Most of you are probably already familiar with the Honda Fit, the five-door subcompact that's available nationwide with a puny, 1.5-liter four-pot under the hood. What you might not be aware of is that the automaker also builds a crossover on the same underpinnings. It's dubbed the Vezel and has been offered in Japan since December 2013. No biggie though, because you'll get to see it in person starting 2015, when Honda brings it to America under the HR-V name. The new vehicle slots right below the popular CR-V and will be manufactured in Mexico before being shipped to U.S. showrooms.

The HR-V just made its debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show to reveal that it has very little in common with the Fit as far as design goes, bearing a styling of its own that includes a few trademark cues seen on the larger CR-V. The HR-V is quite the spacious and practical vehicle thanks to its unique center tank layout and the Magic Seat system it comes with. The HR-V also gets a larger engine, ditching the 1.5-liter four-cylinder unit found in the Fit for a 1.8-liter four-banger with 138 ponies at its disposal. Read on for the full details.

Update 09/19/2016: Honda has announced pricing for the 2017 Honda HR-V. There are no significant changes for the 2017MY, however, Honda is now offering Lunar Sliver Metallic as an exterior color and discontinuing Alabaster Silver. Pricing starts at $19,365 for the entry-level LX trim level. Check out the "Prices" section below for further details.

Click past the jump to read more about the Honda HR-V.

Exterior

Though the HR-V is most directly related to the Fit, it looks nothing like it. In fact, it looks more like a scrunched up and sported-up CR-V. Its headlamps are clearly inspired by its larger cousin, as is its sloped hood. Around back and in the body lines, the HR-V is its own model and shares little with any other Honda vehicle.

Overall, the crossover looks solid and sporty. Its coupe-like roof is complemented by muscular front fenders, the upswept character line and the concealed rear door handles. Granted, the Honda HR-V is one of the better-looking crossovers of its class, although that's not exactly a compliment considering its competitor list includes the Nissan Juke and the Kia Soul.

Available in three trim levels -- LX, EX and EX-L -- the HR-V is equipped with standard aluminum-alloy wheels, power mirrors, and power tailgate locks.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

The cabin blends design elements from both the CR-V and the Fit, but also includes a decent amount of exclusive styling features. While the instrument cluster and the steering wheel bring nothing new design-wise, the passenger side dashboard is quite unique, although not particularly attractive. The center stack is different as well, although many of the control, as well as the infotainment system, are nearly identical to the CR-V's. The center console is also brand-new, while the gear shifter seems to come from CR-V.

Much like the Honda Fit, the HR-V is a mix of hard plastic and soft-touch materials. The HR-V benefits from a more premium feel though, with more sophisticated stitch lines and chrome and piano black inserts. The instrument cluster is by far the most entertaining feature with its "floating" illumination rings and the ECO Assist application that changes the speedometer illumination from white to green depending on fuel consumption.

Thanks to its unique platform design with a center-mounted fuel tank and reconfigurable second-row "Magic Seat," the HR-V boasts one of the most spacious interior of the compact crossover segment. That's 100.1 cubic feet of passenger volume and 58.8 cubic feet of cargo volume with the second row seats folded completely.

Standard equipment includes power windows, electronic parking brake, rearview camera, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth and Pandora radio. The options list gets check boxes for heated front seats, a power sunroof, leather trim, paddle shifters for the steering wheel, a 7-inch touchscreen Display Audio telematics interface, Honda LaneWatch, Smart Entry/Push-Button Start, SiriusXM radio, Honda Digital Traffic.

Drivetrain

Motivating the HR-V is a refined version of Honda's 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with i-VTEC making 138 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 127 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm. That's eight ponies and 13 pound-feet more than its Japanese counterpart, sold as the Vezel, which sports a 1.5-liter four-banger. The updated mill mates to either six-speed manual transmission -- exclusive to 2WD models -- or a CVT with Honda's "G-design" shift logic.

All-wheel-drive is optional and features Real TIME AWD with Intelligent Control System for improved all-weather traction. The automaker promises class-leading fuel economy for the HR-V, but we'll have to wait for the EPA estimates to find out more about that.

