5 Reasons To Love The 2022 Honda HR-V
Back in April, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) introduced the all-new 3rd generation of its HR-V subcompact crossover SUV. The Honda HR-V was essentially one of the first subcompact crossovers to be introduced locally and was already in the market way before newer and competitively priced models from China arrived.
Of course, we couldn’t wait to get our hands behind the wheel of the HR-V and come May of this year, HCPI invited us to join an overnight media drive a couple of months ago from Manila to Batangas and back with both variants of their newest model.
From that experience, it was not hard to find things to love about this really good crossover and here’s five of them:
Sleek and Sporty Design
The 2022 Honda HR-V definitely deserves a perfect grade of 100% when it comes to styling. While the previous generation surely looked good, the new one is more modern, sleeker, and a lot more upmarket. Horizontal lines seem to be the main theme here and all those lines definitely work well.
Another good thing is that each variant has their own unique and distinguishable look in front. The non-turbo 1.5 S CVT gets horizontal slats for the front grille while the 1.5 V Turbo gets a mesh pattern design. The rear on the other hand gets a really sleek looking pair of LED taillights, connected by a light bar. In addition, the HR-V looks great in whatever color you pick. My personal favorites are Meteoroid Gray Pearl and Premium Opal White Silver Pearl which looks best when under the sun.
Well Packaged Interior
Being a Honda, the HR-V unsurprisingly has a very well-packaged interior from practicality, tech features, and looks. The design is a lot better than before and all controls are very ergonomically placed. The dials for the climate control, buttons and scroll wheels on the steering wheel, and other controls all have a nice and tactile feel.
As for materials, while it is honestly a downgrade compared to the previous generation, it is still good to note that quality remains superb as expected from a Honda product. The plastics all feel well-built. The fabric or leather material for the seats, depending on the variant, also gives the feeling of high quality.
Space is also excellent with a very good amount of space for rear passengers. Of course, how can we forget Honda’s ULT (Utility, Long, Tall) seats on the HR-V. This means that this is a very practical vehicle where you can fold the rear seats flat for maximum space, fold the front passenger seat down together with one rear seat flat to carry longer items, and fold the rear seat bottoms up to load taller items like maybe a plant. Whichever configuration you use, the HR-V can fit anything.
Engine & Driving Performance
The 2022 Honda HR-V comes with two engine options, the 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated i-VTEC from the City subcompact sedan, and the 1.5-liter VTEC Turbo from the Civic. Whichever engine you get, you will definitely love how the HR-V performs. The former produces 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque while the latter, 178 horsepower and 240 Nm. Both are paired to an Earth Dreams continuously variable transmission (CVT) which Honda tunes very well.
Based on our drive, the non-turbo option seems very well-suited for city driving as it provides enough power and torque for daily commutes. It feels a lot like the City and that’s not a bad thing. The winner though is the turbo from the Civic as it gifts the HR-V with quick acceleration, more driving confidence, and a quieter cabin experience.
Maximum Safety
Just like the current generation Civic compact sedan which was introduced last year with standard Honda SENSING across the range, the HR-V follows suit. SENSING is Honda’s suite of advanced driver-assistance tech which improves safety not only for its occupants, but also for fellow road users.
Both HR-V variants are equipped with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Prevention, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, and Lead Car Departure Notification System.
Competitively Priced
Finally, the 2022 Honda HR-V is priced very competitively if you compare what it has to offer against its competition. The entry-level 1.5 S CVT Honda SENSING is priced at just Php 1,250,000, well within the range of some Chinese compact crossovers and the entry-level variant of the recently introduced Nissan Kicks e-POWER. It also undercuts the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 G CVT and Mazda CX-30 2.0 FWD Sport which are both priced higher.
Meanwhile, the 1.5 V Turbo CVT Honda SENSING variant is priced at Php 1,598,000, which undercuts again both the Toyota Corolla Cross, this time the 1.8 V HEV, and the Mazda CX-30 2.0 M-Hybrid. It is however good to note that those have some form of electrification in their powertrains.
