The Honda HR-V returns for the 2023 model yr as a model new expertise that carries over little or no from the sooner model. When designing the model new HR-V, Honda saved the two most excellent and most nagging criticisms of the sooner expertise in ideas: its weak engine and lack of useable home for rear passengers. Nonetheless modifications normally aren’t restricted to addressing merely these factors; on excessive of additional room throughout the cabin and a good larger 158-horsepower 2.0-liter engine, the model new HR-V now rides on the Civic platform with neutral rear suspension for a higher journey and coping with.
Throughout the Honda regular, the HR-V stands out for its versatility, gasoline effectivity, affordability, and the coveted and hard-to-secure Prime Safety Select Plus from the IIHS. However it competes with totally different customary fashions throughout the packed sub-compact crossover class, such as a result of the Mazda CX-30 and Kia Seltos, so our week-long test drive with a top-spec HR-V was the right different to test.
Exterior: Rising Up
The design of the model new Honda HR-V is additional minimalist than sooner than and strikes away from wanting like a mini CR-V. Honda has moved away from attempting to push a sporty look on the small crossover, and now it’s a additional elegant-looking car with LED headlights and brake lights with body-color door handles and facet mirrors as commonplace.
The LX and EX-L journey on 17-inch wheels as commonplace, with the latter getting Gloss Shark Gray-style wheels to set it apart. The Sport comes with 18-inch Gloss Black devices, a sportier-looking grille, gloss-black mirror caps, and a chrome exhaust tip, nonetheless except for that, nonetheless not fairly extra to tell apart it from totally different trims. An affect moonroof is commonplace solely on the best EX-L trim.
As compared with the outdated model, the Honda HR-V has noticeably elevated dimensions. It’s grown in dimension by over 9 inches to 179.8 inches, nonetheless the wheelbase is just one.7 inches longer. That 1.7-inch improve is essential, though, as a result of it can enhance legroom for rear passengers.
Inside: Home For Passengers
Must you’ve been inside the latest Honda Civic, the model new HR-V will most likely be accustomed to its honeycomb trim stretching all through the dashboard to cowl the air vents and a landscape-oriented infotainment show set above it. It’s a far more cohesive inside than sooner than, even when it is form of of a attain for the driving power to entry the touchscreen. The infotainment present is a seven-inch touchscreen on the underside two trims nonetheless frows to 9 inches on EX-L fashions.
The infotainment setup is acquainted Honda territory with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 180-watt four-speaker sound system on the underside model. Mid-range Sport fashions get two additional audio system, and the EX-L will get the bigger show, wi-fi efficiency for CarPlay and Auto, SiriusXM, and HD Radio, and an eight-speaker sound system.
Whole, the usual inside is a step up for the HR-V, along with the seats – the rear seats particularly. Throughout the earlier expertise, they’ve been solely of loads use for strapping in a baby automotive seat, nonetheless now there’s enough legroom for children to become youngsters.
Powertrain & Effectivity
Altering the sooner expertise’s 141-hp four-cylinder 1.8-liter engine with a 2.0-liter unit making 158 hp isn’t an infinite enhance, and it ends in a 0-60 mph time that could be a lot the similar as sooner than. The consistently variable transmission (CVT) is clear – Honda makes a variety of the upper CVTs – nonetheless it might’t make up for the engine’s lack of acceleration and passing vitality. Nonetheless, spherical metropolis, it’s responsive, and you may hustle these shortcuts with ease.
Gasoline effectivity isn’t an enchancment each; instead, it drops by two miles per gallon for every front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants. For 2023, gas mileage for FWD HR-Vs is on the market in at 26/32/28 mpg on city/freeway/blended cycle, whereas the AWD manages 25/30/27 mpg. Via our week with the AWD EX-L, we didn’t pretty get that 27 mpg, nonetheless there have been numerous hills on our drives.
On The Freeway: Surprisingly Eager
The HR-V excels throughout the metropolis and, surprisingly, on the freeway. On tight once more roads, the engine has to work exhausting to keep up a pleasing tempo, nonetheless on additional open roads, it’s merely a pleasure to cruise in, considering it’s pretty small. On the freeway, the suspension eats up these high-frequency ridges, lumps, and bumps, and the engine enjoys merely cruising alongside. The massive enhance is how Honda has improved its sound suppression for all its vehicles, and it’s most noticeable throughout the HR-V with the scarcity of avenue noise throughout the cabin.
Spherical metropolis and on backroads, the steering is assured and quick, which is a by-product of being on the Civic’s platform. We didn’t get the urge to play in Sport mode loads, but it surely certainly truly sharpens throttle response, and the HR-V locations in an excellent account of itself in its hatchback-like coping with. Journey top quality off the freeway is commonplace fare – not too tender and by no means too exhausting, which means it provides with badly maintained avenue surfaces merely top quality, and there could also be minimal physique lean in corners.
Conclusion: Great Every single day Driver That Could Be Further Satisfying
For $24,100, the underside model FWD HR-V is an efficient deal and an vital little commuter automotive. It’ll moreover see out the start of a family until kids enter their youngsters as an inexpensive little family automotive. We would ignore the Sport model on account of, successfully, this is not a sporty automotive, and by together with 18-inch wheels over the same old 17-inch objects, it unnecessarily ups the value of repairs by way of altering tires.
The perfect trim stage is the EX-L, which begins at $27,650 with FWD (add $1,500 when you want AWD), and it’s the trim stage we would go for if we now have been devoted to proudly proudly owning it for successfully over 5 years and laying down the miles. What the HR-V lacks is the gratifying situation, nonetheless most people is not going to care, as Honda purchased the entire fundamentals correct in every other case. As an frequently small automotive, there’s fairly a bit to love regarding the new HR-V. Must you’re looking for one factor small and customary freeway drives are throughout the automotive’s future, then which can tip you over the sting when as compared with the rivals.