Trims and Powertrain

Four trim levels – the LX, Sport, EX, and EX-L – round out the choices for HR-V buyers this model year. Their powertrain consists of a 141-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that efficiently manages the gear ratios. A front-wheel drivetrain comes as the default, but most New England drivers will prefer the option of all-wheel drive. FWD HR-Vs are, according to the official EPA estimates, expected to achieve 28 mpg around town and 34 mpg on the open road; with AWD those figures are adjusted to 27 city/31 highway.

LX

This base trim has air conditioning, automatic-off headlights, front- and second-row 12-volt power outlets, 17-inch wheels, a USB port, a passenger-side seatback pocket, second-row heat and AC ducts, a multi-angle backup camera with fixed guidelines, and a basic infotainment system with a 5-inch LCD display, Bluetooth for hands-free phone use and audio streaming, and an audio setup with four speakers. It’s easy to accommodate cargo thanks to the practical second-row Magic Seat, which splits and folds into a variety of handy configurations to take on items that would be a challenge to fit inside any other subcompact crossover. The cargo area is equipped with tie-down anchors for extra versatility in carrying stuff.

Sport

The Sport adds some features that boost its namesake personality, such as paddle shifters, gloss-black outer trim, an exhaust-pipe finisher, 18-inch wheels, leather wrapping for the steering wheel and shifter knob, roof rails, fog lights, and sport pedals. Its backup camera is enhanced with dynamic guidelines, plus it gets rear-window privacy glass and some additional infotainment and connectivity features, including a 7-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a higher-wattage sound system, Pandora compatibility, and hands-free texting. Another USB port is added as well.

EX

The EX goes back to 17-inch wheels and drops the Sport-specific elements (such as the sport pedals, gloss-black accents, and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob), but it gets its own special bounty with heated front seats, a moonroof, automatic climate control, auto on/off headlights, keyless entry, heated exterior mirrors with turn-signal indicators, illuminated driver and front passenger vanity mirrors, and some infotainment additions: HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, and another pair of speakers. Honda Sensing, the proprietary package of advanced safety technologies, is also standard to equip the EX with automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, and Honda LaneWatch blind-spot monitoring.

EX-L

Leather marks the EX-L, enrobing its seats, steering wheel, and shifter knob. It also gets an auto-dimming rearview mirror and all of the upgrades mentioned for the EX.

Standard Equipment

The base-level LX gets automatic-off headlights, front- and second-row 12-volt power outlets, a USB port, a passenger-side seatback pocket, cargo area tie-down anchors, a multi-angle backup camera with fixed guidelines, The second row is set up with its own HVAC ducts and Honda’s practical Magic Seat, which splits and folds into a variety of handy configurations to take on items that would be a challenge to fit inside any other subcompact crossover. The Sport trim gets some upgrades: roof rails, rear-window privacy glass, fog lights, exterior trim in gloss-black, an exhaust finisher, an additional USB port, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, sport pedals, leather wrapping for the steering wheel and shifter knob, 18-inch wheels, and a backup camera that’s improved with dynamic guidelines.

The EX drops the Sport’s special exterior elements along with its sport pedals and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, but it gets a moonroof, heated front seats, push-button start, illuminated driver and front passenger vanity mirrors, automatic climate control, automatic-on/off headlights, keyless entry, and heated exterior mirrors with turn-signal indicators. The leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob return at the EX-L level, which also receives leather seating and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Safety and Technology

The two highest HR-V trims (EX and EX-L) have Honda Sensing on their standard equipment list. This suite of advanced driver-assist technologies consists of automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, and Honda LaneWatch blind-spot monitoring.

The infotainment system starts out with a 5-inch LCD display in the base LX, plus Bluetooth for hands-free phone use and audio streaming, and a sound system with two pairs of speakers. Improvements to the other trims include a 7-inch touchscreen, smartphone integration (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), a higher-wattage sound system, Pandora compatibility, and hands-free texting. The EX and EX-L also get SiriusXM satellite radio, high-def radio, and two additional speakers.

*(NHSTA) Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side airbags (SAB).