2019 Honda HR-V: More trims, higher prices, no manual

Though initially revealed about a month ago, Honda has finally announced the nitty-gritty details on the 2019 Honda HR-V compact crossover SUV. One disappointing detail is the fact that the HR-V will no longer be available with a manual transmission. This is a bit ironic considering that Honda has added a Sport trim level for this year, and that the company ran a manual transmission clinic earlier this year. Sport is one of two new trims, the other being Touring.

Pricing was also among the new details announced for the new model year, and like most other new vehicles, prices have crept up across the board. The increases are pretty modest. The least amount of cost increase is from the CVT-equipped LX of 2018 to the 2019 LX. Between the two, the price only went up $50. The biggest increase is between EX models with the CVT, a jump of $200. All of the prices are displayed below.

All versions of the Honda HR-V get some noteworthy upgrades. As previously mentioned, all of them feature additional sound deadening. A revamped touchscreen infotainment system with a volume knob is now used in Sport and higher trims. It isn't one of the upgraded systems found on the Accord or CR-V, but does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard features. The HR-V's now mandatory CVT has been retuned, as well. It now simulates shifts to make it feel like a conventional automatic transmission. Honda says the revised CVT will try to maintain lower rpm more often, and it will raise rpm on deceleration to provide some engine braking.

The two new trims come with some special benefits of their own. The HR-V Sport trim, shown in orange above, adds unique 18-inch wheels and black-painted exterior trim, with aluminum sport pedals, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter. It also picks up a variable-ratio steering rack. The Touring model, pictured in red above, gets special 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and LED foglights. On both new trim levels, body-colored fender flares and other trim bits replace pieces that would otherwise be black plastic. Inside, the HR-V Touring comes with double-stitched leather upholstery and an eight-way power driver's seat (potentially a big-time benefit for drivers of above-average height). EX trim levels and higher also come with the Honda Sensing suite of driver assists including forward collision prevention systems, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. The 2019 HR-V is available at dealers now.