Honda HR-V - Interior & comfort

The Honda HR-V feels fairly well-built and sturdy for the most part, but the plastic rear door handles hidden up near the windows feel a little cheap in comparison to the conventional ones up front. Honda has a reputation for producing well-built, functional interiors that tend to major on simplicity rather than design flair. That's still the case here, so it feels a touch more conservative inside than rivals such as the Nissan Juke and Citroen C3. Our test car did get a metallic-orange trim piece surrounding the drive selector, though, which added a little touch of flair, and the leather steering wheel on Advance trim cars felt good to hold.

Honda HR-V dashboard

The fascia is more minimalist than Honda models of old but the manufacturer hasn't abandoned physical controls altogether. There are still chunky rotary dials for the climate control and we think the balance is just right. The dashboard is dominated by a new nine-inch touchscreen, perched right in the middle of the car. 

Like the system in the Honda Jazz, this is a big improvement, with a sharp, colourful display that's responsive to touch inputs. The interface itself is also clear and easy to use, even at a glance when driving. It's a shame then, that once you drill down into its submenus they’re a little confusing, although it’s possible to set favourites on the home menu to quickly jump to key features. Owners are likely to use Android Auto or wireless Apple CarPlay much of the time, and both are standard.

A small facelift that arrived in September 2024 ushered in some minor changes, including a reprofiled centre console and lower dashboard, designed to make the wireless charging mat easier to access from both front seats. This new, ergonomic design is trimmed in piano black. Other changes included some extra sound deadening to help boost refinement on the move.

Equipment

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There are four trim levels, starting with Elegance, which costs from just under £31,000. Standard kit includes LED headlights, heated seats, all-round parking sensors, a rear-view camera, keyless entry and 18-inch alloy wheels. The nine-inch infotainment screen is also included as standard. Advance adds luxuries like a heated leather steering wheel, an air diffusion system, artificial leather upholstery, a reversing camera and a powered tailgate. Meanwhile, Advance Style includes two-tone paint, LED cornering lights and an enhanced 10-speaker stereo along with a wireless smartphone charger and roof rails.

Introduced with the 2024 facelift, a new Advance Plus grade looks slightly different from the outside, thanks to painted lower bumpers, wheelarches and door trims, along with a Crystal Black grille and a unique set of alloy wheels.

Options

Honda doesn't traditionally offer lots of optional extras but there are some features to make the HR-V more distinctive. You can choose a range of paint colours and a selection of 18-inch alloy wheel designs and styling packs and there’s an accessories catalogue with kit such as dog guards, boot storage accessories and interior mats.