The Honda CR-Z is a "sport hybrid coupe" introduced back in 2010. As its name suggests, it is a vehicle that combines a hybrid's gasoline-electric powertrain with the design elements of a sports car.

While we do not expect a fully revamped model until 2018, it looks like Japanese automaker is preparing to launch a facelifted version this year to keep it current.

Photos of what appeared to be a refreshed Honda CR-Z has appeared online courtesy of CarNewsChina.com. The images posted by the site reportedly comes from a digitally scanned brochure with arrows that point to the updated parts of the vehicle.

One of the photos portrays the model's façade (see above) and shows that Honda's smallest coupe is treated with new headlights, new alloy wheels, and new spoilers. As we can see, much of the overhaul can be observed up front, complemented by a stylish gray metal trim.  

Furthermore, the upper edges of the honeycomb-shaped grille appears to be cut off. The fog lights now have a bulging chin which is noticeably bigger than the current model's. On its rear end, the changes lie mainly on the bumper and tail light which both received a new look.

Meanwhile, the torrent of updates does not stop on the car's exterior. The source also shared blurry images of the facelifted Honda CR-Z's cabin showing that a series of improvement has also been implemented.

For instance, a new electronic parking brake is apparently furnished along with a button on the center console. A new armrest is evident as well as a new storage box. Updated chrome door handles are also fitted, aside from the new gear knob for manual transmission and an improved display for the car's infotainment system.

Previous speculations pointed out that the refreshed Honda CR-Z will be based on the bigger Honda Civic compact instead of the Honda Jazz. As such, we can expect that the model will now be lighter, which can help improve its handling and efficiency.

Not much is known about the new CR-Z's specs under the hood. Until a full next-generation model comes out in 2018, we can expect the vehicle to still use the current model's 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 130-hp partnered with a hybrid powertrain. Models with a CVT makes 127 lb-ft of torque while manual transmission variants put out 140 lb-ft.

Even though Honda is still mum about the details for this updated CR-Z, we do know that the automaker will likely unveil the 2016 Honda CR-Z during the Tokyo Motor Show later this year.