Honda HR-V Sport 2019 first drive

The ramp-up of Honda's sporting trim continues. We’ve had the Civic Sport and, last year, the Jazz Sport as an unlikely entrant into the warm hatch sphere, and now it’s the turn of the Honda HR-V. 

The Japanese firm is introducing the range-topping Sport variant not long after the HR-V was given a mid-life fettling - one that was almost entirely focused on gently moving it closer to the latest Honda CR-V visually. But Honda is treating the Sport moniker more seriously than some car makers, having given the car a performance upgrade to suit.

The recipe is simple on paper: take the already fine-driving HR-V and squeeze the 179bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol motor from the Civic Sport under its bonnet. This has turned it into the fastest SUV Honda makes - although the relatively small and low-slung HR-V stretches that definition a bit.

Engineers didn’t just shoehorn a gutsier motor under the bonnet and send it on its way, however. The Sport introduces what Honda calls synaptic damping control - a fancy phrase for uprated dampers aimed at sharpening the car’s body movements without ruining the ride. There’s also retuned variable-ratio steering alongside the improvements to the noise insulation and the active noise reduction system found in the regular HR-V.

The B-segment crossover sector isn't one that driving enthusiasts flood to. That’s reflective in the products on offer, the majority of which are best described as dynamically insipid.

But the HR-V Sport is surprisingly likeable. The standard HR-V is among the better cars in its class to drive, so Honda had a decent base to improve on.

We know how willing and flexible the new engine is from its placement in the Civic, and the HR-V’s similar kerb weight means near-identical performance. While there’s a little lag to deal with, it pulls strongly from around 2000rpm and only starts to get slightly breathless and strained above 5500rpm. It’s not as torque-rich as some similar turbocharged units, meaning you’ll be switching ratios to keep it on the boil, but that’s no hardship, thanks to a nicely short-of-throw and mechanical gearshift.

The Sport also adds a bit more aural appeal in the form of an artificial sound generator. We know how contrived these systems can be (Peugeot 308 GTi, we’re looking at you), but Honda’s manages to enhance the engine’s naturally rorty note without becoming overbearing. The additional sound insulation means it’s no longer drowned out by road noise, too.