Five Things to Know About the 2019 Honda HR-V
It’s not easy standing out in the subcompact SUV segment that offers so much choice for the consumer. And yet, the Honda HR-V manages to do just that, because after the first quarter of 2019 in Canada, the HR-V ranked third in sales in its category, behind the Hyundai Kona and the Nissan Qashqai, but ahead of the Mazda CX-3 and Mitsubishi RVR. Here are five things to know about the 2019 Honda HR-V.
New Sport and Touring Trim Levels
The HR-V LX still stands as the entry-level trim, but the EX and EX-L have been replaced by the Sport and the Touring. The HR-V Sport relies on a more dynamic appearance with blacked-out trim on its bodywork, 18-inch alloy wheels, a black roofliner and alloy pedals. The pricier and upscale HR-V Touring benefits from LED headlights and fog lamps, dark chrome exterior trim, leather upholstery with double stitching and an eight-way power driver’s seat.
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Revised Styling
For the 2019 model year, the HR-V obtains a few cosmetic changes, with new bumpers, redesigned headlight clusters and grille as well as reworked taillights. The White Orchid Pearl paint has been replaced by Platinum White Pearl and Orange Burst Metallic is now available on Sport and Touring trims. Honda also added sound-deadening material in the floor and fenders, and an active noise cancellation system is included in the Sport and the Touring.
Fuel Economy
The 2019 Honda HR-V is still equipped with a 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine that develops 141 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque. However, the manual transmission has been abandoned in favour of the continuously variable automatic that’s now standard across the board, and which received improvements to provide “a more natural driving feel.” As for the all-wheel drivetrain, it’s optional in the LX and included in the Sport and Touring trims, and so equipped, the HR-V consumes as little as 8.2 L/100 km with a mix of city and highway driving.
Like Magic
Thanks to its clever rear-seat design, or what the company calls its Magic Seat, the 2019 Honda HR-V offers one of the most generous cargo areas in its class, its volume ranging between 1,583 and 1,665 litres according to the trim level chosen. In addition, the rear seat cushions can be flipped upwards, freeing up the floor and allowing for hauling tall objects.
Essential features
Retailing from $23,300 before freight and delivery charges, the HR-V LX includes a sound system with a seven-inch touchscreen as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, while the Sport variant adds two more speakers for a total of six, and the Touring benefits from a navigation system. Lane keep assist, forward collision warning with collision braking mitigation and adaptive cruise control are also available.