The latest crossover from Honda is their reincarnation of the HR-V. This time it’s back as a self-charging hybrid, boasting improved MPG without the hassle of having to plug in.
2022 Honda HR-V prices currently start at £29,410 in entry-level ‘Elegance’ trim and rise to £34,850 for range-topping ‘Advance Style’.
Looks
Colour really does make a difference with the HR-V. Take our dowdy retirement red example here. Urgh. But in black or white, it looks the business. Those will set you back an extra £650, as the standard no-cost colour is ‘Sand Khaki Pearl’, think, hearing aid beige or those Velcro shoes old people wear.
No idea why the colours are so old fash for such a modern-looking car.
That hidden rear door does wonders for the HR-V, making it look almost like a coupe. And that skinny rear C pillar is also a welcome change from most modern crossovers. While the rear looks wide thanks to a central light bar running the whole width of the HR-V.
Drive
So the HR-V is an e:HEV, which means you can drive on electric power alone up to 40 mph before the 1.5 litre petrol engine kicks in.
CVT automatic gearboxes are the easiest way to mesh electric motors and petrol engines, and that’s no different in the HR-V. You get 130 BHP in total from the two motors and the small battery pack that sits beneath the rear seats. Energy is recovered via braking to charge the battery, the engine doesn’t charge it directly, but it can give some of its power to the motors to then drive the front wheels in a hybrid drive mode.
Around town is where the HR-V is best suited. It’s easy to drive and keeps pretty hushed as long as you don’t mash the throttle to get away from a roundabout. The HR-V switches drive modes as it sees fit to get the best MPG.
On faster roads or under acceleration, you’ll notice the revs (and noise) rise as the eCVT gets to work. That’s just how CVT gearboxes work. You’ll get used to it, and it’s not that much of an issue. It’s just different to what you’re used to if you’ve never driven a CVT before.
Over 200 odd miles of faster A road and country driving, we saw 49 MPG, which is just a smidge below the official figure of 52.3. Give the HR-V a more balanced life of around-town miles, and that should be easily beatable.
0-60 is 10.6 seconds, which is rather slow, but the 253 Nm of torque makes it feel a bit punchier off the mark than those figures tell.
Inside
Hopping inside and the HR-V is all the usual Honda goodness. Everything feels nicely made, all the touchpoints are of decent quality, and nothing feels overly cheap.
Large windows give a good view all around; even the smaller-than-average rear window isn’t an issue, thanks to the aforementioned thin rear pillars. Front and rear parking sensors are also standard.
The infotainment screen is 9” and features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a USB charging socket just by the gear lever.
In the rear, leg room is great for a car of this size, but headroom is a little on the squashed side thanks to that low roofline, but it should only trouble the tallest of adults. There are also two USB chargers in the back.
Boot space measures in at 319 litres, which is a little tight as a Nissan Juke can even hold more. There is a flat boot floor which is split to allow you to stow even more underneath, but Honda’s ‘Magic Seats’ fold into the floor, making the HR-V a cavernous 1,289-litre load lugger.
2022 Honda HR-V Conclusion
As a city-loving runabout for short commutes, the HR-V is ideal. Offering diesel levels of MPG without the nasties, it would also make a great stepping stone from an ICE vehicle to something fully electric.
All are well equipped with decent options available, but plump for the ‘Advance’ model if you can, as it adds folding mirrors and a heated steering wheel as well as ‘synthetic leather’ seats for a bit more of a premium feel.
