Don't forget that the diesel engine has significantly better torque than the petrol engine, particularly at the low end of the revs. That the CVT has largely disguised this difference speaks for itself.
It will soon be 2 years since my CVT Mk 3 Jazz was traded in for my CVT HR-V. The latter provides a more fuss-free drive (none of that Atkinson cycle issue), a slightly higher seating position, virtually eliminates (for me) the dashboard glare problem (a big issue with my hybrid Jazz and reduced, but still a problem, on the Mk 3) plus an even more spacious cabin. I had assumed about 15% thirstier than the Mk 3 Jazz and it's fulfilled that expectation - 50 mpg on A road cruising (in June I did 2000 miles to / from / around Scotland at 55 mpg based on fuel used - orange Jazz gave nearly 63 mpg for a similar trip). However, mpg drops significantly during the winter - the engine takes excessively long to warm up.
My two key issues with the HR-V are (i) the touch panel for controlling the heating and ventilation - difficult to use safely when driving and (ii) the temperamental auto idle stop. I've seen nothing to suggest that Honda may have addressed the former in the refresh while the latter seems to be related to the low battery syndrome (a reluctance of the vehicle to keep the battery properly charged so a week or two of standing means that the battery has dropped below the charge threshold for the auto stop). I should note, however, that my Mk 3 Jazz also had this issue - I now understand it better but, so far, have got no admission from the dealer that anything is amiss as it works OK for them.
I wonder if some of the other differences you are seeing in your comparison between Mk 3 Jazz and HR-V are the result of unreported incremetal tweaks. I didn't notice significant differences with auto headlights or auto wipers when I changed vehicle (the Mk 2 Jazz auto-wipers were much better).
As for those brake lights staying on, a lot of modern vehicles have the same problem. It just needs a rear-looking camera to detect that there is a stationery vehicle behind and then turn the lights off after a few seconds (the EX has the camera but lacks the simple logic).
Personally, from what I've seen so far about the changes coming with the HR-V refresh (turbo option excepted) they seem to be largely cosmetic. Perhaps the infotainment system is also updated? I would personally be inclined to save some money and look around for an ex-demonstrator of the current version
https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/used-cars/approved-cars (the majority seem to be EX) but I wouldn't want the EX due to loss of rear seat headroom caused by the sun roof even though the front passenger might like the higher seat.
