HONDA

HR-V

The latest third-generation Honda HR-V is a smashing piece of kit that combines practicality, efficiency, technology and great handling – all in one very neat package. It is only available in hybrid format and that introduces impressive fuel efficiency.

The good

Versatile, stylish, safe, reliable and packed with tech

The bad

Not that dynamic to drive

Tech Specs

Price from

£26,960

Combined Fuel up to

52.3mpg

0-62 from

10.6 seconds

max speed up to

106mph

co2 from

122g/km

Test Drive

Honda HR-V e-HEV Advance – Third Generation First Drive (2021)

It’s been around for more than two decades, but now the all-new third-generation Honda HR-V really raises the bar in the compact SUV sector.

Admittedly, it lacks the wow factor of some rivals, but as is the Honda way, it does everything rather well with the minimal amount of fuss.

That’s because the HR-V, which is available in hybrid format only, is well priced, practical, stylish, safe and very reliable.

It specialises in the finer things in life such as comfort and elegance rather than out-and-out pace. That’s evident in the performance stats. Our mid-range HR-V Advance model, costing £29,210, could complete the 0-62mph dash in a leisurely 10.7 seconds and topped out at 106mph. Rivals can slash that sprint time by half and leave you pinned to the back of the seat in the process – the choice really is yours.

Without a shadow of doubt, the new HR-V is the best looking version of the car to date. Gone is that rather box-like design and it is replaced with a coupe-inspired look with a sleek silhouette thanks to a sloping roofline and hidden rear door handles. Sweeping light clusters, neat alloys and black wheel arches add to the appeal.

Moving inside, Honda has developed an interior that is minimalist with a clean, uncluttered dashboard. There is a certain premium feel to the car with upmarket upholstery, a six-speaker sound system, full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-inch dash-mounted infotainment touchscreen with voice control, in-car wi-fi along with a wealth of other high-end features.

The HR-V is powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired to two electric motors to deliver a combined 131ps and 253Nm or torque. In addition, the battery pack has grown to increase the EV-only driving range.

This set-up may sound a little familiar and that’s because it has been tried and tested and greeted with glowing reviews in the recently launched Honda Jazz.

While the HR-V is not blisteringly fast, it is no slouch either and is nicely responsive when faced with the open road. It cruises effortlessly on motorways and is well balanced with confident grip through the twisting country lanes. In addition, it is beautifully agile with nice light steering in busier town centres with sensors, cameras and parking aids to assist.

There are three drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport that alter the characteristics of the car’s performance and single-pedal driving is possible when in the highest setting for regenerative braking. This is ideal in busy stop/start city traffic.

With elevated seating the driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility – this is a real ‘must’ on a car that will likely feature regularly on the chaotic school run.

When it comes to day-to-day running costs, the Honda HR-V delivers a combined 52.3mpg with carbon emissions of 122g/km. This WLTP figure is easily achievable provided the car is driven with a little respect. Drive it with a heavy right boot though and that mpg figure drops at quite a dramatic rate.

In addition, more aggressive driving will result in a noisier cabin with the CVT transmission putting up quite a protest. But this car isn’t about brute force. It covers all the bases well but with a calmer attitude. It’s family friendly with bags of leg room in the back and it features Honda’s clever Magic Seats format allowing the rear seats to be moved or folded flat to create extra storage space.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, can swallow 335 litres of luggage, increasing to 1,305 litres with the rear seats dropped flat. There is a little extra room beneath the boot floor, along with additional storage room in a glovebox, central cubby, seat back pockets, door bins, plus front and rear cup holders.

As is the Honda way, the HR-V is packed with safety features and driver aids – it was recently awarded the maximum five-star rating when tested by Euro NCAP. The Honda SENSING brings collision mitigation throttle control, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, low speed following, traffic sign recognition, road departure mitigation and eCall in Europe. This complements the likes of blind spot warning, cross traffic monitor, tyre pressure monitoring, vehicle stability assist, brake assist, Isofix points and a full suite of airbags.

All in all, the latest Honda HR-V is a very accomplished all-round package. It’s not in-your-face by any means, but it does everything rather well without having to boast about its achievements along the way. It’s definitely worth checking out if you are in the market for a compact family SUV.

Test Drive

Honda HR-V Sport 1.5 CVT

There is a new flagship model that has just joined the Honda HR-V ranks – it boasts muscular styling along with a powerful turbocharged engine and it’s aptly called the HR-V Sport.

But this is so much more than a gentle design tweak and nameplate change, because the HR-V Sport introduces a wealth of model-specific features that really help the car stand out.

For example, there are revised sports bumpers and skirts, more pronounced wheel arches, larger lightweight alloy wheels and lots of high gloss trim. Other design cues include a dual exhaust finisher, front LED fog lights, rear privacy glass, a shark fin antennae and dusk sensing automatic lights.

Move inside and the interior of the five-door HR-V Sport boasts gorgeous wine-red leather and black fabric seat upholstery with red swathes on the dashboard, door and central stack. It looks sublime and very upmarket.

