2024 is shaping up to be a year of minor model updates for Honda. Early in the year, they revealed the first images of the facelifted Civic; now it’s their subcompact crossover’s turn – the HR-V.

Yes, we know it comes as a surprise to many as the HR-V was launched in the country about two years ago. Not to mention, Honda Cars Philippines’ unit supplies of the crossover have normalized just a few months back. But over in Japan where it’s called the Vezel, the time is just right to introduce a slight update to the looks inside and out, the powertrain, as well as its safety features.

On the outside, the HR-V has followed a style trend we recently saw with the facelifted Toyota Corolla Cross. The front grille has been revised with the horizontal slats paint-matched to the bumper, making it look more integrated with the whole assembly. There’s also a bigger gap between the upper and lower grille, but the rest of the design in front has been carried over.

At the back, the HR-V also gets a redesigned light signature on its LED taillights while the new outdoorsy “HuNT” package adds a roof rack and orange-colored inserts to the body of the crossover. Wheel designs, on the other hand, remain unchanged.

There’s also a very slight update to the HR-V’s interior. Aside from a new interior color combination, there’s a larger cubby hole below the A/C controls to accommodate more personal items. The Japan-market HR-V appears to share a similar touchscreen infotainment with the CR-V and Civic. But once the updated SE Asia version arrives, we won’t be surprised if it features the City’s new infotainment screen that comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In terms of powertrain updates, the Japan-market HR-V still has the 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine found on the PH market HR-V S, while the 1.5-liter e:HEV hybrid features improvements to the hybrid drive system. Honda says there’s better energy management control for the hybrid system to operate smoother and quieter while giving a better throttle response.

Lastly, the Honda Sensing ADAS on the updated HR-V gets additional features such as Traffic Jam Assist, Sudden Acceleration Suppression, and Adaptive Driving Beam for better safety and driving visibility at night.

For now, the update to the HR-V has only been introduced in Japan but other markets should follow. The Bangkok International Motor Show is happening soon, so the SE Asian debut might happen there before it lands in the country.