OVERVIEW All-wheel-drive, subcompact crossover PROSMoves easily through traffic, Honda LaneWatch a great feature CONSTight front-seat legroom, noisy when accelerating VALUE FOR MONEYReasonable WHAT TO CHANGE?Add more front-seat legroom HOW TO SPEC IT?HR-V Sport ($28,800) Introduced in 2015 for the 2016 model year, the subcompact HR-V proved a solid performer for Honda as the smaller sibling to the company’s ever-popular CR-V. A product born of its time, it joined a group of like-minded cute-utes — think Subaru Crosstrek, Mazda CX-3, Chevy Trax, Mitsubishi RVR, and others — as city- and wallet-friendly, soft-riding, all-wheel-drive runabouts. The only problem — and one that didn’t seem to have an overly detrimental effect on sales — was that it was vanilla, with mainstream styling and more focus on utility than fun. The 2019 model year sees a freshening for the HR-V, one that perks up its personality just a bit — revised bumpers, headlights, grille and taillights, but with no changes to the powertrain.  More importantly, considering that since the junior Honda’s debut four years earlier, the small crossover segment has seen a further influx of competitive models — led by the bold, stylish and clearly youth-oriented Hyundai Kona — the HR-V gains two new trim levels, Sport and Touring. Blackout trim and 18-inch wheels visually distinguish the Sport, while the all-wheel-drive-only Touring, the version tested here, gets multi-element LED headlights, dark chrome trim, and LED fog lights. Clearly the HR-V Touring is the sophisticate of the model range, its $31,900 price tag — $8,600 more than the base LX-2WD — indicative, supposedly, of a fully loaded vehicle offering buyers a more refined driving experience. With just the paint alone — a new, bright and sunny shade called Orange Burst Metallic — the HR-V seems a friendly, happier crossover than previously. Oh, it’s still destined to appeal to a more mature audience than some of its rivals — the aforementioned Kona, plus the Kia Soul, Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR, Mini Countryman, for instance, but not all of these nameplates come with AWD. And it’s still powered by the same competent yet unexciting 1.8-litre SOHC four-cylinder hooked up to a continuously variable transmission. But it just doesn’t quite feel as utilitarian as before. Some credit has to go to the added content that comes with the Touring trim, notably double-stitched leather-trimmed seats, with eight-way power adjustment for the driver. Of a more pragmatic nature, all HR-Vs benefits from upgrades the CVT resulting in, at least according to Honda, “a more natural driving feel and quieter operation.” I really couldn’t discern much difference; the engine is still growly when accelerating. Other measures to reduce interior noise include additional sound deadening in the fenders and floor, plus the inclusion of Active Noise Cancelling on Sport and above grades. Furthermore, on HR-V EXs and above trims, the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive tech is standard. This includesmcollision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Still, the best safety feature Honda offers, is its LaneWatch system. Simply, anytime a right turn is signaled before changing lanes, a small camera on the passenger-side mirror turns on and displays live video on the centre touchscreen. It’s standard on the Sport and Touring. So, it’s a fair assessment to say the HR-V has become a more complete vehicle in its middle years, the better to compete with the newer competition. On the whole, though, it still doesn’t provide the same driving experience as, say, either the Hyundai Kona or Mazda CX-3. Acceleration is leisurely, the HR-V taking about 10.5 seconds to get to from zero to 100 km/h — almost a second slower than the Mazda. It’s slower in passing power (80 to 120 km/h) as well. To be fair, the subcompact crossover category isn’t known for breeding sportsters, and the Honda’s lack of urge isn’t nearly as noticeable in city driving where its compacted dimensions make it ideal for moving through traffic as well as slipping into tight parking spots. As for fuel economy, I averaged 9.9 L/100 kilometres during my week with the Touring — reasonable enough, when considering almost all of my driving was done in the city. Overall, the HR-V’s interior accommodations make it surprisingly hospitable for family use — with one caveat; it would be far more comfortable for those occupying the front seats to not be tall. Seriously, I’m six-foot-two, and even with the driver’s seat as far back in its track as possible, it was as though I was sitting in an armchair — I have more legroom in my Miata. This is OK for shorter distances, but on longer drives, I would need more stretch-out room, which the HR-V lacks. Yet, it’s overly generous in the legroom department for those in the back seats, kind of bass-ackward to my way of thinking. But
Origin: SUV Review: 2019 Honda HR-V Touring