2022 Honda HR-V goes on sale in Malaysia. Is India next?

2022 Honda HR-V SUV has been officially launched in the market of Malaysia. The new SUV will be available for purchase at the dealerships in SouthEast Asian country by July. Apart from the regular ICE variants that comprise 1.5L S, 1.5L E, and 1.5L V trims, the company has also introduced the car in a range-topping 1.5L e:HEV RS hybrid iteration.

As found on the hybrid version of the City sedan sold in the Indian market, the hybrid HR-V features Honda’s i-MMD system. This combines a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated Atkinson cycle engine (105 PS/127 Nm) with two motors. The combined output from this system has been recorded at 131 PS and 253 Nm. Honda’s latest i-MMD system comes out as a big step up over the previously offered HR-V Hybrid’s i-DCD system.

As far as equipment and features go, the 2022 HR-V gets Honda Sensing, an eight-inch central touchscreen and auto LED headlights, these are offered as part of the standard kit. While the Grade S, E, and V trims come with single-zone air-conditioning, the range-topping RS comes with a dual-zone system – all four variants get rear AC vents. There are two options on wheels available. While the lower S and E trims ride on 17-inch alloys (with 215/60 Goodyear Assurance Triplemax 2 tyres), the higher-spec V and RS variants come fitted with 18-inch units (and 225/50 Continental Ultra Contact UC6 rubbers).

In India, the HR-V has been under discussion for a long time now, however, there has been no official indication regarding the same. The SUV was in fact spotted getting tested on the country roads several times in 2019, but no progress was made. Chances are slim that the new 2022 model will arrive in India anytime soon.