2019 Honda HR-V Gets New Look, New Trims, Apple Carplay™ And Android Auto™ Integration And Available Honda Sensing

July 24, 2018 by Honda

•New Sport trim offers unique styling cues, 18-inch wheels

•New Display Audio with volume knob, Apple CarPlay™ & Android Auto™ integration

•New Touring trim adds multi-element LED headlights, leather-trimmed seats & power driver's seat

•Honda Sensing® suite of active safety and driver-assistive features now available on EX trims and higher

Jul 24, 2018 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- The 2019 Honda HR-V begins arriving today in dealer showrooms around the country with a starting price of $20,520 (excluding $995 destination and handling)1. For 2019, HR-V expands its appeal with the addition of new Sport and Touring trims, refreshed styling, new technology, and a more refined driving experience, adding to an already established reputation as a versatile and sporty 5-door subcompact SUV.

For the first time, HR-V now features the Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies – including but not limited to Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS) – standard on EX and above trims, making Honda Sensing® available on every model Honda sells.

All 2019 HR-V models feature new styling, with revised bumpers, headlights, grille, and taillights, while the new HR-V Sport and Touring trims get a unique look all their own. Blackout trim and 18-inch wheels visually distinguish HR-V Sport trims, while the all-wheel-drive-only Touring trim gets multi-element LED headlights, dark chrome trim, and LED fog lights.

Inside, HR-V benefits from a new Display Audio system featuring a simplified interface that includes a volume knob and the addition of Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ integration. The navigation system, available exclusively in Touring trims, has also been improved with sharper graphics and 3D landmarks. All models feature a redesigned driver's meter with a large analog speedometer and digital tachometer. EX models and above receive a 4.2-inch Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Driver Information Interface color display offering additional selectable information including available turn-by-turn directions.

Sport trims get a unique interior treatment that includes a black headliner, gloss-black trim and sport pedals, while EX and EX-L models get redesigned seat upholstery with high-contrast stitching. Touring models get double-stitched leather-trimmed seats, with 8-way power adjustment for the driver.

The 2019 HR-V benefits from refinements to its standard Continuously Variable automatic Transmission (CVT), resulting in a more natural driving feel and quieter operation. Other measures to reduce interior noise include additional sound deadening in the fenders and floor, plus the inclusion of Active Noise Cancelling on Sport and above grades. HR-V Sport models also receive variable-ratio electric power steering, while upgrades to the available all-wheel drive system yield improved performance in low-traction conditions such as snow.

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

For 2019, HR-V receives exterior styling updates to further expand its appeal. The grille is enhanced by a new interpretation of the 'flying wing' rendered in dark chrome and extending over the new projector-style headlights. Under the chrome band the grille opening has been restyled to emphasize a wide look, and the fog light housings have been enlarged to help give HR-V a more aggressive stance. In the rear, new smoked turn signal lenses are connected by a thin chrome band, lending an upscale air to HR-V's exterior. Three new colors have been added to HR-V's palette: Orange Burst Metallic, Midnight Amethyst Metallic, and Platinum White Pearl. Inside, in addition to the new Display Audio system and its easy-to-use interface, the HR-V has an updated interior with new seat fabrics and upper door panels, and a revised cupholder.

New for 2019 is the HR-V Sport trim. Fitting between LX and EX, the Sport trim gives HR-V a youthful vibe with unique styling touches. HR-V Sport features unique lower body trim, painted glossy black on the lower front and rear bumper, rocker panels, and wheel arches, as well as the gloss-black exterior mirrors. HR-V Sport also receives a honeycomb pattern grille, exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels and tires, and in the rear there's a chrome exhaust finisher. Inside, Sport trims come with the new Display Audio system with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ integration, a blackout headliner, contrast stitching on the seats, leather-covered steering wheel and shifter, and sport-style pedals.

The new line-topping HR-V Touring trim flanks its honeycomb grille with multi-element Honda LED headlights that are unique in the HR-V lineup, as are the 5-element LED fog lights. Touring models come with exclusive 17-inch machined alloy wheels, for an upscale look. HR-V Touring also comes with similar lower-body trim as Sport, but painted body color rather than gloss black, along with the body-color outside mirrors. Inside, Touring trims get double-stitched perforated leather seats with an 8-way power driver's seat.

All 2019 HR-Vs benefit from additional sound deadening measures. Additional sound absorbing materials have been placed in the firewall, under the floor, and in the passenger-side foot well. Sport trims and higher also receive Active Noise Cancellation, which sends reverse-phase audio signals through the HR-V audio system to cancel out low-frequency road noise.

Regardless of trim, the 2019 HR-V offers voluminous interior space for passengers and cargo inside an exterior package that's compact and easy to park. Thanks to a revised stay-spring mechanism for the hatch, it's now easier than ever to access HR-V's cargo space of 24.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats (23.2 cubic feet with AWD). HR-V also uses the multi-position 2nd row Magic Seat®, similar to Fit, which is easily reconfigured for maximum cargo and passenger carrying capacity. HR-V also offers up to 100.1 cubic feet of passenger space with abundant rear seat head and legroom, especially considering HR-V's compact outer dimensions.

POWERTRAIN
The 2019 Honda HR-V is powered by a 141 horsepower, 1.8-liter DOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine. Driving either the front or all four wheels, all HR-V models now use a Continuously Variable automatic Transmission (CVT). The 6-speed manual transmission has been discontinued for the 2019 model year.

HR-V's CVT receives numerous upgrades for the 2019 model year to help provide a more natural feeling driving experience. At full throttle, the CVT now features revised shift mapping that, under hard acceleration, more closely resembles the stepped gear changes of a conventional fixed-gear transmission. This 'stepped' feel gives HR-V a more familiar feel during acceleration, while also helping to reduce interior noise levels. Additionally, HR-V's CVT uses a more refined and natural feeling engagement, staying at lower revs more often. Other improvements include HR-V shifting to higher revs under deceleration, providing a measure of engine braking force and better responsiveness when the driver returns to the gas pedal.

On models so equipped, HR-V's Real Time all-wheel drive system has been improved for better performance in low-traction conditions such as snow. Steering feel in Sport models has also enhanced with the adoption of variable gear ratio electric power steering, which varies steering response in accordance with steering wheel's position from center. HR-V's steering becomes more stable at higher speeds as it becomes less sensitive to small movements of the steering wheel. At lower speeds, the steering wheel requires less movement to turn the front wheels, making HR-V feel exceptionally maneuverable in parking lots.

Photo credit: Honda
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