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While Mazda isn’t offering a manual gearbox on their CX-3 mini-CUV, Honda will be offering one on 2WD versions of the HR-V [UPDATE – 7:50 p.m. Pacific, 11/19/2014: Live photos from the LA Auto Show now available – CA].
Powered by the Civic’s 1.8L 4-cylinder engine making 138 horsepower and 127 lb-ft of torque. For those that don’t want to row their own (or want Honda’s Real-Time 4WD system), a CVT is the only other option.
The big draw for the HR-V is the Fit’s “Magic Seat” second row, which can fold in all number of ways to accommodate people and objects. Honda is touting up to 100 cubic feet of passenger volume and 58.8 cubic feet with the seats down (24.3 with the seats up)
51 Comments on “Los Angeles 2014: Honda HR-V Gets A Manual...”
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Interesting, I’d love to have a more practical version of my 2012 Civic, sounds like an HRV in fwd guise and a stick shift would give me exactly that. Not crazy about the looks and I doubt the fuel economy will be anywhere close to my 2650lb much more aerodynamic sedan. My dad who currently drives a 2007 Fit Base model with a stick shift could also be a potential customer, although he’d hate the poor rear visibility of this thing.
I think the HR-V might match your Civic’s fuel economy in the city. It’s forecast to weigh only 2700-3000 lbs., and a 2wd stick will be at the bottom end of that range. On the highway the higher ride height will exact a penalty.
Awright you manual fanatics out there, here’s your chance to show Honda that their faith in you is justified.
To my eye, the CX-3 makes this thing look like a spud, exterior styling wise. Of course, that’s just my perception.
For some reason this doesn’t strike me as a fun manual car, just a cheap manual car
Also consider that the CVT will probably use less fuel than the MT version.
Probably only on the horribly biased EPA test.
In my experience, cheapness, fun and manuals go hand in hand. In expensive, overly powerful and isolated cars, manuals don’t make nearly the sense they do when you can use them to extract max performance even on your daily commute.
What does a driver “extract(ing) max performance” even look like in something like this? Can you even tell he’s doing it?
Oh, you can. Not by the cars speed per se, but by the drivers silly grin :)
I don’t know, I really enjoy my 550i manual. The gearshift is butter smooth and flexibility of the big V-8 makes it really easy and fun. I just went on a 6 hour road trip in it and is was glorious with the manual gearbox.
My SLK350 is also incredible with manual. Precise, smooth, quiet, terrific shift action and definitely over the top with its 300 hp.
But I get what you are saying about cheap, fun and manual.
Yes, the less power you have, the more you need manual control of it.
If it has an interior color other than black (i.e., tan) and exterior colors other than silver and black, then I’m interested! Should be a good winter car with FWD and MT.
This is Honda we’re talking about. Dream on!
I can see sales topping 1% of the total CV-R sales, for the manual, with resale much less than the auto, as well. No doubt jamming gears, in a high center of gravity car, will prove not as much fun vs in a car, as well. The manual will be dropped in 2 years as an unnecessary cost. Let TTAC track manual sales for 6 months. Once the bottom feeders get their fill, sales will die off.
Perhaps, but even if the CX-3 is prettier, I won’t buy it because no clutch.
Good god what an eye sore. Manual or not, it looks like a joke (Juke?).
MT has a drive of the Vezel (the JDM version of this car) up. Sounds promising. Quieter than the Fit, but only a tiny bit heavier. Same packaging miracles and friendly dynamics as the Fit. If priced right, this could be a very compelling offering in a segment that’s ready to explode.
I own a Civic, and putting that 1.8l into a car any heavier than a Civic sounds like a really bad idea to me.
Since the HR-V is based on the lighter Fit, it may not weigh any more than a well equipped Civic. I’d read some reports that the HR-V would retain the Fit’s engine, which I doubted based on the Civic-based CR-V having an Accord engine.
Exactly, *exactly* the same flaws that put me off the CX-3 are present here. And if anything, the Amazingly Useless Slope-Ass deformity is stronger here than on the Mazda. The only difference I see is that the Mazda’s egregious animal-haunchy rear hips are toned down on the Honda.
Disgusting.
The extreme sloping roofline on CUVs (that decapitates rear seat passengers) made its debut on the Evoque.
How perfect that a lifestyle vehicle for über-prostitutes was the disease vector.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Buick+Encore
So, the denizens of Satan’s cloaca don’t like the Encore?
Is that supposed to be a criticism?
Between the CX3 and this there are parts of the design I like of both. The front of the CX is better, but I like the back of the HRV. Looking and the back hatch portion of the CX3 looks like it will be very difficult to get large packages and items into the hatch. THe lines are way higher and narrow on the CX, that might pose a problem.
I haven’t seen interior pictures of the HRV, however looking at the CX3 pictures, I highly suspect that the HRV would be worse. I’m not a fan of the multi-color CX, and the tacked on screen.
The extra power in the Mazda would be better in long term, but lack of a manual.
Edit: I just saw a video of a quick walk through of the car. The back hatch works better than my mind imagined it. Still small, but that is not what this car is about.
Both the HR-V and CX-3 look far better than the unfortunate-looking Buick Encore.
I suspect the Encore will fade away as it is replaced by the much better competition.
NO!
Oh, no he didn’t?
Moe! Larry! Cheese!
