Honda South Africa has stepped into the compact SUV fray once again with its third-generation HR-V SUV. We just drove it on a 220 km Boland to Swartland return trip.
The first HR-V broke cover internationally in 1999 but back then it was a whole different animal. The new three-door-hot-hatch-station-wagon-SUV-shooting aimed at ‘young families and pre-family couples who value their lifestyles and are design conscious’ and came in Sunburst Yellow Metallic to emphasise its ‘fun’ personality.
London’s Leith advertising agency positioned it as a ‘Joy Machine’ and one of their memorable TV ads was a young couple driving over massive bubble wrap attempting to burst each bubble. Such fun!
Like the Toyota RAV4 at the time, a playful design and personality were key characteristics, but those days have long gone with these models having become more mature and demurer. But according to Honda South Africa Product Manager, Callon Locke, the brand’s designers developed the new HR-V in consultation with customers to bring fun and joy back.
The new HR-V is leading Honda’s new design language and signals a move upwards with Honda’s focus on quality, functionality and practicality. The new HR-V looks more distinct and feels more premium than its predecessor. Its colour-coded grille a la the Ferrari Roma, slim front headlights and rear LED strip, coupé-esque (sportback?) side profile, well-built and stylish, albeit a bit ‘safe’ interior, points towards a promising direction for the Japanese brand.
Although the HR-V’s height is now 25 mm lower and its ground clearance is 26 mm, it does still feel spacious inside. Lengthwise its marginally shorter (4 330 mm vs 4 347 mm), slightly wider (1 790 mm vs 1 772 mm) and has an 8 mm longer wheelbase with the result that occupants at the back now have 38 mm more room to stretch their legs. This is also partly due to Honda’s centrally fitted fuel tank. The HR-V features Honda’s Magic Seats that can fold flat or flip up to increase interior space at the back. Luggage space is a claimed 304-litres. Even though the full-sized spare wheel eats into your boot space, it’s a more sober choice for South African roads.
The previous model’s 1,8-litre engine has been replaced with a 1,5-litre DOHC I-VTEC petrol engine (the same one used in the new Honda Fit) and generates 89 kW and 145 N.m. After driving the HR-V we do feel like it could do with a bit more torque. The engine is mated to a CVT transmission that, as can be expected, be noisy when accelerating but the sound insulation in the new HR-V is better than that of some of the brand’s competitors. Although the paddles behind the steering wheel is not going to transform the newcomer’s tame engine into a sports crossover, its simulated gearshifts will reduce the CVT’s whining at higher revs.
Although our launch drive included some urban driving, we mainly put the HR-V through its paces on the open road. The car handled well but the ride was firmer than expected, which can in part be attributed to the 18-inch wheels fitted on the Executive model that we drove. (The Comfort derivative is shod with 17-inch wheels). As a result, some road noise was audible inside the cabin, but we were impressed by the car’s softer suspension that handled any road imperfections well.
Honda’s designers focused on driver visibility with the result of a lower, less-slowing dashboard. The new HR-V features a higher-resolution 8-inch infotainment system and thankfully includes manual dials. Plug-in only Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also included. The driver’s binnacle is fitted with a configurable 7-inch LCD screen but still also features analogue dials.
To enhance interior comfort Honda’s new Air Diffusion System features L-shaped vents that can be set to create a vortex that directs airflow against the windows towards the back to keep the heat out in summer and the cold out in winter.
Driver’s assistance systems include Honda’s Sensing suite, which incorporates a new, wider-angle 100-degree camera that monitors traffic and road conditions more accurately to improve the efficiency of the car’s adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, enhanced road departure mitigation, lane-keep assist and rear-cross traffic alert systems. The new HR-V also features Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS), low speed braking and hill descent control that can be activated between 3 km/h and 20 km/h. The HR-V’s party trick is its Honda Lanewatch feature that displays the car’s blind spots when turning on the infotainment screen. Both models have front and side airbags with the Executive derivative also getting curtain airbags.
Summary:
Is the new HR-V the spiritual successor of the original ‘Joy Machine’? Not quite, but it is a good mix of distinctive premium styling and a safe, overall comfortable drive at a relatively competitive price. And that in itself should ‘spark joy’ but it’s up to you how much fun you have with the new HR-V.
Fast facts
Honda HR-V
Price: HR-V 1,5 Comfort CVT: R469,000 HR-V 1,5 Executive CVT: R554,500 Engine: 1,5 DOHC naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine Transmission: Continuously variable transmission (CVT), front-wheel drive Power: 89 kW @ 6 600 r/min Torque: 145 N.m @ 4 300 r/min Driven wheels: FWD Drive modes: One: Eco 0-100 km/h: Comfort: 12sec.; Executive: 10,1 sec. Top speed: Comfort: 179 km/h; Executive: 188 km/h Fuel consumption: 6,0 L/100 km (combined) CO2 emissions: 144 g/km Service intervals: 15 000 km or 12 months Service plan: 4 YR/60,000 km Warranty: 5-year/200 000 km
AA Roadside Assist: 3 years
Rivals: Audi Q2, Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota C-HR, VW T-Roc/Taigo
Words: Thys de Beer
Keyword: DRIVEN: Honda HR-V Executive CVT