2023 Honda HR-V revealed, is now Civic-based and bigger
This is our first look at the 2023 Honda HR-V. It is not, however, a full and detailed download of the car. Honda released these three photos, a short video and some preliminary details about the car today. More information is going to become available in the coming months, Honda says.
All that said, there’s a lot to go on right now. For starters, Honda was serious when it said the U.S. version of the HR-V would be nothing like the European or Japanese version. The HR-V we get here has an entirely different body and styling direction, for better or worse — you decide.
Honda didn’t provide dimensions or exact specs but says this new HR-V has both a longer wheelbase and wider stance than the outgoing car. It also has a much longer hood and significantly upsized grille. All of this extra size exists because the HR-V is now based on the 11th-gen Honda Civic’s platform. That inherently upsizes the model, since the outgoing HR-V was based on the old Fit’s platform. Being based on the Civic, Honda is promising that it will be more “refined, confident and fun-to-drive with substantially improved dynamics and powertrain responsiveness.”
If the HR-V retains some of the new Civic’s driving characteristics, it will indeed be a massive improvement to how the model comports itself on the road. Honda doesn’t go into exactly what engine will be powering the HR-V, but it will most likely be fitted with one of the Civic’s powertrains. That means that it’ll get either the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder, or 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Honda goes only so far as saying the HR-V will “feature a more responsive engine,” but that’s all for now. Our best guess would be the 2.0-liter. Since the outgoing HR-V made do with a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder, the new 2.0-liter would be a marked improvement. That said, we wouldn’t complain about having the option for the turbo.
Some exterior styling details that Honda points out are the new LED headlights and taillights, larger greenhouse, newly-hidden wiper blade look and door-mounted mirrors. Similar to the new Civic, the HR-V also features Honda’s new laser-brazing technology that rids the car of roof moldings, not as though you’d see them all that often on an SUV anyway.
No photos of the interior are being made available for now, and all Honda says is that the new car will feature excellent visibility from the cabin thanks to a low beltline and emphasis placed on a low cowl height. If some of the new Civic’s refinement finds its way into the HR-V, that would once again be a huge improvement over the current model.
The new HR-V is set to launch this summer, according to Honda. The video in this post of the car shows various color options, so give that a watch if you’re curious about the color palette. And in the meantime, watch out for more details coming at a later date.
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