And as you might expect, there is a wealth of on-board technology at your disposal, including the likes of Honda Connect with Garmin seven-inch touchscreen navigation offering full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is a CD player, Bluetooth, heated front seats, a six-speaker sound system and lots more besides.

But the headline-grabbing feature on this front-wheel-drive model is the turbocharged 1.5-litre VTEC petrol engine developing 180bhp and 240Nm of torque.

And those figures translate into some very interesting performance stats. This car can sprint from 0-62mph in just 7.8 seconds and it tops out at 134mph – not bad for a family-friendly SUV.

And the manner in which the car behaves also impresses. It feels fast but nicely composed as it moves swiftly through the CVT automatic transmission. The road-holding is confident and assured, and the cabin is nicely insulated against any engine, road surface or wind noise.

Out on the faster country lanes, there is minimal sign of body roll even when pushed hard into corners thanks to the new performance dampers and suspension system fitted to this car. And these have been fine tuned in collaboration with the steering system to deliver a truly dynamic driving experience. Paddle shifts offer the opportunity to change gears manually and a Sport mode also adds to the fun factor.

But the HR-V Sport is not all about muscle and power, it’s also a very capable and versatile family vehicle with ample space for five occupants. It has a generous boot capacity that ranges from 431 to 1,473 litres in size and also features Magic Seats – Honda’s clever system that allows the rear seats to be folded flat or the seat cushions to fold upright like theatre seats.

In busy town centres, the elevated driving position is another plus factor as it results in excellent all-round visibility which is really handy with cars, pedestrians and cyclists darting out from here, there and everywhere.

It sounds like the HR-V Sport is too good to be true with its great handling, handsome styling and excellent all-round practicality. And in fairness, it was everything I had hoped for apart from the sometimes temperamental Apple CarPlay system that was a tad hit and miss.

On the economy front, the official combined fuel economy figure of 39.2mpg (WLTP) is achievable if the car is driven ‘sensibly’, but drive with a heavy right boot and that figure will drop. There is an ECON mode to maximise fuel efficiency.

All in all, when you factor in the comprehensive list of safety kit on the HR-V Sport, it is a very practical, stylish, fun-to-drive and appealing family SUV. And the price-tag of £27,840 (£28,365 with Pearlescent Paint) is also competitively pitched.

Test Drive

Honda HR-V 1.6 i-DTEC EX manual

It was more than a decade ago that Honda decided to kill off its HR-V model and during those years rival manufacturers have been scooping up the crossover sales, but now the HR-V is back and it’s bigger and better than ever.

Boasting a dynamic, athletic profile the HR-V looks fabulous from any angle thanks to its sweeping lines, 17-inch alloys, LED headlights and daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, front fog lights and massive panoramic sunroof.

Step inside and the vehicle offers class-leading space along with a whole host of premium features and design cues. There are soft-touch surfaces, leather trim, heated seats plus a wealth of on-board technology, including a sat nav, infotainment via a seven-inch colour touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, dual zone climate control, a rear view camera and plenty more besides.

Comfort levels are high with ample room for two adults in the back – three at a push – and the vehicle’s raised roofline results in lots of headroom too. The slightly elevated and upright seating position also means the driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility which is essential in a car that will often be used on the busy school runs.

The HR-V also features Honda’s outstanding Magic Seat system which enables easily-adaptable and flexible seating configurations and also results in additional space being freed up to carry awkwardly-shaped items.

And when it comes to storage the HR-V is class-leading with a 453-litre boot capacity that can be increased to a whopping 1,026 litres with the rear seats dropped down flat and elsewhere there are numerous handy storage compartments, including drinks holders, door pockets and a good-sized glove-box.

The range-topping EX test car was powered by a 1.6-litre 120PS diesel engine mated to a six speed manual gearbox. It can reach 62mph from a standing start in 10.5 seconds and tops out at 119mph. According to official figures it can deliver combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg with carbon emissions of 108g/km which makes it a very viable and cost-effective option.

In built-up city centre traffic the HR-V coped admirably and proved agile when manoeuvring through tight gaps. Then out on faster lanes and motorways, the car was pleasantly responsive too. The acceleration may not be blistering, but it was controlled, measured and very acceptable. The road-holding was also sure-footed and cabin noise reasonably quiet unless the vehicle was pushed particularly hard when some engine and road surface sound became noticeable.

All the controls, dials and instrumentation are easy to operate and ideally positioned.

In fact my only real gripe after a week behind the wheel was the slight reflection from the shiny console and the rather dated-looking air vents that stood out for the wrong reasons in an otherwise upmarket and premium-looking car.

As well as all the more instantly-recognisable safety systems, the HR-V also features a truly comprehensive range of driver aids as standard on all models apart from the entry-level S grade.

For example there is city brake, lane departure warning, high beam support and cross traffic monitoring and in addition, the car boasts the innovative Intelligent Speed Assist system which combines the Traffic Sign Recognition and Speed Limiter to identify changes in the speed limit and then restricts the top speed of the car accordingly.

All in all, it’s great news that Honda has revived its HR-V and with its price-tag of £25,470, it will be another welcome challenger to the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Vauxhall Mokka and Renault Captur.