Honda’s smallest crossover is due for an overhaul.
The HR-V has been around for six years in the North American market, and we’re just two weeks away from seeing what the next-generation car will look like on April 4. Granted, the automaker has bestowed some (relatively minor) updates to the CR-V’s smaller sibling since it went on sale, but the competition hasn’t been sitting around, even in this segment. Honda needs to fend off models like the Jeep Renegade, Toyota Corolla Cross, Mazda CX-30 and several others chipping away at its sales. With gas prices as they currently are, too, it’s a good time for the automaker to focus downmarket on smaller, more fuel efficient models that folks may actually snap up in the current climate.
Honda teased the HR-V a bit…but there are still plenty of questions
While we are just two weeks out from the reveal, Honda isn’t keen to share too much information just yet. From what we can see here, the HR-V will have a new taillight design — but that’s par for the course with generational updates. Their last teaser in early January provided a better idea of what to expect. Perhaps most importantly, that sketch showed a front end design that’s likely to translate to the upcoming, next-generation CR-V as well.
We expect more sweeping changes to the 2023 Honda HR-V when it finally debuts, as well. Powertrain changes are likely, as is a more comprehensive redesign to the cabin. The automaker did say we will see a bespoke HR-V here in the North American market to what’s on sale over in Europe or Japan, so we’ll have to wait and see just how different our version will be.
Not that it’s terribly informative at this point, but if you need a sense of how much the HR-V needs an update, we last covered it back in 2018:
