Honda’s sporty hybrid, the CR-Z, has received its first makeover in 2012 and apparently a more significant refresh is on the way this year before an all-new model launches sometime in 2017.

Why do we say that? Because a set of photos with a facelifted CR-Z have surfaced on Chinese website CarNewsChina, which claims these are official press images that “somehow leaked in China.”

The photos appear to have been scanned from a printed source and reveal significant styling updates compared to the current CR-Z.

The model gets new headlights (possibly with LED technology), redesigned bumpers with a more aggressive appearance, sharper side skirts, new alloy wheels and an updated interior.

The cabin gets chromed door handles, a new gear knob for the manual transmission, a new display for the infotainment system, an electronic parking brake, as well as an armrest in place of the manual handbrake of the current model.

There’s no telling whether the CR-Z will get powertrain updates as well, but according to the source that is unlikely to happen. If that’s the case, Honda CR-Z owners will have to settle for a timid total system output of 130hp from the 1.5-liter petrol engine and the electric motor.

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