2023 Honda HR-V Review

Honda has released another strong contender in the crossover market with the new 2023 Honda HR-V. It stands toe-to-toe with other famous brands in the small and stylish SUV, which is suitable for families and younger customers. Honda emphasized its practicality and good value, which is suitable for those who love to travel. Moreover, it also uses the same platform as Civic, where we can see its vibe in this new HR-V.

Furthermore, this new HR-V also has received a complete makeover and improvement. It has better performance than the previous model, good handling, more features, and, more importantly, is flexible and cargo-friendly. Let’s see what this car has for you.

Beautiful and Powerful Design; 2023 Honda HR-V Review

As the smallest crossover from this brand, we can’t see that the new HR-V has a small vibe. In general, this car oozes the big and grandiose design. The beehive grille creates a strong impact on the front side, boosted by the beautiful slit-type headlights. We can’t find too much muscle and accent on the side, which highlights its smooth vibe. It gives such a delicate beauty look, a perfect body for a younger driver. Overall, the exterior looks beautiful and satisfying similar to other Honda products.

Under the Hood

Honda uses the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower output. This specification is similar to the Civic powertrain. It also shows a good testing result by managing to accelerate from 0-60 in just 9.4-second. However, it seems to have lower power than its competitor, Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona.

But, we believe that the current released 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine will only be the beginning. Honda will also release the other version of this car. As it uses the same platform as the Civic powertrain, we can expect the hybrid powertrain will enter the market. If Honda released that version, you might be able to see the 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine as well to balance the release.

The powertrain might have some lack of push. So, it feels less active. But, we didn’t feel that much different when we try it. It is all thanks to the similar chassis that Civic also uses. Known as one of the athletic cars from Honda, it seems that the ability of the Civic also seeps into the 2023 Honda HR-V performance.

The good news is Honda HR-V has a good EPA score for fuel economy. The highway test produces a good result with 2 mpg lower than the EPA estimation, which is a 25-30 mpg rating on all-wheel drive mode. In FWD mode, it also has a good result with 26 mpg for city roads and 32 mpg for highways.

Wide and Comfortable Interior

The interior is another inspired-by-Civic-type interior. It has a classic vibe with gorgeous looks. The front seats have a wide range of adjustment features, allowing you to sit comfortably. It also uses the Magic Seat feature on the second row. Thanks to this feature, you can create more space to add to your cargo capacity. Speaking about cargo, it also has a lift-over height feature to help you load heavy items.

As for infotainment purposes, Honda uses the 7.0-inch or 9.0-inch touchscreen, depending on the model. It also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for your mobile entertainment need. On the EX-L model, you also get the wireless connectivity feature, including a wireless charging pad for mobile phones. Furthermore, it also has standard Honda entertainment features, such as satellite radio, navigation system, and Wi-Fi hotspot.

Price and Release Date

Honda released the new HR-V as the 2023 model on June 7, 2022. It is available in three models, the LX, Sport, and EX-L. As for their prices, you can get LX at $24,895, the Sport model at $26,895, and the EX-L model at $28,695

Conclusion

Indeed, the new Honda HR-V might lack many things, even though Honda said they have improved it. It feels that when you improve one part, the other part will fall behind. However, it is still a good subcompact crossover vehicle from this brand. Its design, acceptable performance and comfortable interior match the low price Honda offered for this product. So, are you ready to try the 2023 Honda HR-V?