It only takes a trip to your local supermarket to spot a wide variety of crossover models and conclude that their popularity must be absolutely booming. Honda was there in the beginning, with the original HR-V, but has been notably absent from the crowd in recent years, so this all-new HR-V couldn’t come any sooner.
With crossovers being quite a varied bunch nowadays, from the larger and more SUV-like Hyundai Tucson, down to the compact and sporty Mazda CX-3, the HR-V fits in at the smaller end of the spectrum, slotting between the Civic hatchback and CR-V.
The HR-V is lower and sportier in the flesh than you might expect from pictures, with a tapered set of side windows which lend it a coupe-like appearance. It strikes a nice balance between style and maturity, so we’re hoping it points to a new style direction for Honda, which has a rather hit-and-miss history of car designs.
It’s a similar story inside, where the instruments and interior materials look more expensive than those in the Civic, and importantly, the cabin is more logically laid out with a less experimental feel.
Based on the underpinnings of the Civic, the HR-V is front-wheel drive only for the time being, and we have no issue with that. Although it does have slightly raised ground clearance it’s obvious the HR-V would be little better off road than a VW Golf, so Honda has clearly focused on its road manners instead.
So, unlike many jack-of-all-trades crossovers, which are rather vague and lifeless affairs on the road, the HR-V is quite composed in corners with only a hint of body roll if you push harder than most Honda driver’s would think sane. We were worried on the international launch that the steering was rather light, but the UK car we tested also appeared to have more weight and feel, while remaining very quick to react, a trait of most new cars.
This chassis has also found a great ally in the 1.6-litre i-DTEC 118bhp diesel engine and six-speed manual gearbox, which is surely one of the finest engines found in its class. It might not appear outstandingly potent on paper, but it has an impressive power delivery, pulling cleanly from low revs and avoiding the on-off switch feel of some turbo diesels.
We already knew this was an economical engine from driving it in the Civic, and so it proves here too, with around 58mpg as an average figure during our time with the car. In our memory, that’s more than we’ve managed in any other crossover which springs to mind, and we weren’t trying to drive particularly sensibly. Okay, so it might still be down on the 68.9mpg official figure, but you’d have to drive with the patience of a saint to get close to that.
Of course, the HR-V does most of the crossover type stuff well too, with a large 470-litre boot (including the space under the boot floor) and enough space for four adults, so long as those sat in the back aren’t over six-feet tall. In fact, height may be one of the few things which could put people off the HR-V, as it doesn’t feel much taller from behind the wheel than a normal hatchback. And, we all know how much people love having that king-of-the-road feeling.
But, if being able to look over neighbours’ hedges isn’t your main priority, the HR-V is a great all-rounder. Its diesel engine is stronger than that found in the 1.5-litre found in the Mazda CX-3, and the HR-V is smaller and sportier than the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, if that takes your fancy.
