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One of Honda’s Most Popular SUVs Gets a Sporty Makeover That We Can Only Lust Over

Leave it to Mugen to inject some forbidden excitement into its cute-ute when Honda doesn’t want to.

Front view of a white Honda car with black honeycomb grille, RS badge, Mugen license plate, and black alloy wheels.Mugen
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By Chris Chin

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Honda’s HR-V is at best, a decent, efficient commuter and subcompact family car, with little more than a slight heartbeat. So it’s neither the most thrilling nor the most exciting thing on four wheels.

Thankfully, we have aftermarket tuning firms like Mugen. It’s one of the most respected and highly desirable companies known for spicing up Hondas, and it just worked its magic on the Japanese Domestic Market cute-ute.

Which means, yes, it’s off limits to us. However, that doesn’t stop us yearning for it.

Japan and Europe always get the better Hondas

White Honda SUV with black grille, black side mirrors, black alloy wheels, and Mugen RS badging on a gray background.
Mugen just spruced up Honda’s JDM subcompact SUV, which is different than the one we get in America.
Mugen

It’s already fairly disappointing that American Honda fans have little access to Mugen’s parts catalogue and when they do, they’re obscenely expensive. Making matters worse, however, is the fact that this latest round of modifications are for a version of the HR-V that’s completely different, if not better and more interesting, than the one Americans get.

White Honda Vezel hybrid SUV with Mugen body kit and black accents shown from rear side on gray background.
Mugen once again reminds us how Japan always gets the cooler Hondas.
Mugen

Which, in all honesty, is even more disappointing since there’s such a huge enthusiast following associated with the automaker.

Outside America, the HR-V ‘s equivalent is the Vezel. It’s a version of the compact SUV meant specifically for European and Asian markets. The version we get is reworked specifically for the Chinese and American markets. In other markets, it’s actually sold as the ZR-V.

Two white Honda SUVs with black and red Mugen body kits shown from front-left and rear-right angles on a gray background.
We definitely wish we got the Vezel and the Mugen package over our dreary US-market HR-V.
Mugen

So, while the two SUVs are considerably different, the fact that Mugen spruces up the Vezel makes us wish we got that one instead.

A cute-ute for driving enthusiasts

Rear view of a white Honda Vezel RS e:HEV with dual exhaust pipes and Mugen license plate.
Although there are few performance upgrades, Mugen still adds in sportier exterior effects and stiffer shocks for better handling.
Mugen

Like other Mugen packages, the Vezel benefits from a sportier body kit, with lowering effects and a rear spoiler, a choice of two options for differently styled 18-inch wheel upgrades, a stainless steel cat-back exhaust upgrade and exterior vinyl graphics.

But the package isn’t all show. Mugen also adds in Yamaha-tuned Performance Dampers, upgraded Type S brake pads, and higher-flow engine intake and performance oil filters.

Polished stainless steel dual exhaust muffler with curved inlet pipe and mounting hardware on a gray background.
Sadly, this probably won’t fit your Honda HR-V here in America.
Mugen

Power remains untouched, as the Vezel only gets a gas-electric hybrid powerplant good for 129 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. So while you won’t be winning any pink slips or stoplight drags, you’ll definitely have a lot more fun in the twisties than the standard car because of the upgraded suspension and brakes.

Sometimes, those little upgrades often add up to a much more fun experience.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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