2020 Honda HR-V Sport: Smart Solutions In A Simple Vehicle

Now the 2020 Honda HR-V Sport continues to be a popular choice in the small SUV segment. As a Sport model, HR-V shows us more sportiness in the interior and exterior. Does this combination work for HR-V? The first Honda HR-V was from 1998 to 2006 with a size smaller than today. The new generation has been available since the end of 2015.

The car shares a platform with the new Honda Jazz and is being built in Mexico for Europe and the United States. In Japan, HR-V operates under the name Vezel. The MSRP in the US is $24,000 with AWD-CVT and $22,500 with 2WD-CVT.

What’s New from the 2020 Honda HR-V Sport?

Exterior

Honda HR-V Sport headlights forming a smiling front line and create a unit with the grille. Maybe from a distance, you will find it difficult to distinguish between HR-V and larger CR-V. The headlamps use LED technology in sports trims. In the side profile, the Honda HR-V is relatively box-like for space efficiency.

The roofline only drops slightly, and the rear window forms a dot that hides the back door handle. The side design lines are quite impressive, with the grooves going up from front to back.

With a length of 4.33 m, the Honda HR-V still looks very compact. The tail lamp has no definite form; even so, it goes in all directions simultaneously.

The Honda HR-V Sport comes with black accents on the bumper and side mirrors, 18-inch rims (base: 16 inches, 17 inches for winter tires). The sport exhaust system, dual flow, adds to the sport’s impression, and Platinum Gray Metallic is an exclusive gray color for the HR-V Sport.

 

Interior

The interior is practical and functional, with some valuable details. For example, there is a high-quality covering for the inside of the door, wrapping with hard plastic if necessary, it shows that it doesn’t always have to be leather at a higher trim level. The cloth cover is even on the back door. The Honda HR-V Sport comes with sports seats in a combination of black / red faux leather fabric and aluminum sport pedals.

The 7-inch center touch screen brings together most functions, even though the software is outdated. The smartphone pair only works via Bluetooth because Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are only available from Honda in the US, but not in Germany.

Many shiny black surfaces look of high quality, but this quickly becomes dusty or oily due to fingerprints. The air conditioning unit works in capacitive areas, and this is not practical when operating when you are driving.

The sitting position is upright even though you are in a relatively small car, which is the advantage of this SUV. Even tall people can easily find a comfortable place. Also, there is plenty of knee space in the back seat.

Apart from that, a magic chair is standard, and you can fold it to transport tall objects like plants in the back. You can fold the back seat and passenger seat entirely to create a large loading area from back to front.

The position of the chair is slightly lower so that the loading surface is flat. If you order a panoramic roof, then there isn’t enough headroom for the tall people behind.

On the other hand, the panoramic roof naturally allows a lot of light to enter the interior. The overall utilization of space is excellent, with full trunks of 430 l to 1,470 l. There are several lines of equipment, namely, Comfort, Elegance, Executive, and Sport.

1. Comfort (standard)

• Bluetooth handsfree
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Magic Chair
• Cruise control
• Seat heaters

2. Additional elegance (plus around €3,000):

• Automatic climate control with two-zone control and pollen filters
• 7-inch touch screen
• Parking assistance front and rear
• rain sensor

3. Additional executives (plus around €3,000):

• Seat covers in a fabric/leather blend design
• 7-inch touch screen including the navigation system
• Rearview camera
• Privacy glass
• panoramic roof

4. Additional sports (plus another € 2,000)

• turbo engine
• Spoilers and sport design
• Sports exhaust system
• Sports shock absorbers
• aluminum pedals

Engines and Performance

It is always with FWD, a 1.5-liter gas engine with 130 hp, 6-speed manual, or automatic CVT (10.2 seconds or 11.2 seconds to reach 0-100 km / h). 1.5-liter turbo petrol with 182 hp with 6-speed manual trans or automatic CVT in HR-V Sport (7.8 seconds or 8.6 seconds to reach 0-100 km / h). In the US, 1.8 liters with 140 hp, automatic CVT, front-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive.

A petrol engine with 130 hp is enough for a small and light vehicle. Of course, you can’t make crazy speeds, but you can handle it in most situations. You can overcome its strength in the city, but you have to beat a slight lack of Honda HR-V if you want to go faster on the highway.

With a 7.5 l / 100 km consumption, you drive fuel-efficient, and the instrument will turn green with a framing circle. However, an additional small green switch with a leaf on it should be another fuel-saving aid, but we see almost no difference in throttle response, etc.

Manual shifting saves money, and the optional automatic CVT works without gears ensuring continuous power, especially in the low-speed range. Manual shift with a tiny shift lever, the details are a bit funny.

Honda designed the primary HR-V chassis for pleasant comfort in the city and on uneven roads. Even so, the Honda HR-V only began to shake slightly when its speed increased.

Now the Honda HR-V Sport comes with a more reliable turbo engine and a tighter sports suspension. 1.5 Turbo provides more substantial power and makes the driving experience more enjoyable.

You have more reserves of power, especially on the freeway. You can also go at lower speeds and drive quieter.

You can even drive a little lazy with consumption that is not too high, maybe because you can also operate at lower speeds with consumption of less than 7 l / 100 km.

Sports damper reduces primary chassis shake, works well on a level road, and makes for a sporty experience. However, you must accept the potholes’ loss of comfort with 17-inch rims on winter tires because it compensates a little for the sports damper. But, 18-inch summer tires provide more sporty handling.

Honda implemented ANC (Active Noise Canceling) as new technology to make the interior quiet. The microphone takes the engine’s sound, and the exhaust system then sends a counter signal that suppresses noise. Meanwhile, automatic city emergency brakes are standard.

Dimension

• Length: 4.29 m
• Width: 1.77 m
• Height: 1.60 m
• Wheelbase: 2.61 m
• Empty weight: 1,312 kg

Exterior additional accessories in the US

Conclusion

The small Honda HR-V has plenty of room at almost 4.30 m in the cabin, a simple and uncomplicated vehicle that presents innovative solutions such as textile coatings on the inside of doors or magic seats.

Although there are some unsightly details in processing, higher-quality offerings are available where sports equipment adds more high-quality and intelligent information.

Honda HR-V Sport is more sporty in terms of appearance and driving techniques. It’s more fun on a level road and less comfortable on the potholes. Overall, the HR-V provides a clear concept if you are looking for a versatile and straightforward vehicle.