2026 Honda HR-V Expert Review
Reviewed by Alex Leanse
The 2026 Honda HR-V may be slow, but it's otherwise one of the most well-rounded small SUVs available today. On sale since 2016, the HR-V entered its second generation for the 2023 model year built on fundamentals shared with the popular Honda Civic.
Subtle design and tech changes arrive to the HR-V for 2026 to maintain its competitive standing against rivals including the Subaru Crosstrek, Hyundai Kona, and Chevrolet Trax.
What's New
Exterior
- HR-V LX gets updated 17-inch alloy wheels finished in a darker gray than before
- HR-V EX-L adds 18-inch alloys, one inch bigger than last year
- HR-V Sport rolls on a different 18-inch wheel design
- All trims now get rear privacy glass
- New colors: Boost Blue Metallic, a bold light blue, and Solar Silver Metallic
Interior
- A 9.0-inch touchscreen is standard across all trims, a meaningful 2.0-inch upgrade over last year's model
- Standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
- Climate control knob lighting on EX-L that changes color to blue or red depending on whether you make the temperature colder or hotter
- Ambient footwell lighting and silver steering wheel spokes on EX-L
Top-Ranked Competitors:
MotorTrend Testing
The 2026 HR-V is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. That engine is connected to a CVT automatic, with FWD standard and AWD optional. In MotorTrend testing of a HR-V AWD, acceleration from 0-60 mph took 9.8 seconds.
If that 0-60 time sounds slow to you, we agree. Everyday acceleration is fine, but short onramps and passing require more throttle than we'd like, even for a small SUV.
MPGs and Range
Fuel economy comes in at 26/32 mpg city/highway with FWD and 25/30 mpg with AWD. Those are decent numbers, but far from class leading. Even the larger (and more expensive) CR-V outdoes the HR-V in fuel economy.
In range, the 2026 HR-V comes in at 392 miles with FWD and 378 miles with AWD. That's another average performance for a car that is good or great in other ways.
Safety Ratings and Features
The 2025 Honda HR-V earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status and a five-star overall score from NHTSA, each the highest possible rating from those respective bodies. That's an impressive accomplishment for an SUV of this small size.
Like every Honda, the HR-V comes equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of driver assist and active safety features. Automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and road sign recognition are standard, while blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are included on higher-end models.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
Interior space in the 2026 HR-V is about what’s expected from a subcompact crossover, but it’s not the most capacious vehicle in its segment.
Technology
Infotainment
This is a big year for the HR-V, as every trim now has a 9.0-inch touchscreen. That's still smaller than many in the segment, but is at least bigger than the 7.0-inch unit fitted to 2025 models. There's more to technology than just screen size, though, and the 2026 Honda HR-V also now has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a wireless phone charger.
A 7.0-inch driver display coupled with analog gauges is part of the package, too.
Sound System
A four-speaker audio system is standard, while a six- or eight-speaker systems are featured further up the range.
Honda HR-V Hybrid Coming Soon?
Honda introduced the Civic Hybrid for 2025, and it’s excellent. Given the HR-V's mechanical similarities to the Civic, could a hybrid version of this subcompact SUV be on the way? Possibly, but it isn’t arriving for 2025—here's hoping for a 2026 Honda HR-V Hybrid.
Value
With the 2026 Honda HR-V, we'd stick with the LX or Sport trim over the higher-end EX-L. That's because the higher the price climbs, the more we just want the more spacious, quicker, and more efficient CR-V.
For us, we'd drive off in a 2026 HR-V Sport to add a couple extra sound system speakers and the Smart Entry feature that allows us to keep the key fob in our pockets. It's a basic convenience we think is worth paying for.
