Volvo XC90 vs Honda HR-V

When the current-generation XC90 went on sale nearly a decade ago, it marked the Swedish automaker’s pivot from its boxy and boring past to a future defined by design, quality, and technology. Volvo used the XC90’s blueprint throughout its lineup of cars, SUVs, and wagons, building a bridge to its electrified future. Has it overstayed its welcome? Perhaps, and it carries over this year without changes. But having spent a week driving the 2024 XC90 Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid, it remains an appealing choice in the luxury SUV segment.

Verdict: Beautifully styled, inside and out, and offering a range of powertrains that includes a plug-in hybrid variant, the 2024 Volvo XC90 stands out in its field. However, it commands a steep price tag, and its safety tech isn’t as innovative as what you’ll find in some rival SUVs.

Honda’s subcompact SUV gets a makeover inside and out. Previously based on the Fit, the new HR-V shares the global architecture that also underpins the Civic.

Honda continues to narrow trim options: There were once as many as five, but the Touring trim level got the axe for the 2022 model year, and the EX has now left the lineup as well. The three remaining trims for 2023 are LX, Sport, and EX-L. We drove the top trim, EX-L, through the mountains of Washington's Columbia River Gorge.

New styling plus the newly standard Honda Sensing suite of safety features put this latest HR-V back at the front of the pack it led when it debuted in 2016.