Trust Honda when it says we're looking at the 2019 HR-V for the European market, but truth be told, the styling tweaks the subcompact crossover has gone through are quite subtle. The most obvious change is at the front where there's now a shiny chrome panel above the grille to replace the glossy black trim of the pre-facelift model. It's a bit too much for our tastes, but it can easily be fixed by applying a black foil to revert to the HR-V's original look.
The front bumper has also gone through a nip and tuck as the air intake sections are now deeper and host the circular fog lights. Honda modified the headlights a little bit by installing new projector lenses and updating the standard LED daytime running lights. Moving at the back of the revised HR-V, you'll see a chrome bar above the license plate to mirror the front fascia's updated appearance.
Go for one of the more expensive versions and Honda will install freshly designed 17-inch alloy wheels and will give the exhaust finisher a chrome trim for added bling. The higher-spec HR-Vs benefit from full-LED headlights and taillights, with the rear clusters featuring a slightly darker tint. Buyers will get to pick from a total of eight colors, including the new Midnight Blue Beam Metallic depicted here.
Stepping inside the cabin, you'll immediately notice the reshaped front seats offering better support for extra comfort during longer journeys. Honda has also come up with a new upholstery using a material of a higher quality, while the pricier HR-Vs get a fabric + leather combo with fancy double stitching. The good news continue as additional sound-deadening material in the wheel arches, front bulkhead, trunk structure, and door panels guarantee a quieter cabin.
To further reduce the noise penetrating the cabin, higher-end trim levels will also feature Active Noise Cancellation. Available for the first time in Honda's B-segment crossover, ANC uses two microphones mounted in the cabin to monitor low-frequency noises and cancels them through "precisely-timed 'reverse phase' audio signals" sent through the audio system's speakers.
In regards to the oily bits, Europeans will be stuck for a while with the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter engine developing 130 horsepower (96 kilowatts) and 155 Newton-meters (114 pound-feet) of torque. It's enough for a sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in 10.7 seconds for the six-speed manual model while with the continuously variable transmission it's half a second slower. Honda's skilled engineers have updated the i-VTEC unit by lowering the amount of frictions between the pistons and the cylinder bores to increase efficiency and durability.
If you would rather have a thrifty 1.6-liter diesel, you'll have to wait until spring 2019 when Honda will also be launching the HR-V with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline mill. No word about the latter's output, but in the bigger CR-V it's good for 173 hp (127 kW) when fitted with the manual gearbox and 193 hp (142 kW) for the CVT-equipped models.
Meanwhile, the naturally aspirated HR-V will be in the hands of Euro customers from October 2018.
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