The Honda HR-V is a textbook case of the effects of inflation. When it was launched in 2022, this entry-level variant you see here was priced at P 1.25-million. All things considered, it was a good value crossover. As time marched on and a midcycle refresh came into the picture, its SRP crept up until it settled to P 1.45-million—a P 200,000 increase compared to when it first launched three years ago. With no major changes then and now, this is unsettling not just for the HR-V, but for Honda as a whole, who’ve been slowly, but surely pricing themselves off market.
Make no mistake: the HR-V is still a wonderful drive even in this base 1.5 S trim. There are some concerns with regards to grunt, of course, given that its normally-aspirated 1.5-liter (121 horsepower, 145 Nm of torque) must pull some 1,262 kilograms of curb weight. But for as long as it’s treated as a daily runabout, it performs quite alright. It’s not punchy by any measure, but the accompanying CVT works well enough to keep the powertrain singing at the right rev range.
However, the HR-V is suspectable to loads. Add a second or a third person, or even buy enough groceries for a week, and the powertrain gets taxed noticeably. At these times, it’s best to turn ECON mode off, especially when merging onto highways or even executing an overtake on the expressway. It is necessary to wring the accelerator since almost nothing happens below 4,000 rpm. Still, it’s surprising that fuel economy does happen to match the City, which it shares its powertrain with, at least in our experience.
Handling-wise, the HR-V is safe, predictable, if a bit purposeful. New for this update is standard Agile Handling Assist (AHA) which is Honda speak for torque vectoring by braking. Standard issue only in the HR-V RS Turbo before, it makes the 2025 version much more responsive and confident, especially at high-speed turns. Mind you, it’s still no sportscar. Compared to the HR-V RS e:HEV, it’s noticeably eager to turn in, and the steering is more responsive—by-products, perhaps of having less mass under the front wheels. With thicker sidewalls, it also rides more softly, regardless of road condition. There are some thwacks from the suspension when the asphalt turns nasty, but nothing overly alarming.
While there’s no faulting the HR-V’s mechanical polish, it loses out quite a lot when it comes to perceived value. Will you pay P 251,000 more to get what’s essentially a higher riding, but lower spec City Hatchback 1.5 RS? It begs the question: who exactly are they targeting here?
If it’s to attract those who were initially eyeing the City Hatchback, but thought of topping up, they’re not exactly getting their money’s worth in this hatchback to crossover transition. You lose the leather steering wheel, two speakers, and two airbags in exchange for an electronic parking brake, taller ride height (196 mm versus 134 mm), and a bigger trunk (404 liters versus 289 liters). Might as well as splurge and go all in with the HR-V CVT (P 1,519,000) or, even better, the HR-V RS e:HEV (P 1,799,000) if your heart’s set on getting a Honda.
If it’s to attract crossover intenders, they’re bombarded by at least a dozen choices not just from Honda’s Japanese and Korean competitors, but from Chinese brands as well. Even if we discount the countless brand acronyms from the mainland, the HR-V’s two traditional rivals—the Kona is priced at P 1,528,000 and the Corolla Cross is at P 1,514,000—and they’re both hybrids already. Even the Seltos, with a similar normally-aspirated 1.5-liter engine, is priced at P 1,288,000. The Creta, with a freaking turbo engine, is at P 1,379,000.
It's very clear that as far as product updates go, Honda didn’t really consider just how competitive this segment would become in such a short span of time. The fact that Honda’s only offering the base HR-V S in three colors (compared to four for the V and four for the RS e:HEV) tells you that they themselves don’t anymore see it as a big volume driver anymore. It’s also obvious that they had to work backward to keep the HR-V’s base price as palatable as possible, but in effect, they took de-contenting to an extreme. Although leather seats are a welcome addition for 2025, so little has changed with this crossover and yet you end up paying for so much.
Given the City Hatchback’s existence in the Honda line-up, it would have make more sense to either drop the HR-V S’s price down to roughly P 1.3 to P 1.35-million or offer a standard hybrid powertrain at its current pricing, or drop this base HR-V S variant altogether, in favor of two higher-spec hybrid variants of the HR-V.
From a buyer’s perspective, it’s certainly laudable for Honda for trying to keep as much variety as they can in the local market. However, it also means that certain models and variants find themselves being lodged between a rock and a hard place; the HR-V S is one of those.
When this generation first launched in 2022, it was solid value. But as every single carmaker started entering the compact crossover genre (it’s expected to dislodge both the pickup truck and mid-sized SUV as the country’s largest vehicle segment), Honda and its HR-V finds itself being pushed to the fringes. As good to drive as the HR-V is, even in its base form, Honda simply didn’t future-proof their crossover well enough. Couple that with trying to position themselves as a more premium brand, and you have a scenario where they’re issuing checks they just can’t cash.
