Brazil - Honda HR-V debuts at Sao Paulo Motor Show with 1.8L engine

To be made locally at Honda's Itirapina plant in Sao Paulo.

The Honda HR-V has made its Brazilian debut at the 2014 Sao Paulo International Motor Show ahead of its formal launch which is expected next year. The compact crossover has already started testing in the South American nation, indicating that it is months away from showrooms.

The HR-V which is called Vezel in Japan, Sri Lanka and China, has gradually started expanding into more and more international markets. The Europe-spec version debuted at the Paris Motor Show earlier this month.

Honda Brazil has not revealed much about its Fiat 500X rival but has announced that it will be locally made at the company's Itirapina plant in the state of Sao Paulo.

The 1.8-litre flex fuel engine which is also found under the hood of the Brazilian Civic will handle the propulsion duty. The motor develops 140 PS (138 bhp) at 6,500 rpm and 173 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm while running on ethanol. While the standard transmission will be a 6-speed manual unit, a CVT is also a contender.

Also read: Honda XR-V is a Chinese market-spec HR-V

The Jazz-based HR-V wont make it to India since the responsibility of competing with the Ford EcoSport in the sub-continent will be bestowed on a Brio-based crossover which is reportedly under development for a 2016 launch.

Competitors: Nissan Juke, Fiat 500X, Renault Captur
Launch date in Brazil: 2015