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The segment of subcompact crossovers is not so small, but there are really few outstanding players in it. For example, Nissan Juke or Toyota C-HR. Everyone knows about them. And there is, for example, the Honda HR-V, which is often forgotten, although it is capable of smearing all its kind. After a week behind the wheel of this car, I'm just sure of it.
How does it look
The third generation of the Honda HR-V, which I found to be very successful in terms of design, is much more attractive than the second. This car has a very modern look, not flashy like the C-HR and Juke, but understated yet stylish. With a coupe-like silhouette, with hidden rear door handles, with an original radiator grill and an interesting "drawing" of the rear lights... There's a lot to see! Although I do not really like the glossy plastic overlays on the lower perimeter of the body, because over time they will not look the best.
The HR-V has not become bigger with the change of generation, as is often the case. It has retained its compact dimensions. It's slightly larger than the Juke, but smaller than the C-HR. And in terms of the length of the wheelbase, it loses to both. And here you will probably think that this is an obvious and irreparable flaw, but wait for conclusions and just look carefully at the width of the rear door. Now think about what the Juke and C-HR look like. Is the hint clear?
What's inside
No car in the B-SUV segment offers you as much interior space as the Honda HR-V. I will say even more - in some C-class cars there is less room for the legs of the rear passengers. And this is by no means due to the trunk, because, for example, the Toyota C-HR lacks space in the back, and the trunk is smaller than the HR-V (305 versus 335 liters).
Seriously, Honda is currently unsurpassed in the art of efficient interior design. I have yet to see B-class cars with a full second row, where not only children, but also adults of almost any height can travel comfortably. At the same time, you will not have problems with boarding and disembarking, because the door opening here is also full. And if you need to transport something bulky in the cabin or just a bunch of things that did not fit in the trunk, Honda has Magic Seats. This is when the seat cushion can be raised.
However, not everything in the HR-V cabin is perfect, because only two passengers can be comfortably accommodated in the back. Not because the width is not enough, but because the sofa is so profiled.
The high position of the front seats also raises certain questions, which, on the one hand, create the impression of a truly crossover seating, and on the other hand, may force you to compromise when looking for a comfortable driving position if your height exceeds 180 cm. The ceiling in this case can "press » on the head, and the windshield will seem narrow. You need to "try it on" to understand whether it suits you.
There is an explanation for this, because in order to free up space for the Magic Seats system, the fuel tank was moved under the front seats, which is why they are installed higher. But there is no excuse for large "dead zones" due to wide front pillars and massive mirrors. I especially stress the limited view when turning to the right. And the noise isolation of the interior is mediocre even at city speeds. You can hear not only the screeching of tires, but also the noise of the wind, and even from the trunk.
However, it is easy to forget about the shortcomings of Shumka. For this, it is enough to turn on the music, because the audio system here is simply excellent. An important advantage is the support of wireless connection with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There is also wireless charging for a smartphone, multimedia is fast and clear, and in front of your eyes is a digital instrument panel with "classic" graphics.
And, of course, it is impossible not to note the beautiful finishing materials. Not all are soft, but all are pleasant to the touch.
How is it going?
From a technical point of view, the only fair competitor for the Honda HR-V in Ukraine is only the Toyota C-HR, because both of these cars have an exclusively hybrid drive. Accordingly, they are significantly more expensive than the rest. But about the prices later. Now it's important to tell you what the HR-V offers you on the road.
This is a hybrid that is not arranged like a Toyota, rather like an e-Power from Nissan (unfortunately, the Juke is not offered with such a system). Here, the drive to the wheels is transmitted by the electric motor, and the internal combustion engine acts as an energy generator. However, under certain conditions, the gasoline engine can be directly connected to the wheels, but this is rather an exception to the rule. In any case, Honda decides what, when and how to do it, and you can switch between Econ, Normal and Sport modes, although in reality it doesn't make much sense. Normal is a balanced option for all occasions, which will provide you with fuel consumption in the city at the level of 5 l/100 km. It is possible to do less if you actively use recuperation (transmission selector in mode B instead of D).
The output of the hybrid system is 131 hp. and 253 Nm. With it, the HR-V is not too nimble, because the acceleration time to "hundreds" takes more than 10 seconds, although it feels a little faster. Be that as it may, this is quite enough for the city, and on the country road, in order to get the minimum fuel consumption, it is better not to accelerate faster than 120 km/h. This is not only an efficient, but also a safe speed. At the same time, the car also insures you, because it knows how to keep in the lane, signals about cars in the "blind zone", warns of a possible collision and helps to prevent it thanks to emergency braking.
At any speed, the Honda HR-V behaves very confidently. There is absolutely no feeling that there is not a multi-lever suspension behind here, but an ordinary beam - reactions to the steering wheel are quick and predictable, body roll in turns is minimal. Undoubtedly, there is a branded driver's component inherent in Honda cars, although with certain limitations, given the purpose of the car. It is very pleasant to drive.
But the relative payment for this is a slightly stiff suspension, which broadcasts almost all the defects of the asphalt into the cabin. However, it is also impossible to say that this has a bad effect on comfort. That is, you feel when you are driving on a bad road, but it does not bother you. In other words, a balance has been found.
Visnovok
When I tell people about the Honda HR-V, they say, "Sure, did you see the price?" Of course! But when did a hybrid car become cheap? Of course, if you do not need low fuel consumption and a lot of space in the cabin with compact external dimensions, you should go to Nissan Juke, Opel Mokka, etc. And if you need all of the above, then you won't find anything better than the Honda HR-V at the moment.
As for the Toyota C-HR, in the new generation it generally has a crazy price - from 37 to 48 thousand dollars, while the HR-V costs from 34 to 38 thousand "greens", that is, where Honda is in the top, Toyota is in base So think.