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2025 Honda HR-V 1.5 S Honda SENSING |
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| Bottom Line | |
| Pros | Well-balanced handling and ride, interior flexibility. |
| Cons | Way too expensive, not enough standard features. |
| TL;DR | The price increase is an unsettling sign that Honda's doing something wrong. |
| Ownership | |
| Year Introduced | 2022 (Refreshed: 2025) |
| Warranty | 3 years / 100,000 kilometers |
| The Basics | |
| Body Type | Compact Crossover |
| Seating | 5 |
| Engine / Drive | F/F |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 1.5 |
| Aspiration | Normally Aspirated |
| Fuel Delivery | EFI |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | I4 |
| Maximum Output (PS @ rpm) | 121 @ 6,600 |
| Maximum Torque (Nm @ rpm) | 145 @ 4,300 |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Gasoline / ~91 |
| Transmission | CVT |
| Cruise Control | Yes, Adaptive |
| Fuel Economy (km/L) @ Ave. Speed (km/h) | 11.76 km/L @ 24 km/h |
| Fuel Tank Size (L) | 40 |
| Dimensions and Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 4,347 |
| Width (mm) | 1,790 |
| Height (mm) | 1,591 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,610 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 1,262 |
| Suspension and Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Torsion Beam |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Disc |
| Parking Brake | Electronic, w/ Auto Hold |
| Tires |
Goodyear Assurance
TripleMax 2 215/60 R 17 H (f & r) |
| Recommended Tire Pressure (PSI) | 32 front, 30 rear |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 4 |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes, with EBD |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | Yes, Rear |
| Parking Camera | Yes, Rear |
| Front Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR w/ pre-tensioners x 2 |
| Rear Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR x 3 |
| ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor | Yes |
| Advanced Driver Assist System |
Collision Mitigation
Braking System Lane Keeping Assist System Lane Departure Warning Road Departure Mitigation Lead Car Departure Notification |
| Other Safety Features |
Hill Start Assist Hill Descent Control |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | LED |
| Fog Lamps | Yes, LED |
| Light Operation | Automatic |
| Wiper Operation | Variable Intermittent |
| Tailgate | Manual |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjust | Tilt/Telescopic |
| Steering Wheel Material | Urethane |
| Seating Adjustment (driver) | Manual, 6-way |
| Seating Adjustment (front passenger) | Manual, 4-way |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| 2nd Row | 60/40 Split-Fold, w/ Arm Rest |
| 3rd Row | None |
| Sunroof | None |
| Multi-Information Display / Size | Yes, 4.2-inch |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, w/ Fold |
| Rear View Mirror | Auto-Dimming |
| Proximity Key | Yes |
| Climate Control | Automatic, w/ Rear Vents |
| Audio System |
Stereo USB Type A USB Type C Bluetooth |
| Wireless Charger | None |
| Infotainment Display / Size | 8-inch |
| Smartphone Connectivity |
Apple CarPlay Android Auto |
| # of Speakers | 6 |
| Steering Controls | Yes |
All the HRV variants actually doesnt make any financial sense to purchase . Theyre all overpriced and underspecced. Why is honda pricing their cars so high? Who do they think they are? - the queen??
ReplyDeleteThat's a funny comparison...especially considering that the queen is dead. 🫣
DeleteThank you for your honesty, I can only hope that Honda would listen. I love Honda, ive owned 3, but even the legendary badge, driving and reliability can't escape its competition.
ReplyDeleteW take. Hubris will be the fall of many a great institution.
Deletethey can't rely on legacy anymore. Now that more competition is already here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments on the pricing and I have the same sentiment. i love honda, vtec is a marvel of engineering & so much fun to drive. i already had several hondas and planning to replace an 11-year old honda car and with the choices in the market, it no longer make financial sense to get another honda.
ReplyDeletein denial mode parin honda ph na ang mga competition mas mura at mas maraming features. Toyota nga na number dito pinas nag adjust na giving big discounts and bringing here DNGA to better compete both in pricing and car tech features. If honda ph wont adjust to reality sa kangkongan sila pupulutin.
ReplyDeleteKamukha ng Raize infotainment lang Yung ginamit
ReplyDeleteParehang hindi nakaadapt for LHD use 🤣 atleast this was fixed with the Yaris Cross
DeleteIt would have been better had Honda electrified all versions of HRV -just like what Toyota did to the Corolla Cross.
ReplyDeleteHaving a pure gas option is solid. Not everyone wants/needs a hybrid.
DeleteI hope the brand tanks like Nissan. Only Mitsubishi and Toyota from the OG companies are remaining competitive
ReplyDeletewhy would you hope that they fail? Let's hope that they reconsider pricing it competitively. Nissan is doing ok here.
DeleteThe Toyota Corolla CROSS HEV is the best in its segment.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of what?
DeleteIf it's the same guy that comments in basically any article talking about any car that can be remotely compared to the Corolla Cross then his answer would most likely be "reliability, because it's a Toyota!" and if you push for more details the most you will get is a variation of "that car is just trash compared to a Toyota 🥱"
DeleteBut that's just a hunch on my part ðŸ¤