Here’s what you can expect from the non-hybrid 2025 Honda HR-V in PH

You’ve probably seen all the news about the refreshed 2025 Honda HR-V which once launched in the coming months will finally be available with Honda’s e:HEV hybrid powertrain.

READ: The Honda HR-V finally gets electrified in PH

Unlike Toyota Motor Philippines though, and the HR-V’s main rival—the Corolla Cross, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) decided not to make their subcompact crossover offering’s lineup all hybrid and still offers full-ICE variants for those who are still not keen on electrified vehicle ownership.

For starters, the turbocharged engine from the Civic will be dropped from the lineup. Instead, the non-hybrid variants will be powered by the City and BR-V’s 1.5-liter L15 Inline 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine that produces 121 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque, mated to an Earth Dreams CVT. 

This same engine was already available on the pre-refresh HR-V, but only on the entry-level 1.5 S CVT variant.

In terms of looks, you can expect to see the same changes as the RS e:HEV such as the new front bumpers, new 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels, 

Instead of a chrome-accented mesh grille, the V will make do with a horizontal-slatted grille similar to the Japanese-market Vezel, but finished in black instead of body-colored. The lower grille will also get a honeycomb pattern instead.

Inside, the V loses the RS e:HEV’s sporty red accents in favor of an all-black affair. It still gets leather seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

New features for the V that were not available before include a LaneWatch camera, power adjustments for the driver’s seat, and rain-sensing wipers. Rear-parking sensors, auto-tilting side mirrors (on reverse), and a wireless phone charger have also been added. 

Interestingly, Honda has decided to take away the half-digital instrument cluster from the pre-refresh V, in favor of a more traditional analog gauge cluster with a 4.2-inch information display in the center.

As before, the full suite of Honda SENSING is still standard. This equips the HR-V 1.5 V CVT with adaptive cruise control with low speed follow, collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, auto high beams, and lead car departure notification. 

Honda CONNECT is also now standard on the V just like on the RS e:HEV. This allows owners to access various vehicle functions via mobile app. 

Pricing is not yet available but Honda Cars Philippines did say that the 2025 HR-V will be priced at around Php 1.6- to 1.9-million. We’re betting this to stay at around the same price, if not slightly more affordable than the pre-refresh 1.5 V Turbo CVT variant.

Would you choose the 2025 Honda HR-V 1.5 V CVT over its higher-spec RS e:HEV sibling, or perhaps against its rivals such as the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV and Mitsubishi Xforce?