Sport suspension and titanium exhaust available

Following a brochure scan which surfaced the web earlier this week, Mugen has released its list of goodies for the recently unveiled 2014 Honda Vezel.

Honda's new crossover offering has already received the Mugen treatment which brings a full body kit making the car look more aggressive than in standard guise. There are new front and rear spoilers, side skirts, air intakes and no less than seven wheel designs to choose from in sizes of up to 18 inches.

Mugen is also offering a wide array of accessories such as a carbon fiber cover for the rear view mirror, high-pressure radiator cap, high-performance brake fluid and a carbon-like gear lever. The Honda Vezel can also be fitted with a titanium exhaust system and high-performance brake pads.

The Honda Vezel together with the Mugen package is now available on pre-order in Japan.

As a subsidiary of Honda, Mugen doesn't have to wait at all before it releases its goods for the Japanese automaker's cars. In fact, Mugen comes out with a complete range of aftermarkets products at the same time that Honda begins sales of a new model, which is the case for the Vezel.

While certainly not for all tastes, Mugen's styling accessories do give the small crossover a more distinct character with the use of a new front grille assembly and apron that covers half the bumper, matching-color wheel arch plastic surrounds, side skirts, rear apron and roof spoiler.

There are a number of different alloy wheel designs in 18-inches to choose from, with Mugen also offering a sports exhaust with twin pipes for both the regular and hybrid powertrains, a lowered suspension, brake kits and a carbon fiber trim kit for the interior.

While Honda gears up to unveil the new Fit to the US market at the Detroit Auto Show next month, back in its home market, the car's crossover cousin is just going on sale. The Vezel was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last month and already has a three-month waiting list in Japan, where Honda projects that 90 percent of customers will opt for the hybrid version. Not so in the United States, however.

When the Vezel reaches American showrooms, there'll be a number of key differences. For starters, it will carry a different name, though Honda isn't saying what that will be. For another, it will be built for North American consumption at Honda's new plant in Mexico, roughly half of whose production capacity is reportedly being allocated to the new crossover. And finally, it'll have a different engine.

In Japan the Vezel is being offered with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, with or without electric assist. Honda won't offer the hybrid version here – at least not initially – but it is preparing to offer a turbo option. Although it has yet to announce US specifications and options, the 1.5-liter turbo four (also unveiled at the Tokyo show) is considered a stronger likelihood than the 1.0- or 2.0-liter versions.

Following the premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this year, the Honda Vezel small crossover goes on sale in Japan on December 20. While the name may not be carried over to the U.S. and Europe, the car will eventually be available in these markets as well sitting under the CR-V in the carmaker's crossover and SUV lineup.

The model is due to launch in the U.S. next year and in Europe in 2015, with Yoshiharu Itai, the crossover’s chief engineer, telling Automotive News that the company is considering a 1.5-liter turbo for the States.

“We haven’t decided yet what model year it will be, but we have that in our plan,” said Ito. “We are creating a package so that turbocharging could be installed with this model.”

Currently, the Honda Vezel is available in Japan with two powertrain options: a 1.5-liter gasoline unit and a hybrid model combining a 1.5-liter direct injection gasoline engine with a high-output electric motor.

Honda didn’t provide output figures, but said the hybrid delivers “overwhelming high power that is equivalent to that of the 2.0 liter engine”, although we don’t know what 2.0-liter engine the carmaker is referring to.

In addition, the hybrid is expected to have the highest fuel economy in its class in Japan – always according to the release. Real Time All-Wheel-Drive will be offered as an option for all models, with the Vezel Hybrid to be the first ever Honda hybrid offered with AWD.

The Vezel boasts a boot capacity of 453 liters (16 cubic feet), enough to hold three regular golf bags, according to Honda. The volume includes the capacity of the cargo box under the cargo room floor for the FWD petrol version. The hybrid FWD model has 404 liters (14.2 cubic feet) of cargo volume.

All Vezel variants feature technologies such as Electric Parking Brake and Automatic Brake Hold as standard equipment. Prices in Japan start from 1,870,000 Yen ($17,950) for the base 1.5-liter FWD model.

Honda’s Fit-based crossover, the Vezel, has just gone on sale in Japan and now the automaker is showcasing aftermarket potential at the 2014 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Headlining the pair of custom crossovers is the Mugen Vezel Concept sporting some extreme styling with a two-tone contrasting exterior. Mugen has also developed some new wheels in its product lineup, which may or may not sit well with enthusiasts.

The more mild of the two is the Vezel Modulo Concept, which according to Honda, “further pursues a sense of high quality and sportiness of the new Vezel.” Minus the wild chrome exterior, the Modulo Concept is a more realistic version of the stylish crossover getting the aftermarket treatment.

Both Vezels present at the 2014 Tokyo Auto Salon were the hybrid variants, which won’t be offered in North America initially. U.S. sales of the Vezel will begin in the second half of this year with a standard gasoline model first before a turbocharged version with improved fuel economy comes later on.

Will be built in Mexico

A new report indicates Honda will use the "HR-V" moniker in United States for its Fit-based crossover.

Honda's Urban SUV concept eventually became the Vezel crossover for Japan and now it seems the model is heading to the United States but with the HR-V name. The vehicle was reportedly shown to North American dealers at a recent meeting and Honda also filed an application for the "HR-V" name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark offices.

Production of the Honda HR-V will take place at the company's Celaya assembly plant in Mexico where they also produce the 2015 Fit upon which the HR-V is based on. The model will go on sale in the second half of the year while in 2015 it will be introduced in Europe possibly with the same HR-V designation. The JDM-spec Vezel has been on sale since November last year.

The previous Honda HR-V (Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle) was produced between 1999 and 2006 and was available as a three- and five-door model with a 4-cylinder 1.6-liter gasoline engine delivering 105 PS (77 kW) and 125 PS (92 kW) in the VTEC version.