• Malaysia to debut all-new 2022 Honda HR-V soon
• HR-V e:HEV will square off against the Corolla Cross Hybrid
• How much will the HR-V e:HEV cost in Malaysia?

When the all-new 2022 Honda HR-V arrives in Malaysia later this year, it will likely bring with it not one, not two, but three powertrains – all brand-new powertrains on the HR-V.

One of which is the petrol-electric 1.5-litre i-MMD hybrid system, which made its debut in Malaysia on the Honda City RS.

Seeing that Honda Malaysia has yet to reveal any details surrounding the new HR-V, we will pit Thailand’s Honda HR-V e:HEV against its direct rival, the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.

To keep things fair and consistent, we’ll be pitting both top spec variants against each other. In this case, the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV Premium Safety will square off against the Honda HR-V e:HEV RS.

Powertrain – Same hybrid name, but with very different approach

While both the HR-V e:HEV and Corolla Cross Hybrid are petrol-electric hybrid models, Honda and Toyota took a very different approach with the hybrid implementation.

The Honda HR-V e:HEV gets Honda’s i-MMD two-motor hybrid system, which works in conjunction with a 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine. The engine is good for 106 PS and 127 Nm, while the hybrid system does 131 PS and 253 Nm.

There's no combined output for Honda e:HEV models, and neither can you sum up engine and motor outputs as they peak at different rotational speeds, but Honda says performance is comparable to a 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated engine.

On the other hand, Thailand’s Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid combines a 1.8-litre petrol engine with 98 PS and 142 Nm to an electric motor. Combined system output, according to Toyota, is 122 PS.

Feature set – Feature-laden for top-spec models

For both top-spec variants of the HR-V e:HEV and Corolla Cross Hybrid, they receive equipment such as automatic LED headlights, LED tail lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, power tailgate, power-adjustable driver seat, automatic climate control, rear air-conditioning vents, as well as an infotainment system that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Despite both being top-spec variants, there are differences too. For example, the Corolla Cross Hybrid offers a foot-operated parking brake, while the HR-V e:HEV offers a more modern electric parking brake (EPB) instead.

Safety equipment – Do you prefer Sensing or Toyota Safety Sense?

Headlining Thailand’s Honda HR-V is the inclusion of the Honda Sensing ADAS suite on all variants, which includes Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW), Auto High-Beam (AHB), and Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow (ACC with LSF).

Thailand’s Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, on the other hand, only offers the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) ADAS suite on the top-spec variant.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid also one ups the HR-V e:HEV in terms of airbag count, as the former offers 7 airbags, compared to the 6 airbags found on the latter.

Price – What happens when they come to Malaysia?

Over in Thailand, the 2022 Honda HR-V e:HEV RS is cheaper than the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Premium Safety. Priced at THB 1,179,000 (~RM 150k), the HR-V e:HEV RS is THB 20,000 cheaper than the top-spec Corolla Cross Hybrid. The latter is priced at THB 1,199,000 (~RM 152k) in the Kingdom.

Back home in Malaysia, our Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is priced from RM 136,550 (on-the road, without insurance, valid until 30-June 2022). Does it necessarily mean that the similar quantum in price gap can be expected for the Honda HR-V e:HEV in Malaysia and that the HR-V will be cheaper than the Corolla Cross?

We don't know for certain if the all-new 2022 Honda HR-V will be cheaper or more expensive, but it will be comparatively priced against the Toyota Corolla Cross. 

The outgoing RU-generation HR-V is using a larger 1.8-litre engine, which sits in a higher excise tax bracket. In theory, prices for the new 1.5-litre HR-V should be cheaper but not if the 1.5-litre engine is a more complex hybrid or turbocharged unit – which is the case for the 2022 Honda HR-V.

At the moment, the RU-generation HR-V is priced between RM 104,000 to RM 118,581, while the Toyota Corolla Cross is priced between RM 123,000 to RM 136,550. Expect prices of the all-new HR-V to increase a bit more than before, but within the range of the Corolla Cross.