Honda is extremely popular in the affordable category, and rightfully so, unlike some brands that equip their vehicles with gimmicks to lure in buyers, they prioritize usability above all. The HR-V is one such offering and one of the most popular crossovers in its segment. It is affordable, extremely spacious, practical, has a good quality interior, and also features Honda’s Magic Seats. All part of the recipe for a successful crossover. Sure, this thing is no athletic champ and also is lackluster with its performance, but then again, it is meant to be the perfect family crossover with efficiency in mind. Affectionately dubbed the “king of practicality”, the HR-V does live up to its name.
2022 Honda HR-V Dashboard
The 2022 Honda HR-V competes against the likes of Hyundai Kona, Kia Soul, and Subaru Crosstrek.
2022 Honda HR-V Interior Design, Dimensions, and Comfort
Stepping inside the HR-V won’t immediately impress you as it lacks the “wow” factor when it comes to design and style. Other segment offerings have more modern and stylish interiors than the HR-V. However, Honda prioritizes functionality over form. The interior is laced with buttons and dials at the right places and there is also a decent bit of soft-touch materials and high-quality stuff. While there is plastic, it is not overly apparent and does not affect the overall experience too much.
2022 Honda HR-V Front Seats
The base model only gets black cloth upholstery, but the EX model will allow you to choose grey cloth seats too. The quality is decent, but we doubt you would be too excited about cloth seats. That’s why, if you upgrade to the EX-L, you will be presented with leather seats. However, the quality gets a bump from the Sport trim. It includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter, though it still features cloth seats. Black is the dominant color throughout the trim range and you aren’t presented with other options. Nonetheless, the interior quality is decent considering the price.
Another notable feature present in the HR-V is the Magic Seats; and frankly, they do deserve their credit. The second-row seats can either be folded flat or upwards to accommodate additional luggage in the second row, away from prying eyes.
Upfront, you get a 6-way manually adjustable seat for the driver and a 4-way manual seat for the passenger as standard. Seating space is ample for both the front and rear rows. Surprisingly, the rear row presents you with acres of head and legroom, which can't be said for most of the rivals. The seating position and all-round visibility are also quite decent.
Models
2022 Honda HR-V
2022 Hyundai Kona
2022 Kia Soul
2022 Subaru Crosstrek
Seating Capacity
5
5
5
5
Interior passenger volume (cubic feet)
100.1
N/A
N/A
100.9
Front row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom) (in)
39.5/56.8/41.2
39.6/55.5/41.5
39.4/55.5/41.1
39.8/56.7/43.1
Second Row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom) (in)
38.3/54.4/39.3
37.8/54.5/35.2
39.5/54.7/38.8
38.3/55.6/36.5
As we mentioned previously, the interior is extremely spacious in the HR-V with the most passenger volume of all. Both the HR-V and Kia Soul offer ample room at the back as well. The Subaru Crosstrek offers the most room upfront, however, the rear feels slightly cramped, especially for taller passengers. The Hyundai Kona comes in last with the least amount of space at the back.
2022 Honda HR-V Infotainment
If you are choosing the base trim of the HR-V, you will only be presented with a 5” infotainment display. However, higher trims come equipped with a 7” touchscreen. Unlike the practicality on offer, the HR-V is not too technologically adept. It becomes apparent when you use the infotainment system, as it is neither the most intuitive nor the most fluid in terms of user experience.
2022 Honda HR-V Infotainment System
However, you get the benefit of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which will make the interface a lot easier to deal with. From the EX trim and upwards, you also get features like SiriusXM, HD radio, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, HondaLink, Pandora, and voice command. The lower trims feature a 4-speaker sound system while higher trims offer 6-speakers as standard.
Key infotainment features
7” touchscreen
HondaLink
Bluetooth HandsFreeLink
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
SiriusXM radio
HD radio
6-speaker sound system
2022 Honda HR-V Cargo Capacity
This is where the “king of practicality” nickname is justified. The HR-V offers a cavernous 24.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear row. Although it's a fairly compact crossover, it can still fit all the luggage of a typical family with ease. If you opt for the AWD version, the cargo space is limited to 23.2 cubic feet.
2022 Honda HR-V Cargo Space
Furthermore, the Magic Seats can be folded down flat to increase the total space to 58.8 cubic feet. As expected the AWD gets slightly less 57.6 cubic feet of total cargo volume.
Models
2022 Honda HR-V
2022 Hyundai Kona
2022 Kia Soul
2022 Subaru Crosstrek
Standard cargo capacity (cubic feet)
24.3
19.2
24.2
20.8
Maximum cargo capacity (cubic feet)
58.8
45.8
N/A
55.3
All the crossovers here offer adequate cargo space, however, the HR-V offers the most volume both as standard and with the rear seats folded. The Kia follows closely with nearly identical cargo space behind the rear seats while the Subaru offers a comparable volume with the rear seats folded.
Additional Interior Storage Spaces
Interior storage solutions are also pretty impressive. There are quite a few cubbies inside for the storage of smaller items. The Magic Seats, as mentioned before, can be folded in two ways to make space for storing items in the second row. There's a sizeable glovebox followed by a central storage bin. There's a pair of cupholders both at the front and at the back while all four doors feature bottle holders and storage bins.
2022 Honda HR-V Creature Comforts
Despite being fairly affordable, the 2022 Honda HR-V comes with plenty of creature comforts. Some of the features to make your daily lives easier are Magic Seats with different modes, leather-trimmed seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather shift knob, multi-angle rearview camera, remote keyless entry, and heated seats. The crossover also comes with Honda Sensing technologies, such as cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and more. However, do bear in mind that some of these features are only provided in the higher trims.
Verdict
As expected from Honda, the HR-V is unmatched in terms of practicality and space. Granted, it doesn’t feature the most stylish and cutting-edge interior design, it provides the user with a no-nonsense and functional interior that is easy to live with. That's the key selling point for the HR-V and if you're in the market for something similar, the 2022 Honda HR-V is your answer.
