New Car Preview: 2023 Honda HR-V
Honda has officially revealed their redesigned HR-V subcompact crossover that debuts with larger dimensions, fresh looks, updated powertrain, new tech, and a revised interior.
The Honda HR-V has always been a steady force for subcompact crossovers and helped set the precedent for such a mainstream segment. Receiving a redesign for the 2023 model year, Honda took a smart approach to utilize the new 11th generation Civic’s platform underpinning the new HR-V, which is a good move considering the new Civic is the 2022 North American Car of the Year.
Powering the new Honda HR-V is the same 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine from the new Honda Civic that’s good for 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque, which is an improvement over the outgoing HR-V’s 141-horsepower 1.8-liter engine. Power is still sent through a continuously variable transmission as the only choice where front-wheel-drive comes standard and all-wheel-drive can be had for $1,500.
During this crazy time with gas prices being the highest they have ever been it only makes sense to start looking at subcompact vehicles that get decent fuel mileage. Here, the Honda HR-V doesn’t improve much in such an area from the outgoing model where it gets 26 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined for the base LX trim front-wheel-drive setup. However, you do get the extra power and that alone is worth the still-respectable numbers.
Inside the new 2023 HR-V is a cabin familiar to the Honda brand where there are many characteristics from the new Honda Civic, which isn’t a bad thing at all. The cabin overall looks more premium than before and is straightforward for the controls and layout. There’s more space than before with more rear legroom and cargo volume that’s the best in its class.
Other highlighted aspects of the HR-V include a standard 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a new infotainment unit that feeds a standard 7-inch touchscreen where a 9-inch touchscreen is optional. The Honda Sensing system comes standard with a new front wide-view camera, traffic jam assist, and traffic sign recognition. The active safety features of adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist have been updated for more natural responses, in addition to having blind-spot information, a new driver attention monitor, rear seat reminder, and low-speed braking control.
The exterior is now more defined and can be highlighted with a new Sport trim that features blacked-out accents and 18-inch black 5-spoke wheels. The standard LED headlights and taillights highlight the increased dimensions and new aerodynamics of the HR-V but fit the proper design language of the Honda brand.
There are a few trim levels to choose from where each can be had in either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive starting at a price of just $23,650 for the base LX FWD (LX AWD $25,150). From there, there is the Sport FWD trim starting at $25,650 (Sport AWD $27,150) and the EX-L FWD trim starting at $27,450 (EX-L AWD $28,950).
The new 2023 Honda HR-V is available this month and will start arriving at dealerships any day now.