The Honda HR-V range has been refreshed with subtle design tweaks, some minor safety upgrades, and powertrain improvements. This Botanical Green HR-V is the top spec e:HEV L and comes with 18” alloy wheels as standard and has been fitted with the optional Style Pack that adds a front and rear under spoiler, tinted front windows, and carpet floor mats.
The hybrid HR-V is powered by 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle engine paired with Honda’s 2-motor hybrid system. This produces a modest 96kW of power and 253Nm of torque and there have been some software improvements to the Power Control Unit for smoother transitions between electric and hybrid driving modes. The only letdown in the powertrain is the CVT, as it searches to match the engine’s rpm adding to the sluggish power delivery, so I had no want to use the steering wheel-mounted deceleration paddle selectors while driving the HR-V.
Unlike traditional hybrids, the e:HEV L’s engine aids the electric motor, not the other way around. The e:HEV L takes the energy you generate from braking and turns it into electricity that charges its own battery. There are three drive modes available Econ, Normal, and Sport and I spent the week in Normal and I used 6.8L/100km of petrol, with the official combined fuel consumption being 4.3L/100km. The hybrid models have received revised suspension tuning, but for me it felt a bit too firm, especially over uneven road surfaces. I did note that the steering felt nice in the HR-V though.
The HR-V is the smallest SUV in Honda Australia’s line-up and I had to remember to duck my head when I got in and out as has a low door frame and more than once I hit my head on it. Although it may be a small SUV, the HR-V is definitely not lacking on features, starting with handsfree keyless entry and keyless start, so your key fob can stay in your handbag at all times.
The seats have black leatherette and fabric trim and both front seats are heated with manual adjustment for recline and forward/back, with the driver’s seat also having manual seat height adjustment. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is also heated and apart from a small amount of gloss black plastic on the steering wheel and centre console, I liked the rest of the trim in the HR-V.
The 9-inch central touchscreen has wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto that uses the USB-A port and the Android Auto worked well for me. The media sources include AM/FM radio, DAB, Bluetooth, Smart phone and USB and there’s a six-speaker stereo in this HR-V. Voice control is operated by pressing the button on the steering wheel with the masculine-looking silhouette on it, but it only works when voice tags have been enabled. The driver also gets a digital dash with configurable information panels on it.
The HR-V now has two large and deep storage cubbies at the front of the centre console, which both can fit a smart phone, and the top cubby has one USB-C port and one USB-A port adjacent to it. In addition to the two cup holders in the centre console there are also good-sized drink bottle storage cubbies in front doors as well.
I like that there are physical buttons and dials for the dual-zone climate control and that the HR-V didn’t appear to have the same issues with the air conditioning system that I have experienced on all of the other new Hondas that I have recently driven. One slightly different feature it did have though was the outer dash vents have a knob that allows you to turn them off, have the centre moveable vent operational or the outer rigid vent blowing, but you can’t close the central vents though.
The rear door handle is located in the C-pillar and the HR-V is only a four-seater, with both rear seats having an ISOfix/rear tether child seat restraint point. I found that there was a good amount of leg room for me, but head room was tight, and I had a nice amount of under thigh support, which is something many smaller vehicles lack. There are two central air vents with individual direction control and one central roller on/off switch and two USB-C ports below the vents with a cubby for a phone.
The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two rigid cup holders in it and there is a small drink bottle cubby also located in the arm rest of each door, so it’s within easy reach for children. The rear seats do something clever in the HR-V, they flip up and can be secured, so that you can carry bulky or tall items like a pot plant. I also like the single mat across the rear floor because it fits nicely and makes vacuuming out the car easier.
Another clever feature on the HR-V is the gesture open boot with the hands free walkaway button that allows you to push the close button, gather items from your boot, then walk away and the boot closes and the vehicle locks automatically. For all other car brands you have to press the button after you pick up your items, like heavy groceries, and either put them on the ground or reach up while holding those items. In addition, you can also open and close the powered tailgate from the button on it, the key fob, and a button in the cabin.
The HR-V has an adequately sized boot for a small family with four tie downs, one hook, and lights. The tyre repair kit is neatly packaged in the side of the boot wit some extra storage available under the boot floor. If more space is required the rear seats have a 60:40 split folding mechanism with the release on seat shoulders and the seats lie flat when folded down.
The Honda HR-V has a 4-star ANCAP (2022) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 82% and a Child Occupant Protection score of 77%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. The Honda HR-V is fitted with an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, a lane support system (LSS) with lane keep assist, and emergency lane keeping as standard. ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in all scenarios, including AEB Junction Assist where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle or pedestrian. Overall, effectiveness of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system performance was rated as GOOD. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed some GOOD performance, including several of the more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios. Over performance of the LSS system was classified as GOOD and the ANCAP Safety Assist score is 69%.
Other Honda Sensing driver safety features include Traffic Sign Recognition System, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Blind Spot Information System. The standard rear-view camera comes with front and rear parking sensors and for convenience you get auto lights with high beam support, and auto rain-sensing front wipers.
All new Honda’s sold in Australia come with the Honda Road Ahead Guarantee that includes a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, five years Premium Roadside Assist, five years map updates for the satellite navigation system, and a 5-year Honda Connect subscription. For the Honda HR-V the service schedule is every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first with the first five services capped at $199 each.
Purchasing your new Honda is made easy with the Honda One Price Promise. This means your new Honda has the same price no matter which Honda Centre you visit in your State or Territory, haggle free! Prices for this Botanical Green Pearlescent Honda HR-V e:HEV L start at $42,900 drive away in NSW and as tested with the optional Style Pack ($1,620), this HR-V was $44,520 drive away,. Visit your preferred Honda Centre or build and price your new Honda HR-V online for a drive away price in your State or Territory.
| Pros | Cons |
| The refresh has added some good upgrades | The CVT |
| Rear passenger comfort and rear seat functionality | The suspension is on the firm side |
| The walk away boot close button | Voice control only works with voice tags |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.