A little head rub and all the icky that nasty man said will go away, promise
I think even ‘unfortunate-looking’ is a mild term for the Encore. ‘Stylistically-challenged’ springs to mind, although I do think the Cx-3’s beatiful front end is too big for the rest of the car, and the Honda is (as usual) almost too subtle.
The Buick Encore sales for 2014 are 41,213, for 2013 they were 31,956. The Enclave for 2014 is 50,648 and 2013 was 60,534. Looks to me like Buick sales for these two vehicles are steady.
Buick has found a nice niche for themselves here in North America, not nearly as good as the one they have in China, but a loyal following none the less
The whole reason for buying a vehicle like this is the ability to have AWD. I still don’t see the point of a FWD “CUV”… snow banks be dammed.
But whatever…all fine and dandy until you discover MT is only available with FWD.
That leaves Subaru? Honestly can’t think of any other options for a small AWD car with a MT.
And in case you’re wondering, the ground has been snow covered since September where I live.
I suspect this will sell well in Europe, even if the lst HRV didn’t do very well. The CRV has grown to large and expensive to not be a 7 seater, and Honda needs a more compact crossover over here. If they put any soundproofing in it, it could work this time. I have my doubts though, Honda never seems to get the European market. But if the design is as clever as our current Civic, it will be as big or bigger on the ins*de than the Fit, almost a perfectly sized family car, maybe comparable to the first gen CRV?
Hopefully this is a pre-production unit shown….
There were some glaring issues when looking at full sized photos:
Front wheel lip molding has a gap at the front edge where the fascia meets the fender.
Fuel door and spoiler are slightly off color. (Could be a travel issue)
That huge fart can at the rear is showing rust already and will look like crap after a midwestern winter.
The marketing people couldn’t apply the fake license plate on straight. (Non factory issue I know)
Wheres the front license plate going to go? I see some mounting points on that lower grill….it ain’t gonna be pretty. (Design issue not a MQ issue)
Manual available only in FWD only? How is this being interpreted as a victory?
BTW, both this and the CX-3 are incredibly ugly and shameful little trend-sniffing runts. I hate this class of vehicle for reasons I can’t quite comprehend or explain. Just elementally repulsive.
Unless you’re Subaru, you gave up offering manuals with AWD long ago.
“shameful little trend-sniffing runts”?
Yeah, SHAME on Honda and Mazda (and everyone else) for selling cars that their customers want to buy!
I’m glad you agree. But if Mazda’s current and historic sales are any indication, there aren’t many people who will want to buy the CX-3
That’s right. They shouldn’t make cars most people want to buy. They should make cars that the few interneters want, but won’t buy unless it’s used.
Honda HRdashV.
Soon to be clogging up the streets of Canada from coast to coast as Honda finds yet another way to employ the underachieving 1.8l SOHC port injection boat anchor found under the hood of most Civics since 2006, and asks it to be perky hauling this box through the air at highway speeds, while straining away at its CVT leash.
I mean to say, even the new Fit gets DI and DOHC.
Yes, this HR-V will be an absolute riot to drive when laden down with the world famous Honda AWD sometimes system on top of the gasper of the engine, CVT and the aerodynamics of a brick. Highly suitable for pensioners to totter to then drive a few hundred metres to the new mail Superboxes our caring overlords have so thoughtfully provided us in lieu of letter carriers of the human variety.
Legions of dark grey and off-green, pastel blue and silver appliances venturing tentatively onto the highways and byways, thrilling their owners with 21st century style.
Perhaps Honda could have invented a more depressingly ordinary, sad looking little thing than this, but it’s hard to imagine how.
138bhp in a mildly jacked-up subcompact is a “gasper” of an engine? Really?
How power much do you need in this class of car for the engine not to be described as a “boat anchor”?
More than a PT Cruiser.
Have you ever driven a car with this engine, i.e. a Civic?
140hp sounds just fine, but what you really feel when you pull away from a light is the 60-odd lb-ft of torque between 1500-2000RPM.
And at 70mph, the little motor will be spinning pretty high to push the air aside…
Motortrend just reviewed the off-shores version of it with the 1.5 from the Fit and could say absolutely nothing remotely critical about it. Dubbed it the Home Run-Vehicle. HR-V, get it? Apparently this is the best car ever since the CR-V won their SUV of the Year award.
I saw this car on the autoshow recently, and im glad i bought the Subaru XV 2.0 with CVT instead.
Its not a bad car in any sense, but i think my need is better served in a Subaru.
after having the subaru for a while ( 1500km), all i can say its kinda awesome.
To drive the CVT needs some skill adjustment, but afterwards i have no problem to make it goes fast n do tricks. its a huge plus on heavy traffic too.
The CX3… well based on previous experience, mazda looks better than it drives, and i suppose the HRV would drives better than it looks.
Derek, when you say that the seats are magic, do you mean that if I were to make the unforgivable mistake of taking my children with me when I go shopping, they will magically disappear so the back of the car can be folded such that it is essentially a two-seater? And then my kids will magically reappear when I get home, right? Because I still like them.
I’ve read that the majority of children these days are born to single mothers. Are these people supposed to get a babysitter anytime they plan to buy more than a few bags of groceries? Oh, yeah, I forgot, they are supposed to buy a Pilot or an Odyssey. Great.
My two year old won’t sit in the shopping cart. I would like these magic seats.
These magic seats are just perfect for when I bring my dog, a labracadabrador.