Honda is resurrecting a name from its not-so-distant past for the North American version of the Fit / Jazz-based Vezel compact crossover, which it announced and previewed through a set of photos, but didn't bring on stage, at the New York Auto Show today: the HR-V.

The original HR-V (see pictures below) was a funky looking crossover model available in both three- and five-door body styles produced from 1999 until 2006, which was never offered in the States.

The new 2015 HR-V is almost identical in appearance to the Japanese market Vezel, with the only changes we spotted on the outside being the different treatment for the front grille and headlamp fixtures, and the smaller door mirrors that do not include turning signals.

Honda said that the HR-V will "feature a versatile and spacious interior thanks to a unique center tank layout" and will be equipped with the "Honda-exclusive Magic Seat, which allows for multiple seating configurations and the ability to fold the second row seat completely flat for added cargo space".

No further details were shared, but since it rides on the same global compact platform that underpins the Fit, we should see the entry level model fitted with a 1.5-liter direct injected four-cylinder unit connected to a CVT. Honda is also considering a turbocharged version of the same engine.

The New HR-V will arrive in U.S. showrooms this winter.

Later this year, Honda will join a growing number of automakers jumping into the fastest growing segment of the U.S. auto market.

Compact crossovers are blowing up like Rob Ford’s cell phone and most manufacturers are clamoring for a piece of the action. Jeep is launching the Renegade, Chevrolet has the Trax and Nissan has been Juking the market for years just to name a few. Small utiltiy vehicles like those are aimed directly at urban buyers who want an SUV but understand that parking a Suburban in the city is just plain silly. So it comes as no surprise that Honda chose the New York Auto Show to share the first pictures and details of its Fit-based HR-V.

Slated to arrive this winter around the same time as the Chevrolet Trax, the HR-V could shape up to be one of the most practical options in the segment. The Fit on which this vehicle is based boasts up to 52.7 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s not so much bigger than its Chevrolet contender, but the HR-V will have a least one key advantage: the same “magic seats” as the Fit. That means they will be able to flip forward or fold totally flat.

The HR-V will join the Fit at Honda’s Celaya, Mexico assembly plant and the company says basing its production there will guarantee the flexibility to meet demand for both vehicles.

Honda didn’t specify what the HR-V powertrain will consist of, but the 2015 Fit uses a direct-injected 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 130 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque. That engine is mated to either a six-speed manual or a continuously-variable transmission. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if the HR-V arrives with a mirror image of that equipment.

After releasing its new small SUV as the Vezel in Japan last December and announcing the car as the HR-V for the States earlier this year, Honda is placing the final touches to the European version.

The spy crew at GTB Photography filmed the Jazz / Fit–based car testing on European soil at the Alps this month wearing a black spandex. Overall, it doesn't look any different than the Vezel or the HR-V, but Honda may have made some minor changes to the light fixtures and bumper designs on both ends.

Honda has said that the Vezel moniker will not be used outside Asia, but has yet to name the European model that will feature a tweaked chassis.

Under the body you'll find the underpinnings of the latest Jazz supermini, with power to likely come from Honda's new 1.6-liter turbodiesel and a 1.5-liter direct injected four-cylinder petrol. Other options may include the 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain already offered in Japan and possibly, a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol down the line.

The competition for Honda's new entry level SUV will include the Nissan Juke and Opel / Vauxhall Mokka.

If not at the Paris Auto Show in October, then the new Honda should make its first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show next March.

Dongfeng Honda's small crossover has a name for China, as revealed in these shots from the brand's Chengdu Motor Show stand: XR-V.

We're pretty thin on details right now, but from the rear-quarter view photo, it's apparent that the XR-V is the same car as the North American HR-V and Japan's Vezel (we still don’t know what name Honda will use in Europe).

That's not to say there aren't any differences, because Honda has given the XR-V a bespoke rear-end treatment with slimmer tail lamps that are connected and a restyled bumper.

We should know later in the day if the front end has also been cosmetically modified for the Chinese market .

Honda has chosen next month's Los Angeles Auto Show for the North American premiere of its new entry crossover, the 2016 HR-V.

Positioned under the facelifted CR-V, the new HR-V is expected to go on sale in the States before the end of the year or in the beginning of 2015 offering Honda a challenger for the Nissan Juke, Buick Encore and the Chevrolet Trax.

Today's announcement that included a new picture of the HR-V follows the release of the first official photos of the U.S.-bound model at the 2014 New York International Auto Show in April and the debut of the HR-V Study at the Paris Motor Show earlier this month.

There don't seem to be any meaningful differences from the European HR-V other than the study's cooler-looking headlamp fixtures with LEDs, bigger wheels, gloss black body trims and chrome side skirt décor.

Built on the same global compact platform that underpins the latest Fit, the HR-V also features the same central-mounted fuel tank and fold-flat Magic Rear Seat as the sub-compact hatch.

Honda hasn’t confirmed U.S. powertrains yet, but we suspect that it will get the Fit's 130hp 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-pot. Previously, company officials had said they're also pondering a turbocharged version of the same engine for the States.

Brazil is the next major market to welcome Honda's new HR-V small crossover that was revealed today at the Sao Paulo Motor Show.

With the welcome exception of the orange turning signals that were replaced with clear units on the Brazilian-spec HR-V, there's nothing else different on the design front compared to the U.S. model that will have its world premiere at the LA Auto Show next month.

Unlike the European HR-V that will launch next year with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC gasoline unit and a 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel, Brazil's version will be offered exclusively with a 1.8-liter SOHC i-VTEC flex fuel engine paired to a CVT when it arrives in dealerships in the first quarter of 2015.

The second small crossover to be presented at the LA Auto Show today after the Mazda CX-3 is the new 2016 Honda HR-V.

Honda says it "blends the styling of a coupe, the toughness, space and utility of a SUV and the quality of a Honda in one sporty, personal and versatile multi-dimensional vehicle," but take all that with a pinch of salt.

We've seen the CUV before in other regions around the world, including Japan and Europe, but Honda is premiering the North American specification model in LA.

Built on the same platform architecture as the latest Fit (Jazz) sub-compact, the HR-V measures 169.1 inches long, 69.8 inches wide and 63.2 inches tall, riding on a 102.8-inch wheelbase, offering 100.1 cu. ft. of passenger volume (LX) and 24.3 cu. ft. of cargo volume with the second row seats up.

All models will be equipped with Honda's Magic Seat system that allows for multiple seating configurations and the ability to fold the second row seat completely flat for added cargo space.

In North America, the HR-V gets a 1.8-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine producing 138 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 127 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,300 rpm.

Standard models get front-wheel drive combined with either a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Honda "G-design" shift logic, or a 6-speed manual, while the available all-wheel-drive system with Intelligent Control System is offered exclusively with a CVT.

So, while the completely new 2015 Honda HR-V crossover is advertised as something sporty, it turns out it actually isn’t. But don’t discount it based on that, because it seems it’s actually very good at everything else, according to Australia’s CarAdvice.

Firstly, the reviewer notes the upped plastics quality compared to older Hondas, as well as the “midsize sedan levels of rear legroom.” He does discover its steering is too light and doesn’t weight up enough to offer an engaging drive, but it is easy and relaxing in and around town.

Honda is probably on to a winner here, and their high sales projections seem to confirm their expectations. It goes up against the new Nissan Qashqai and the likes of Mazda’s new (actually sportier) CX-3, but with that Honda badge and its raft of qualities it may have the edge.

Compact SUV represents progress for Japanese brand.