And no, the 2023 HR-V doesn’t offer the Civic’s available 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 180 hp and 177 lb-ft. That still wouldn’t be up to the base Mazda CX-30 or Ford Bronco Sport engines, but it’d be in the ballpark, along with the Subaru Crosstrek and Kia Seltos optional upgrades. The question must be asked, then: why is that turbo engine not at least available on the HR-V?
According to senior product planner Quincy Tam, it comes down to demographics and existing customer expectations. First, the turbocharged Civic trim levels are more likely to be purchased by male buyers, whereas about 70% of buyers in the HR-V’s segment are female. Perhaps that element is related to the next bit, perhaps not. Either way, research groups indicated that existing and potential buyers were looking for “sufficient power without waste.” Cost is a concern, and they don’t want to pay for something they aren’t going to use. Tam and his team asked if research group participants wanted more power, and were surprised to find that they did not. Apparently, HR-V buyers are different from Crosstrek buyers, since Subaru researchers found the exact opposite.