InThis brand new HR-V aims to capture ground lost to rivals. It’s still based on a supermini – the Jazz this time around – and the quirky styling has made way for something far more conventional but nonetheless stylish. Despite dimensions that are similar to a Renault Captur, the HR-V has interior space that rivals the Nissan Qashqai, and it pinches the Jazz’s and Civic’s clever ‘Magic Seats’ system too.
In the UK the HR-V is offered in S, SE, SE Navi and EX trims with all models coming with climate control, cruise control and auto headlights. But there is a smaller choice when it comes to engines as the HR-V is only offered with a brand new 128bhp 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol or a 118bhp 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel. The petrol comes with six-speed manual or a new CVT transmissions; the diesel just comes with the manual box.
Engines, performance and drive
Honda is only offering front-wheel drive in the UK, citing sales of four-wheel drive small SUVs being small. In keeping with making things simple, there are just two engines available too – a brand new 128bhp 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol which is quiet and smooth, and a 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel.
As for the rest of the driving experience, the HR-V performs pretty well and is a close match for the Qashqai in terms of comfort and handling. There’s plenty of grip from the chassis, plus less body roll than you get in the Nissan, even at higher speeds. The Honda’s steering is light and doesn’t deliver much feedback, but it’s no worse than the Qashqai’s, and the car feels nimble when changing direction.
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At low speeds, the HR-V has a decent ride and manages to smooth out bumps well, while at higher speeds it feels stable and secure, with only the biggest bumps sending shudders through the cabin. Wind and road noise are well suppressed, too.
Interior, design and technology
The HR-V may well use the Jazz supermini’s platform, but with a length of 4,294mm it’s 159mm longer than a Nissan Juke, despite rivaling the Juke in terms of market positioning. It’s also larger on the inside than the Juke and matches up to the Nissan Qashqai – so the HR-V then sits in the strange middle ground between Juke and Qashqai, Captur and Kadjar and CX-3 and CX-5.
In difference to the Tonka toy-like styling of the Jeep Renegade and the cutesy curves of the Fiat 500X, the HR-V goes for more of a high-riding sporty look, just like the Mazda CX-3.
The front end gets a large Honda badge surrounded by a gloss-black grille and features air intakes above and below. That grille is flanked by a pair of angular headlamps with bright LED daytime running lights set within them. The front bumper is finished off with a black apron, which wraps around and curves up into the black wheelarch extensions.
Further back, the small glass area is reminiscent of the Civic’s, as are the rear door handles hidden in the C-pillars, while the doors feature bold creases to break up the slab-sided look. At the rear, the small back window, rounded tailgate and large tail-lights look a little awkward – there’s a hint of Citroen C3 about it – but overall the HR-V is distinctive. Yet
the car does seem quite sensitive to body colour, with white and red looking better than some of the darker shades on offer.
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Inside, some switchgear is shared with the Civic, but overall the dash design is unique to the HR-V. One quirky addition is the row of three slender air vents in front of the passenger seat, while the driver gets a distinctive instrument binnacle with a 3D-effect speedo and colour-coded outer rim, which changes according to how efficiently you’re driving.
The centre console features gloss-black trim and touch-sensitive climate controls, which work reasonably well. The touchscreen multimedia system is the same system found across the Honda range, as is the multifunction steering wheel, although the infotainment is a bit fiddly to use, with assorted sub-menus to navigate through for most functions.
One surprise is that you sit quite low – one of the appealing things about crossovers is usually their high seating position – yet the HR-V feels more like a conventional hatch from behind the wheel.
Practicality, comfort and boot space
The HR-V is based on the Jazz supermini, but with a length of 4,294mm it’s 159mm longer than a Nissan Juke. However, it has the interior space to rival the likes of the larger Nissan Qashqai rather than the Juke.
The boot measures 470 litres, which is 40 litres bigger than the Qashqai. Fold the rear seats down and there’s 1,533 – that’s around 50 litres down on the Qashqai but around 250 more than the CX-3 and nearly 350 more than the dinky Juke.
The HR-V’s trump card is its Magic Seats; pinched from the Jazz the rear seat squabs can be folded up against the seat backs allowing tall items to be carried inside the car as opposed to rolling around in the boot.
Reliability and Safety
Buying a Japanese car is considered a guarantee of reliability, so the HR-V has a strong reputation to live up to. Surprisingly, this new model isn’t being built at Honda’s plant in Swindon, but in a factory in Mexico alongside the next-generation Jazz supermini.
As a result, it’s hard to know how well the HR-V will last, although as many of its parts are shared with other models from Honda – including the upcoming Jazz – you can be sure they have been tested extensively for durability. The company was placed 18th out of 31 car manufacturers in our 2015 Driver Power survey, if that helps to ease your mind.
The HR-V has yet to be tested by Euro NCAP but with a full suit of safety kit available, Honda is aiming for a full five-star rating. Entry-level S models come with Honda’s City-Brake Active System as standard, while SE or EX models feature Honda’s Advanced Driver Assist System, which uses radar sensors, plus forward- and rear-facing cameras. It includes Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter, Lane Departure Warning and High-beam Support System.