Stylish family SUV updated: 2026 Honda ZR-V gains cosmetic and tech upgrades to chase the Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30 and Nissan Qashqai

Honda has updated its popular ZR-V SUV in the US, granting it a host of cosmetic and tech upgrades.

The brand’s local operations stopped short of confirming the updated ZR-V, which launched locally in its current form in 2023, would arrive in Australia at this time, although precedent suggests we will see it in due course.

For 2025, the ZR-V (known as the HR-V stateside) will gain new alloy wheel designs across all three trims sold in the US, starting with 17-inch Pewter Grey items on the entry LX.

The Sport will ride on new 18-inch Berlina Black alloys, while the top-spec EX-L gets new machine-finished 18-inch alloys (up from 17-inches).

The entry-grade LX adds rear privacy glass and the Sport now comes with gloss black tailgate badging. Two new exterior colours have also been added: Solar Reflection Metallic (LX and EX-L) and striking Boost Blue Pear (Sport only).

Inside, the LX and Sport gain a larger 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen (up from 7.0-inches), which packs a faster processor, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and now comes paired with a wireless phone charger.

The EX-L adds silver steering wheel spokes, a dynamic climate control knob with red, blue and white lighting, and new front footwell lamps.

No changes have been made to the ZR-V's uniform 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 116kW in the US. In Australia, the ZR-V comes standard with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that delivers 131kW/240Nm. We also get a top-spec hybrid option that the US doesn't get; it pairs the 2.0-litre unit with two electric motors.

Honda has sold 215 ZR-Vs in Australia to April this year, representing a decline of 30.5 per cent compared to 331 sales this time last year. It continues to be outsold by the rival Toyota Corolla Cross (1202 units), Mazda CX-30 (853 units) and Nissan Qashqai (480 units).

Conversely, in the US, Honda sold some 138,911 ZR-Vs last year, making it the bestselling car among first-time and Gen Z buyers.