By Ian Strachan
The Honda HR-V has long been a dependable and attractive SUV. Now the 2019 update has added a distinctly sporty look to this well-equipped car.
But it’s not just a cosmetic facelift. The latest HR-V also gets the benefit of Honda’s 182 bhp 1.5 VTEC engine from the acclaimed Honda Civic Sport.
This, and some styling changes and a nice soft-touch two-tone interior add to the HR-V’s class-leading interior space and versatility, frugality and smart technology.
The latest HR-V has a sporty but solid look, with a purposeful front end, roof rails and chunky 18 inch alloys which, on my test car, came in black.
The inside is an extremely comfortable place to be, with excellent visibility all round and pleasant trim and wine red leather seat trim. Clear, centrally-placed well-lit instruments and easily accessible controls help the overall feeling of well-being inside the cabin.
Specification is good, with dual-zone climate control, all-round airbags, wide view rear parking camera, parking sensors front and rear, electric, heated door mirrors, front fog lights, automatic headlights and wipers, blind spot and cross traffic monitors, heated front seats and cruise control. You also get a satellite navigation system as standard with a seven inch touch-screen which also controls the DAB radio and entertainment system, which includes Apple CarPlay, internet browsing and CD player.
The HR-V Sport comes with Honda’s 1.5 litre VTEC turbo petrol engine which gives 42.2 miles to the gallon in mixed driving, and is a smooth unit with more-than-adequate power across the range. At motorway speeds it feels comfortable and unfussed.
Handling is good, with crisp steering. The suspension set-up is quite soft but body-roll on cornering is minimal. The car is packed with safety technology including an active braking system, lane departure warning, and a speed limiter with traffic sign recognition function.
The HR-V has an impressive 431 litres of carrying capacity which can be increased to 1473 litres by folding the rear seats.
The HR-V Sport deserves to do well. It looks good, has a nice driving environment and good performance.
The HR-V 1.5 VTEC Sport comes at a very reasonable £27,840 on the road. My test car came with pearlescent polished metal paint at £525.
