Attended the Honda HR-V launch this week in Cape Town. They have brought the new generaration HR-V compact SUV to SA shores, and with it comes a raft of safety & technology features as well. The HR-V has great looks and styling to compliment the all over package.
Styling.
The HR-V has been designed as a lifestyle SUV, to appeal to a market that loves a full life. It has a Coupe design with a sloping roofline towards the C-Pillar, with sporty wheels in 17 inch black/silver diamond cut alloys. The Executive model gets 18 inch wheels. It comes in Comfort & Executive models.
The Cabin
The interior has an abundance of soft materials, to give it that premium feel. The cabin environment is further elevated by a new air diffusion system that creates a curtain of fresh air beside and above passengers, flowing from unique L-shaped vents positioned in the top corners of the dashboard.
It has fair space inside, not being built much bigger than it’s predecessor, but rear room has increased by 35mm. The well-known centre-tank configuration also allows Honda to retain the exceptionally versatile rear Magic Seat set-up, that offers both fold-flat or flip-up seat flexibility, depending on load space required.
A host of brand-new features are also now available on the new HR-V, elevating the driver experience with unrivalled levels of comfort and utility. Important SUV attributes such as loading convenience is enhanced by a hands-free Power Tailgate with Walk Away Close function*. The smart key proximity function detects when the key is moving away from the car, to automatically start closing the tailgate.
Storage space and connectivity points around the cabin have also been improved. A large centre cubby fits items large and small, and there are two USB charging sockets in the front and two in the back*, in addition to a wireless charging pad* discreetly located in the lower section of the center console, enabling all occupants to charge devices at the same time. The cabin felt comfortable and it has a good effect on the eye when looking at the dash area.
The HR-V has of course AppleCarPlay & Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth is included and can be controlled via remote controls on the steering wheel. Passengers can also enjoy their favorite playlists through Honda’s new high-quality audio system, with 4 speakers available on the Comfort model and a total of 8 speakers on the top of the range Executive.
Engine.
The new HR-V is equipped with Honda’s 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC petrol engine generating a power output of 89kW @6600rpm and torque of 145Nm @ 4300rpm. This new 1.5-litre powertrain is powerful and efficient with a fuel consumption figure of just 6L/100Km and a CO2 emission figure of 144 g/Km.
This gave the car a good feeling drive, with plenty of oomph, it was down at sea level, but it delivered on power down there. The handling of the car was good, due to Honda’s Agile Handling Assist (AHA) system further improves the dynamic stability of the car, particularly when reacting to fast steering inputs or high cornering loads, such as emergency avoidance maneuvers.
Assured stopping power is delivered by a powerful braking system featuring 293mm ventilated front discs and 282mm solid discs at the rear. Furthermore, electronic brake systems include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Brake Assist System (BAS), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Automatic Brake Hold (ABH).
Hill Descent Control, available for the first time in South Africa on the HR-V, operates from a minimum speed of just 3 km/h. This technology enables greater and smoother control on low-grip surfaces and steep descents to increase driving confidence in a wider range of conditions.
Safety.
The all-new HR-V features a suite of premium active and passive safety technologies designed to make driving easier and safer.
The HR-V features front, side and curtain SRS Airbags. The Executive offers 6 SRS Airbags whilst the Comfort derivative offers 4 SRS Airbags.
Enhanced Honda SENSING™ active safety technology, available exclusively on the HR-V Executive model, offers a broad range of driver assistance features and driver aids as standard. This new and improved Honda SENSING™ system incorporates a newly developed front camera that is able to detect a more comprehensive range of road surfaces and traffic characteristics, including enhanced night-time operation.
- Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with improved night-time operation to detect pedestrians when there is no street lighting. The system also alerts the driver when it detects a cyclist turning into the road. In addition, the system now applies the brakes when the HR-V cuts across or turns into the path of an oncoming vehicle thanks to the new front wide-view camera.
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) manages the distance to the car in front automatically by continuously adjusting the speed, allowing the car to follow traffic at highway speeds.
- Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) prevents the vehicle from drifting into adjacent lanes by detecting lane markers on the road.
- Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system assists the driver to not stray from the road. It alerts the driver if it detects that the vehicle is approaching the outer edge of the road, an oncoming vehicle, or drifting into another lane without indicating.
- Auto High-Beam (AHB) switches High Beam head lights on/off automatically depending on oncoming/preceding vehicles (cars, trucks and motorcycles), bicycles and environmental brightness so not to blind other road users.
The driver is also able to operate and determine how much driver assistance information is displayed on the 4.2” TFT liquid crystal display (LCD) instrument binnacle. The Executive derivative further includes Honda’s Lanewatch™ camera providing drivers with a clear view of the vehicle’s blind spot, which is displayed on the central infotainment system.
Model specifications & colour line-up
The all-new HR-V range will launch with two models available in exclusively with 1.5L Petrol CVT:
- Entry level Comfort priced at R 469,000
- Flagship Executive model priced at R 554,500
All models come standard with a 5-year / 200,000km Warranty, and a 4-year / 60,000km service plan. Also included on all models is 3-year AA roadside assistance for additional peace of mind.
In summation, the Honda HR-V is a good looking, sporty looking SUV. It has an up to date cabin now and a good preppy engine. It should be noted that we will report back about the performance at the Highveld, but personally, it felt good enough to cope with the thinner air. It has a stiff competition in it’s segment, but should attract the die hard Honda fans.