Honda HR-V Review, Specs & Performance

Overview of the Honda HR-V

Stylish compact SUV

Practical with a nice cabin

The Honda HR-V was relaunched in 2019 to deliver an impressive and stylish compact SUV. It's not only a practical car, there's also a nice cabin and comfortable handling abilities.

Engines and performance for the Honda HR-V

The new Honda HR-V offers enhanced and more powerful and efficient engines to deliver the engaging drive. There's a choice of either 130 PS or 182 PS petrol engines or there's a diesel unit producing 120 PS. The petrol models have the choice of enhanced CVT as the transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engines are responsive and should deliver economy of around 44 mpg. Honda has also added its new 1.5 litre VTEC unit, the one that has been fitted to the latest Honda Civic, but it's only available in the HR-V Sport. The four cylinders deliver power and torque of 240 Nm and it is a quick performer with a top speed of 133 mph and economy of around 43 mpg. Better fuel economy comes from the 1.6 litre i-Dtec diesel unit which should return around 57 mpg with emissions of 132g/km. Honda's CVT transmission delivers a natural multi-gear feel using software and delivers optimised gear changing.

Equipment and handling

The new Honda HR-V is aimed at drivers in Europe so has improved comfort and handling features to help boost the ride. There's also a new damper control system to improve handling and deal with poor road surfaces - the on-road manners make it one of the best in its segment. Safety equipment includes an anti-lock braking system, vehicle stability, hill start assist and electronic brake force distribution. In a competitive segment, the HR-V delivers a more dynamic driving experience with a comfortable ride in towns but it really shows what it can do on winding country roads where the damper system and the suspension work to deliver a smooth and enjoyable ride. There is a lot of space in what is a sophisticated cabin and it's been built for hard use with lots quality soft touch surfaces and comfortable seats. Drivers also get to enjoy an excellent infotainment system using a 7-inch touchscreen with various apps pre-installed and others are easy to download. The system also uses smartphone connectivity with some models having satnav fitted as standard. Standard safety equipment includes city brake active system to help the driver avoid low speed accidents and an advanced driving safety system with five active safety features. Among these is traffic sign recognition and forward collision warning which utilises radar sensors as well as rear and forward facing cameras. Essentially, the Honda HR-V is a well-designed and solid offering in the compact SUV segment and there's a lot to like about the car including a comfortable and rewarding drive to make it worth shortlisting.

More information about the Honda HR-V

Why not have a look at the Prius on the official Honda UK company website and get the latest news about the HR-V at The UK Honda Owners' Club.