The Honda HR-V nameplate was first introduced all the way back in 1996, where it lasted for about ten years until 2006 when it was discontinued. Honda brought back the nameplate when they revived it in 2016 with the second generation, the hybrid variant of which was called the Honda Vezel. A compact SUV well known throughout the streets of Pakistan for its excellent fuel economy and generally upscale design and build quality. The HR-V is now entering its third model year with the second generation, so Honda thought it was time for a facelift, so here enters the newly unveiled facelifted Honda HR-V 2019.
Also Read: 2018 Honda Vezel facelift unveiled, launching next month
The Honda HR-V 2019 gets an updated front fascia with new headlights that have a design similar to the current generation Accord with the LED daytime running lights. The front grille has also been changed with some more chrome bits this time around as well. There is also a more aggressive front bumper with larger air inlets. The rest of the styling remains pretty much the same around the vehicle with only minor changes. Two new trim levels are also available for the HR-V called Sport and the Touring.
Step inside the 2019 Honda HR-V and the biggest upgrade you will see is the brand new infotainment system that now not only houses a physical volume knob but both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is most probably going to be the same excellent infotainment system found on the current generation Honda Accord and Honda Odyssey, but weirdly Honda refuses to disclose that information as of now. But at least it has a volume knob which surprisingly was one of the biggest complaints that customers had with the HR-V. Under the hood, the inline-4 engine has remained the same delivering the horsepower and torque figures. Honda does say that they have made changes to the automatic transmission saying its much smoother than before. Among all these changes the cabin even receives some extra sound deadening materials to make for a much quieter cabin than before and a brand new variable-ratio electric power steering.
In terms of safety tech, the top spec HR-V models will now come equipped with Honda Sensing technology. Honda Sensing is Honda’s suite of safety tech that includes lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning as well as an auto brake. Honda hopes to have Honda Sensing as a standard equipment feature on almost all of their models within the United States at least by 2022. Honda has still skimped out on a lot of details pertaining to the brand new HR-V. The company revealed only two official images of it. So we’ll just have to wait till a later date to see what else makes the 2019 HR-V so much better than before.
