Honda

ZR-V

The all-new Honda ZR-V is a five-door compact SUV that is big on style and character. Featuring the highly-acclaimed e:HEV hybrid technology, customers can choose from three generously-equipped trims.

The good

Practical, well-equipped and easy to drive

The bad

There are more exciting rivals out there

Tech Specs

Price from

£39,495

Combined Fuel up to

49.5

0-62 from

7.8 seconds

max speed up to

107mph

co2 from

130g/km

Test Drive

Honda ZR-V – First Drive (2023)

Honda has launched an all-new compact SUV called the ZR-V. It sits between the HR-V and CR-V in the company’s SUV line-up and, if you’re wondering, ZR-V stands for Z Runabout Vehicle.

With prices starting from £39,495, customers can select from three generously-equipped trim levels called Elegance, Sport and Advance. We opted for the range-topping ZR-V Advance costing £42,895.

It’s a five-door, five-seater powered by the same highly acclaimed petrol hybrid e:HEV technology found in the latest Honda Civic. This sees a 2.0-litre petrol engine, along with two electric motors and a 1.05kWh battery which, when combined, deliver the same sort of torque delivered from a 3.0-litte engine.

With a power output of 184PS and 315Nm of torque, the ZR-V can complete the 0-62mph dash in a very respectable 7.8 seconds (Elegance), 7.9 seconds (Sport) or 8.0 seconds (Advance) with all versions topping out at 107mph. And, according to official figures under WLTP testing, our test car could deliver 48.7mpg with carbon emissions of 132g/km.

The ZR-V looks modern in its styling with either a gloss black grille featuring vertical lines on Elegance and Sport models, or a honeycomb finish on the Advance version. Other eye-catching design cues include  front and rear signature lights, slim headlights, dual tail pipes, hidden wipers and smart 18-inch alloy wheels.

The interior is modern and clutter-free with full leather upholstery (Elegance and Sport models feature fabric or part leather). A nine-inch touchscreen offers access to the many on-board systems, including an upgraded 12-speaker Bose sound system, Honda CONNECT with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a rear-view camera, DAB radio and lots more besides.

The seats are powered and can be heated, along with the steering wheel, to fend off the winter blues and additional features include a 10.2-inch driver information display, head-up display, shift-by-wire gear selector and split-layer centre console which is unique to the ZR-V.

All controls and readouts are easy to operate on the fly in this exceptionally driver-focused cockpit and there are physical controls to adjust the climate control which avoids driver distraction. With a charging pad and four USB and USB-C ports, keeping devices connected is a simple process too.

When it comes to performance, the ZR-V is beautifully composed. We were fortunate to test the car on Spanish roads which really put our UK network to shame and the test car cruised effortlessly on motorways with barely a sound filtering through into the cabin.

There is instant pace at the slightest throttle pressure and the ZR-V certainly impressed with its balance and grounding as it fizzed down twisting mountain roads. Then, in busier town centres and areas around bustling Barcelona, the great all-round driver visibility, along with the car’s agility, made life simpler with cars, bikes and pedestrians darting out from all angles.

In the background, the ZR-V will seamlessly alternate between EV, Hybrid and Engine Drive to maximise performance and efficiency, while the driver can choose between drive modes called Normal, Sport, Eco and Snow. These didn’t make a huge difference to the handling to be honest, but the Snow mode is a first for a Honda SUV and will offer extra grip on slippery surfaces.

Steering wheel-mounted paddles can be used to adjust the levels of regenerative braking and, all in all, the ZR-V was accomplished in all settings. There are more dynamic rivals out there, but this is a Honda that will tick so many boxes in the ever-growing C-segment SUV sector.

One area where the car really excels is the cabin space with ample room for four adults (all six foot or more) to sit comfortably. A trio of teenagers would fit in the back with generous levels of leg, elbow and head room. Our Advance model was fitted with a sunroof that slightly impacted on head space but not too much.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate with a kick function, has a low loading lip along with a wide aperture so carrying heavy or awkwardly-shaped items is made simpler. It can hold 370 litres of luggage, a limit that increases to 1,291 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. These capacities are slightly higher at 380 and 1,312 litres on Elegance and Sport models as they do not have a sub-woofer speaker fitted inside the boot.

There are a number of handy storage compartments throughout the cabin, such as door bins that are sloping to prevent bottles moving around, a very deep central cubby, a glovebox, seat back pockets, a sunglasses compartment, front and rear cup holders and some trays.

And, despite not being tested yet for its Euro NCAP safety rating, the ZR-V is packed with safety tech and driver assistance aids to protect occupants and other road users alike. Systems include lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, traffic sign recognition, vehicle stability assist, collision mitigation braking and throttle control, forward collision warning, a number of airbags including a front centre one, plus Isofix child seat fixtures.

So, the Honda ZR-V is quite an all-round package for families in the market for a stylish five-door compact SUV. It looks great, drives beautifully, is well equipped and very, very practical.

Finally, just in case you wondered, the Z in the ZR-V is a reference to Generation Z who are people born in the mid-90s. This is the age-group Honda is targeting for sales, but with price-tags starting from just shy of £40k it could be an older range of owners we see on our roads.