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2025 Honda HR-V V: Downsizing ain’t so bad
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2025 Honda HR-V V: Downsizing ain’t so bad

Last month, the Hong Kong legislature passed a bill outlawing the city-state’s notorious “shoebox” apartments starting March 2026.

The Associated Press reported that around 220,000 people live in subdivided apartments, which are created by dividing a regular apartment into several units and serve as a form of low-cost housing in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Some of these tiny units even have a toilet bowl next to the cooking area.

The law now requires that subdivided apartments must have a floor area of at least 8 square meters (still smaller than an average Hong Kong parking space), include at least one openable window and exclusive fire detectors and an enclosed toilet area with a door separating it from the rest of the apartment.

Around 33,000 units or 30 percent of existing subdivided apartments would need major renovations to meet the new requirements. Beijing is aiming to eventually phase out all subdivided apartments by 2049.

It goes without saying that space has, sadly, become an expensive commodity – a big house or a big car serves as a symbol of wealth and luxury. And then you have subcompact crossovers like the 2025 Honda HR-V V, which packs the refinement of its bigger cousins into an easy-to-park package.

The MG G50 Plus is unquestionably roomier than its rivals from Japan and South Korea

Tradition of style

I’ve always loved the HR-V for its left-field looks – the first-generation model looked like a wheeled lunch box, with its sharp angles, big taillights and tall hood.

This current-generation HR-V, which received subtle styling updates late last year, happily carries on this trend. It still has a tall hood, which is accentuated by large LED headlights that flank a gloss-black grill (turned upside-down for this facelifted model).

The side profile remains classic HR-V, particularly the high beltline and steeply raked windshield that makes this little Honda less bulbous-looking than rivals like the Toyota Yaris Cross and Geely Coolray. Adding to its clean appearance are the door handles hidden in the C-pillars.

Out back is where the HR-V still draws attention – the steeply raked rear windscreen leads to the full-width LED taillights, while the subtle tailgate spoiler and pert rear bumper make this Japanese crossover look like a Porsche Macan Electric (or should it be the other way around?)

THE G50 Plus LUX uses the same powerplant as the excellent MG GT Sport sedan.

Sumptuous accommodation

Thankfully, no government will need to mandate minimum size requirements for the HR-V’s cabin, which is lined in soft, black leather in this V variant (although the scratchy plastics on the dashboard and door cards detract from the premium feel).

And unlike Hong Kong’s miserable subdivided apartments, you can get fresh air either by opening all four windows or using the powerful climate-control system that includes rear vents. The HR-V’s controls remain as simple as ever (take note, BYD), but the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is rather small.

That screen also projects blurry images from the rear-view and LaneWatch cameras, although the latter is quite helpful in light of the HR-V’s wide pillars creating large blind spots. Meanwhile, the rear seat is a squeeze for three occupants, but its clever Utility-Long-Tall functions mean excellent versatility when carrying all sorts of cargo.

Overall, the HR-V V is a refined and cozy place to be, although similarly priced rivals from China offer more toys like a panoramic moonroof, air-conditioned seats and an electric tailgate.

Frugal fun

Where this little Honda is leaps and bounds ahead of models from the People’s Republic is the driving experience.

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You enjoy well-tuned suspension (a huge improvement over the bouncy ride of early current-generation HR-Vs), powerful brakes with a well-weighted pedal, and light and responsive steering that could use a touch more feel. But I feel that all this would be better suited to the old turbocharged version of its proven 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine.

This non-turbo model has a respectable 119 horsepower and 145 Newton-meters of torque, which are coursed through a continuously variable transmission – eager this powerplant may be, it just doesn’t have the oomph of electrified rivals like the recently updated MG ZS Hybrid+ or the plug-in BYD Sealion 5 DM-i that both pack at least 200 horsepower.

But if acceleration or electrification isn’t your thing, you will like the HR-V V’s fuel economy. We got 10 to 13 kilometers per liter in the city and 20 to 23 kilometers per liter on the expressway (again, the MG and BYD do much better thanks to their hybrid powertrains).

The HR-V V also fights back with its stellar Honda SENSING active-safety suite, which is still the benchmark among all mainstream carmakers. Features like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist not only make long drives a breeze, but can potentially save lives when things get really dicey.

Steep pricing

At P1,519,000, the 2025 Honda HR-V V represents decades of refinement packed into a body that’s smaller than a brand-new Honda City.

However, this little Honda’s price tag puts it in the firing line of very formidable competition, particularly the highly capable MG ZS Hybrid + at P1,248,888 (as of press time) and the similarly equipped Toyota Yaris Cross V at P1,308,000. In addition, the larger and better-equipped BYD Sealion 6 DM-i costs P1,548,000.

On the whole, the 2025 Honda HR-V V remains an attractive option for those who want a small crossover with the same driving pleasure and unimpeachable build quality of the Civic and CR-V. Unlike Hong Kong’s low-cost apartments, this is clearly a case of small not being terrible.

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