New 2026 Honda HR-V Facelift Review
- May 25
- 4 min read
Can you spot the changes on the new HR-V Facelift?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the design of the HR-V and try and spot the differences. Yes, I know it is hard to find. Well, I can say that they have changed the grill slightly by making it boxier and wider than before. this does give it better road presence I will admit. There is also a little chrome strip too. the lights are the same as before though with LED Technology, but they do have a darker look to them. The lower design of the bumper is the same as before too which is a slight shame as I would have liked to of seen some difference as it is very hard to spot the differences.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side of the HR-V and there are no changes to talk about. There are some new colours but apart from that, that is it. We do get a hidden rear door handle though and some gloss black when arches and lower sills which is nice.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back of the HR-V and changes are kept to a minimum. We get a new taillight signature which is just a pair of lines now which I do think the pre facelift model did look better. Apart from that that is it which again isn’t as unusual as the front, but it is a bit of a shame really. Right, lets have a look and see what engine and gearbox options you can have with the Honda HR-V Facelift.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for the engine range on the HR-V you only get 1 option. This is the usual 1.5 Litre full hybrid option. This uses a 2-motor setup powering the front wheels and the 1.5 litre engine is used as a generator to create the energy. This produces 129 bhp and it has a 0-62 time of just under 11 seconds which isn’t the best in my opinion. You do get 52 mpg combined though which isn’t too bad. The price of the Honda HR-V starts at £30,850 which isn’t too bad either. right, let’s have a look and see what the interior is like.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the HR-V Facelift and we do get some changes to talk about. Lets start with what is the same first. To start with the whole dashboard layout is the same as before. this means we get a hidden style air vent that stretches the length of the dashboard. We also get a tablet style infotainment system. Now this does look basic and that is because it is but it is much better than previous Honda infotainment systems and it does still work quite well for what people will use it for. You also do get some physical climate control buttons which do feel quite premium which I do like. Now the part that has changed is the centre console. It isn’t as driver orientated anymore which is a bit of a shame, but it does make it is easier for the passenger to access the wireless charging pad and there us a bit of better storage too. in front of the driver, we get the same part digital instrument cluster which is ok and we also get the same steering wheel which is ok to use. The seats again are the same as before and are fairly comfy, but we do get some new materials in the car which is nice. Overall then it isn’t too bad inside. Right, lets have a look and see what the rear seats are like.
Practicality
So, climbing into the back of the Honda HR-V and it is just the same as before with a decent amount of legroom and headroom for its class. There are some better materials in the back that do lighten it up a bit. You also do get an arm rest on higher models as well as air vents and some USB C ports in the back too. overall then it isn’t too bad here. Right, lets have a look and see what the boot space is like.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot to the HR-V and you are welcomed with a decent size at 319 litres which isn’t too bad, but it is smaller than its rivals which is a shame. If you fold the seats down however than it does increase to 1,200 litres. You also get Honda’s magic seat feature where you can fold the rear base seat bench up to carry big and bulky items in the back like a bike for example.
Summary
So, in summary then what do I think of the new Honda HR-V Facelift. well, I do think it could be improved a lot to be honest but then the outgoing pre facelift model was never a bad car so really, they didn’t need to change much. I do wish they changed the car a bit more for the facelift so you could easily know it is a facelifted model. To me it almost feels like Honda have wasted their money on facelifting it just because they wanted to. If you have the pre facelift model of this car then I wouldn’t waste your money in updating it unless you really want to.
Exterior 3/5
Interior 4/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 11/15
Model | Honda HR-V Advance Style |
Engine | 1.5 Mild Hybrid Petrol, 129bhp, 0-62 = 11.0 Seconds, Front Wheel Drive |
Transmission | 1 Speed CVT Automatic |
Price | £37,180 |
On Sale | Now |
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