Honda’s HR-V nameplate first appeared on a compact SUV introduced in September 1998 for the 1999 model year. The original HR-V was part of Honda’s late-1990s push into more youthful, lifestyle-oriented utility vehicles, and it stood out for its small footprint, car-like packaging, and unconventional three-door format, with a five-door version added later in the run. That first-era HR-V disappeared in the mid-2000s, ending the nameplate’s initial production period.
Honda later revived the HR-V nameplate for its modern subcompact crossover era, beginning with the 2014 global-market model that reached showrooms in 2015; in Japan, the same vehicle was sold as Vezel. The revived HR-V shifted the badge from a niche, quirky mini-SUV into a mainstream compact crossover, emphasizing coupe-like styling, flexible interior packaging, and Honda’s practical cabin layout philosophy. Because the nameplate has been used in two separate production periods, the HR-V should be treated as a revived model rather than a single uninterrupted lineage.