2023 Honda HR-V Exterior Revealed Ahead of Launch This Summer

• Honda's most affordable SUV will be fully redesigned for 2023
• Details are scarce for now, but the HR-V's Civic underpinnings provide some clues
• Launches the second HR-V generation for 2023

What is the HR-V?

We're fans of Honda's vehicles overall — check out our rankings of the Best SUVs and Best Sedans, and you'll see a Honda model near the top in each of the categories in which they compete. The lone exception is the Honda HR-V, the smallest and least expensive SUV the automaker produces. Its frumpy interior, lethargic acceleration and subpar technology interface are below the standards set by other subcompact crossovers. While it was a fairly decent pick when it debuted in 2016, newer entrants have raised the bar.

Given the excellence of other Honda vehicles, we have our hopes up for when the fully redesigned 2023 Honda HR-V goes on sale later this year. While much about the new HR-V is still a mystery, we do know that it will share underpinnings with the new Civic; in contrast, the previous HR-V was based on the smaller Fit. The 2023 HR-V will be wider than its predecessor and ride on a longer wheelbase, which should equate to increased legroom throughout the cabin. The rear suspension also switches from a beam axle design to an independent setup, which should make the HR-V feel more agile on twisty roads.

Expect to see a Civic powerplant under the hood as well, though we don't know if it will be that car's standard 2.0-liter engine or the optional turbocharged 1.5-liter. A hybrid powertrain similar to the one in the Honda Insight is also a possibility.

Other aspects of the new HR-V — such as the interior design — are unknown   at this point, but we expect it will share an infotainment system with the similarly budget-friendly Civic. Also on our wish list is a return of the current HR-V's so-called Magic Seat, which helps maximize interior storage via clever seating arrangements.

Edmunds says

The Honda HR-V is a rare weak link in the automaker's otherwise sterling lineup. That should change with the release of the redesigned 2023 Honda HR-V, due out at the tail end of this year.