Drivetrain Specifications

Prices

Like the 2016 model year, the HR-V is available in three different trim levels: LX, EX, and EX-L Navi. In entry-level form, the car starts out at $19,265 with two-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. Going with two-wheel drive and a CVT will up the starting price to $20,165 while the AWD LX with a CVT comes in at $21,465. Stepping into the EX trim level comes with a starting price of $21,415 when equipped with two-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. Going with the EX 2WD and a CVT commands $22,215 while AWD with a CVT comes in at $23,515. Then you’ve got the EX-L Navi which is only available with the CVT and comes in at $24,840 in 2WD form and $26,140 in AWD form.

Despite the fact that Honda changed nothing for 2017 aside from swapping the Alabaster Silver exterior finish for Lunar Silver Metallica, the prices for each model have increased across the board by $250, with the exception of the EX AWD with a CVT and the EX-L Navi with AWD, which both increased by $300.

2017 Honda HR-V prices

2016 Honda HR-V prices

Competitors

Nissan Juke

It's pretty obvious that Honda wants a piece of the compact crossover cake with HR-V. And to do that, it'll have to go against the Nissan->ke62 Juke. The Japanese crossover just got its mid-cycle refresh for the 2015 model year and will hit dealerships with revised headlamps, boomerang-style taillights and reshaped bumpers, just to name a few things.

Interior updates are minor, but the Juke is now able to fold its rear seats completely flat, allowing for more cargo space. This adds to the vehicle's already increased cargo capacity due to its restyled cargo area.

Engine-wise, the 2015 Juke keeps its turbocharged, 1.6-liter four-pot with 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque on tap. Although performance figures remained the same, the revised engine emits less CO2 compared to the previous model. The 2015 Nissan Juke is expected to start from about $20,000 once it arrives in showrooms.

Read our full review on the Nissan Juke here.

Kia Soul

Yes, the Kia Soul is a box on wheels and its styling cues won't help it win any beauty contests, but the crossover is quite popular with U.S. customers. And now that a new-generation model is upon us, the Korean vehicle will have a great start against the upcoming Honda HR-V.

Although its new looks are revolutionary, the second-generation Soul has grown in size and has become more aggressive, gaining a few design cues from Kia->ke41's Track'ster Concept. The cabin feels more premium than before thanks to its new, soft-touch materials. Actually, the range-topping Soul! model is more on the luxury side, as our editor-in-chief learned earlier this year.

Two engines are powering the new Soul. A 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 130 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque at its disposal and a 2.0-liter NU engine rated at 164 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual comes standard, while a six-speed automatic can be had at extra cost. The 2014 model starts from $14,900, a lot less than the aforementioned vehicles.

Read our full review on the Kia Soul here.

Mazda CX-3

The CX-3 is also a brand-new product that made its debut alongside the HR-V at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. The small crossover features Mazda's familiar KODO design with sharp headlamps massive grille, and sloping roofline giving it a sporty appearance. In short, the CX-3 knocks the competition out of the park as far as looks go. The interior is equally pleasing to look at, borrowing many design themes from the brand-new MX-5 Miata.

Motivating the CX-3 is the same 2.0-liter, Skyactiv, four-cylinder engine found in the Mazda 3. No official output ratings have been released as of November 2014, but we expect it to crank out around 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. The unit mates to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting and either front- or all-wheel-drive. The CX-3 is likely to start from around $20,000.

Read our full review on the Mazda CX-3 here.

Conclusion

The Honda HR-V appears to be a solid competitor for the compact crossover segment. It's appealing by design, blending a sporty appearance and, fortunately enough, plenty of styling cues it can call its own. Its interior is also a step forward compared to the Fit's, although it might not stand a chance against the Mazda CX-3's. Things could've been better under the hood though, where the 138-horsepower inline-four is likely to struggle against the more powerful offerings of the segment.

Update History

Updated 04/30/2015: Honda announced prices for the 2016 HR-V, which will arrive at dealerships nationwide on May 15. The model is priced from $19,115 for the standard LX version and up to $25,840 for the EX-L Navi version.

Updated 11/20/2014: The new Honda HR-V made its North American debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Check the American specifications after the jump.