The second-generation Honda HR-V is finally here and boy is it different. The vehicle that serves as genesis for this particular Honda model is far more compact and angular than the new crossover is. Now we have a vision of exactly what the 2023 HR-V looks like and how Honda wants it to affect the brand as a whole.
Every aspect of the exterior design is way
more conventional but thankfully, the engine will get even more power. That
won’t take much since the outgoing model makes just 141-horsepower from its 1.8-liter four-pot. What we can’t confirm yet is exactly how much more
power the new car will make.
That might sound strange to customers from
across the pond since Honda has already released an HR-V there. However, that
model is actually a totally different beast so it’s not indicative of what
we’re getting here. To make it even more confusing, Honda will also sell North
America’s HR-V in European markets from next year, but in those places, they’ll
change the name to something else they haven’t communicated yet.
Honda has made it clear that the US and
Canadian market 2023 HR-V will ride on the same platform as the 11th generation
Civic. That car has a wheelbase that’s about five inches longer than the
outgoing HR-V so expect more space in both directions as Honda says it’ll be
wider too without getting into specific numbers.
With that information in mind, it’s easy
to surmise that Honda will use any number of engines from the Civic for the new
HR-V. The base Civic engine already makes more power from it’s 2.0-liter
four-cylinder unit at 158-hp than the 2022 HR-V. If Honda’s more adventurous,
we could also see the compact model’s 180-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged four making
an appearance too.
The unrelated European and Asian market
2022 Honda HR-V has a completely different look than the North American model
