The 2022 HR-V is Trying to Get Sportier
It’s about time! The Honda HR-V is finally being redesigned for 2022. The 2022 Honda HR-V will serve as the smallest SUV that Honda has to offer, and some exciting upgrades are in the works to battle rivals like the Toyota C-HR.
What to expect with the 2022 Honda CR-V
According to Car and Driver, the 2022 Honda HR-V was spotted as it was being tested around town. But unfortunately, camouflage covers its looks. We’re excited to see how the refresh HR-V turns out because it hasn’t been updated since 2015.
If it looks like the new Honda Odyssey, it will have a wider grille and new LED lights. Plus, sharper angles will give it a more competitive look. We wish we could use the Honda Vezel for clues, but that’s the version of the HR-V that will only be released in Japan. In the U.S., we’re getting a totally different version.
Meanwhile, the Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30 have hot new looks and are crowding the marketspace. So, the new HR-V needs to bring to heat to compete in the subcompact market.
Rumors suggest that the Honda HR-V will continue to ride on the same platform that the Honda Fit uses. While the Fit was discontinued in the United States, it remains popular in global markets.
This is because the layout places the fuel tank under the front seats to provide a low cargo floor and more cabin space. It makes the HR-V bigger than it looks on the inside. But the HR-V could still become taller and wider.
Will the 2022 HR-V have more power?
Maybe. The 2022 Honda HR-V may have the 2.0-liter inline-four engine with 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. This is the engine that’s currently the standard option in the 2021 Honda Civic. This amount of power sounds a little weak, but it might not be too slow because the HR-V is so light.
With the Civic, you can also upgrade to the 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. This would be a more exciting standard engine, but we will have to wait and see what we get.
The 2021 Kia Seltos has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo that pumps out 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. So, the 1.5-liter turbo would make the HR-V competitive. But when the 2021 Mazda CX-30 gains its 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, no little SUVs will be able to keep up.
Will the Honda HR-V be more capable?
The Kia Seltos comes with standard all-wheel-drive, and that’s pretty impressive. Clues suggest that the 2022 Honda HR-V could come with a gas-powered version that offers AWD too. This will help it tackle snow and other slippery conditions.
Along with gas powertrains, we could see a new hybrid powertrain too. It will have a 1.5-liter engine with two electric motors to produce 107 hp, like the Mk4 Honda Fit, unless it has a higher capacity battery pack.
It’s expected to gain a 9-inch infotainment system that includes optional navigation with a 12-month map update service. Also, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are expected to be standard with an optional Wi-Fi hotspot.
