available in four colours – Twilight Mist Black Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, Platinum White Pearl and Crystal Black Pearl.

Honda ZR-V powertrain

The Honda ZR-V e:HEV is a hybrid SUV which gets a 2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine and two motors that work in sync to make a peak output of 181bhp and 315Nm. It is mated to an e-CVT and goes from 0 to 100kmph in 7.9 seconds. It has a claimed fuel-efficiency of 22.79kmpl. You can choose to drive between Eco, Normal, and Sport.

Honda ZR-V price and rivals

Prices for the Honda ZR-V have not been revealed yet, but we can expect it to be priced somewhere around the ₹35 to ₹40 lakh segment. This is because even though this is a mid-size SUV, it is a hybrid and it will be imported as a CBU from Japan. There is no direct rival but rivals in segments below and above are the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Mahindra XUV 7XO, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Volkswagen Taigun, and Skoda Kushaq.

Pre-bookings have begun online and in Honda dealerships, with deliveries slated to begin from July 2026. The prices will be announced sometime before deliveries begin.