Mugen Will Bring This Honda ZR-V Concept And A Civic Type R To Tokyo Auto Salon

Dec. 25, 2022 9:57 AM ET by Sebastian Cenizo Tuning / 3 Comments

The Japanese tuner has some exciting developments waiting for next year's extravaganza.

Honda-affiliated Japanese tuner Mugen has announced two exciting exhibits to be presented at next month's Tokyo Auto Salon.

The 2023 edition of Japan's answer to the SEMA Show takes place from 13-15 January 2023, and Mugen will be bringing its take on the ZR-V to the show. The ZR-V is Japan's version of our Honda HR-V and was revealed Honda HR-V and was revealed back in July of this year.

Along with the modified family crossover, Mugen will also bring a modified Civic Type R to the show. Sadly, the company has only supplied images of the ZR-V for now; perhaps Mugen wants its CTR to be a surprise.

The changes are purely cosmetic, but what did you expect from a family vehicle, particularly one that offers fewer than 200 horsepower from the factory?

Still, you get a quad-exit exhaust to give the impression of sportiness and to better match the strange applique on the tailgate, along with the numerous decals. Other plastic adornments include additions to the side skirts, a new grille and front bumper, and new mirror caps.

Larger wheels are also included, but that's about it. Basically, the Mugen ZR-V will never be one of the great Mugen tuner projects. But what about the Civic Type R?

The last time Mugen touched the Type R inappropriately, it was the previous-generation version, and it was given the same wheels as the ZR-V above.

A wild-looking thing, it was certainly not restrained. However, the tuner's work on the regular Civic hatch suggests that the company may provide a more pleasant creation that fits with the understated styling of the current FL5. But don't expect any performance upgrades for the CTR either.

The last Mugen CTR lost some weight thanks to its new styling bits, but the company declined to boost performance. Whatever the case for the 2023 Type R, all will be revealed next month.