Honda HR-V 2018 Review

Honda may have been relatively late to the compact crossver party, but that hasn’t stopped the HR-V becoming the world’s most popular small SUV, according to the Japanese car-maker.

That success hasn’t been emulated in Australia, where HR-V sales have languished behind the larger and more expensive CR-V, which is now Honda Australia’s top-seller, and the Civic hatch/sedan.

Down Under, the Honda HR-V is also less popular than class-leaders like the Mitsubishi ASX, Mazda CX-3, Nissan QASHQAI and Subaru XV, although Honda Australia points out it’s third in the pecking order when it comes to private sales to individuals, not businesses, governments or rental fleets.

Without a manual transmission, all-wheel drive or a diesel engine option, it’s unlikely the HR-V will ever match the popularity of class-leaders like the aged ASX or the same-age CX-3, which was also facelifted this week.

But a thorough midlife makeover that brings worthwhile design and transmission improvements across the range, a standard-setting range-wide safety suite and the sporty new RS model tested here will most certainly put the HR-V on more shopping lists, even if prices are up slightly across the range.

The practicality of a high hip point, class-leading boot space and unique-in-segment ‘magic’ rear seats that fold into the floor to deliver a big, flat cargo area make the HR-V as appealing to young families as empty-nesters.

And now it’s even more attractive with the addition of autonomous emergency braking across the range, allowing the Honda HR-V to brake itself in the event of an imminent collision at speeds between 5 and 32km/h. City-Brake Active System was previously only fitted to the former flagship, the VTi-L.

We covered all the price and spec details of the revised four-variant 2018 line-up here, but all models also get subtle new front-end styling and an upgraded continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with stepped ratios.

Extra sound deadening also makes the range-topping new VTi-LX, which replaces the VTi-L, and the sporty new RS model quieter and more refined.

That said, the Honda HR-V’s sole engine option – the relatively old-tech SOHC non-turbo 1.8-litre petrol four-cylinder petrol that continues to deliver 105kW of power and 172Nm of torque – still sounds pretty raucous.

It’s not as loud as the more powerful (110kW/195Nm) 2.0-litre petrol engine in the updated 2018 CX-3, which comes with a ‘proper’ six-speed torque-converter automatic and also benefits from NVH improvements, but the CVT forces the Honda engine to spend more time at high revs.

So although its refinement is good, that makes the HR-V sound loud a lot of the time, and the ‘slipping clutch’ feel of the CVT also takes the shine off proceedings, even if the new stepped-ratio software allows a little more manual control via classy piano-black steering wheel paddle shifters.

Undoubtedly, the higher-output 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Civic RS would make the HR-V RS a much better ‘sports’ utility vehicle.

As with the CX-3, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone mirroring in the HR-V, which reduces infotainment convenience and is a little disappointing for a small city-crossover.

Apart from its enhanced NVH package, the Honda HR-V RS also shares its new front seats with the VTi-LX flagship, providing plenty of comfort and support.

But what’s unique about the RS – beyond its cool piano-black body kit, which extends to front, rear, side, grille, mirror, door-handle, fog light and wheel-arch cladding, and big black/alloy 18-inch wheels – is its specific chassis tune.

It’s no Jeep Trackhawk, but the Honda HR-V RS steers more sharply, sits flatter in corners, pitches less under braking and has a higher stability control threshold than other 2018 HR-Vs, making it noticeably sportier and more engaging to drive and the pick of the bunch when it comes to rounding up corners.

Yet the more direct electric steering – equipped with variable gear ratio (VGR) tech that results in half a turn less lock-to-lock -- brings no unwanted kick, rattle or torque steer, and the fettled suspension doesn’t have much effect on the HR-V’s supple ride quality.

The piano-black exterior theme continues inside, where the classy gloss material graces the centre console and dashboard, and where leather trim covers the steering wheel and (heated) front seats.

Rear privacy glass, rain-sensing wipers, black headlining and metallic paint ($575 on other HR-V models) comes in addition to range-wide features like AEB, 7.0-inch colour touch-screen, Bluetooth, sat-nav, LED daytime running lights, climate-control and an electric park brake.

From the mid-range VTi-S, there’s also Honda’s LaneWatch system, roof rails, parking sensors, auto LED headlights and push-button start, meaning it’s one of the better-equipped small SUVs.

Priced from about $32,000, the 2018 Honda HR-V RS is a fitting new sports flagship for an upgraded HR-V range that deserves to be on the shopping lists of more small buyers.

How much does the 2018 Honda HR-V cost?
Price: $31,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 105kW/172Nm
Transmission: CVT
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 155g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)