Honda has unveiled the redesigned 2023 Honda HR-V and the subcompact crossover has a heavy dose of civic styling and content inside and out.
Not surprisingly, considering that the HR-V went to the US showroom in early June on the same platform as the compact sedan and borrowed a powertrain – unfortunately, without a turbo. We had a chance to see the new HR-V in Los Angeles last month and see how those changes can be felt so closely.
The redesigned HR-V will be offered in three trims: LX, Sport and EX-L. Prices for the LX start at $ 24,895, of which $ 1,245 is the destination charge, followed by S 26,895 for the Sport and $ 28,695 for the EX-L.
2023 Honda HR-V
The last generation HR-V had awkward proportions and a strangely sloping tailgate, but most of those rough edges have been smoothed out. The 2023 HR-V has a handsome design with a long hood, standard LED lights on both ends and the same black trim that many of these smaller SUVs have to tell you that they are actually utility vehicles and not long wagons. Many of the angular elements of the old HR-V have been eliminated by emphasizing smooth lines and prominent fenders that give it a hippie look, especially from the rear.
The mid-level Sport Grade has some design features of its own, including an 18-inch black wheel, a black spoiler (instead of body paint), a larger exhaust tip, and a wavy front grille. Don’t be surprised if Honda offers HR-V with TrailSport badge. The Trailsport grade was introduced in the updated 2022 Passport SUV and Honda has indicated that we will look to offer it on other car lines.
There is only one engine option: the Civic’s base engine, good for a 2.0-liter inline-4 158 hp and has been added to a continuously variable transmission. Honda says the HR-V will get a different CVT tuning from the Civic and hopefully it will help what we consider to be an anemic powertrain with more Pep. All HR-Vs come with standard front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive is available as a 500 1,500 option. The AWD system now sends more torque to the rear to improve vehicle maneuverability and has a new snow mode to improve performance in glamorous situations.
2023 Honda HR-V
The 2023 HR-V has grown significantly for this new generation. The wheelbase extends from 1.7 inches to 104.5 inches, but the overall length is much higher at 179.8 inches. This is a 9.4-inch increase over the previous model and gives the HR-V a much more significant presence on the road. Oddly enough, the Honda specification says that this increase actually happened Less The rear legroom (39.3 to 37.7 inches below) and the 24.4 cargo room behind the rear seats have increased by only 0.1 cubic feet. But sitting in the new HR-V, the rear seat looks significantly wider and has larger windows that greatly improve visibility for both the passenger and the driver.
Inside, the styling is authentic civic. The same beehive has metallic air vents and metal switches that give the HR-V’s cabin a more enhanced feel than competitors. The infotainment touchscreen sits on top of a flat dashboard, measuring 7.0-inches on the LX and Sport models, while the EX-L comes with a larger 9.0-inch screen that adds wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (which requires a wired connection to the smaller screen). There is no thigh extension in the front seats, but it is very comfortable and feels good enough to stay behind the wheel for a long time.
Between the front seats, there are USB ports on both sides that allow passengers easy access to charging and a storage space under control of drive mode and parking brakes that use up all tunnel space with impressive efficiency. A new standard 7.0-inch display is available in the Instrument Cluster, though the Civic’s full digital display isn’t offered.
2023 Honda HR-V
2023 Honda HR-V
2023 Honda HR-V
Standard safety features include strong and automatic forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with low speed tracking, active lane control and traffic sign recognition. Blind spot monitors are sporty and above standard, while the EX-L adds front and rear parking sensors.
Updates to the 2023 HR-V improve a lot of the pain of the outgoing model, its extra size makes it more livable (backseat passengers will thank you). And we’ll have to wait for the drive to know for sure, but getting to the Civic platform should improve the quality of the ride and make the HR-V feel more planted on the road.
Honda is not stopping at a newly designed HR-V; The CR-V and the soon-to-be redesigned for the pilot, both have been tested.