Honda HR-V Review: 2015 VTi-L, A Magic Little Honda
What's Hot: Super-flexible ‘magic seats' system; attention-grabbing styling.
What's Not: No air-vents for rear-passengers; no electric seat-adjustment.
X FACTOR: Car-like driving dynamics with vastly more practicality than a car.
Vehicle style: Compact SUV
Price: $$33,565 (with metallic paint)
Engine/trans: 105kW/172Nm 1.8 litre SOHC 4cyl | CVT auto
Fuel consumption claimed: 6.9 l/100km | tested: 8.5 l/100km.
OVERVIEW
Honda's new HR-V compact cross-over is the best thing the company has produced in a while.
That badge first appeared 14 years ago, then disappeared. Now it's back in a bigger car with a bigger engine, more space inside and a vastly superior drive.
The 2015 version is front-wheel-drive only (in Australia) and this time there is no 4WD version. We will however get a diesel version later this year.
Under the bonnet is a 1.8 litre engine that's good for 105kW of power and 172Nm of torque - not great numbers but up to the task in the small HR-V.
The new HR-V goes up against the likes of the top-selling Holden Trax, Nissan Juke and Qashqai, Ford's EcoSport, Subaru's XV and the soon-to-arrive Mazda CX-3 and Jeep Renegade.
While the HR-V comes in four guises - all with a CVT transmission - we chose the top spec $32,990 VTi-L and its metallic paint lifted this to $33,565.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 4/5
Quality: Honda's interior designers have put a lot of thought into their new baby and what they've come up with is a stylish interior with a satisfying, smart feeling inside.
The leather-appointed seat trim adds to the quality of the VTi-L's interior and its overall ambience, but some of the dash plastics are hard to the touch.
Compact SUVs