Earlier this year, Honda already released little information about the new HR-V. Now the compact crossover intended for the European and therefore also Dutch market has actually been lifted onto the podium.
The Honda HR-V has undergone a considerable makeover. It looks a lot more eccentric than the generation introduced on the Dutch market in 2015. The HR-V, a competitor of the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008, has a relatively high and straight sloping muzzle with a striking grille in the same color as the body. Left and right above the grille are flat light units with which the HR-V looks a lot more aggressively into the world than its predecessor. The relatively flat rear window gives the new HR-V almost the appearance of a compact coupé SUV, while the roofline is not steeply sloped. At the rear we also see relatively flat rear lights, which are connected to each other by a red LED strip in accordance with the prevailing trend.
Honda HR-V
Outside Europe, the Honda HR-V comes on the market with, among other things, a non-hybrid 1.5 i-VTEC petrol engine and a CVT automatic, but we don’t get those in Europe. From 2022, Honda only wants to supply electrified cars in Europe, so the HR-V will only come to our continent as a hybrid e: HEV. That HR-V e: HEV has to some extent the same powertrain as the hybrid version of the Jazz. That means it consists of two electric motors and a 1.5 VTEC petrol engine with fixed gear ratios between the two. The 1.5 is also capable of direct driving the wheels, especially in the rev ranges where it is most efficient. The HR-V e: HEV can drive electrically while the 1.5 works as a generator. The system power of the powertrain is 131 hp and 253 Nm. The new Honda HR-V is 4.34 meters long, making it almost the same size as the previous model. At 2.61 meters, the wheelbase is even identical to that of its predecessor. Despite the almost identical dimensions, the new HR-V in the rear is still more spacious. For example, the legroom for the rear passengers has been increased by 3.5 centimeters. The Japanese is standard on 18-inch alloy. According to Honda, you are 1 centimeter higher in the new HR-V than before.
Honda HR-V
The workplace is completely contemporary. The interior has a relatively minimalist design. The ventilation grilles are concealed in a horizontal strip in the dashboard and in the center of the center console is a 9-inch display that belongs to the infotainment system. The system can handle Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto (cable). Underneath is a subtle button island for the operation of the climate control. Behind the steering wheel is a 7-inch TFT screen. The HR-V gets the same smart Magic Seats as the Jazz and that means that the rear seat can be folded down, but that the whole can also be folded up. According to Honda, two mountain bikes (without a front wheel) can fit side by side, quite an achievement. A smart option is the Power Tailgate Walk Away Close function. The car detects the proximity of the car key. If you walk away from the open tailgate with the key, the HR-V closes its rear automatically.
Honda HR-V
In terms of safety systems, the HR-V benefits from Honda’s latest Sensing package. It contains numerous passive and active safety systems, including extensive adaptive cruise control, improved Pedestrian Collision Mitigation Steering System and Collision Mitigation Brake System. Thanks to revised cameras, the first system sees better at night, while the second system now also detects oncoming traffic crossing the car’s path and brakes in front of it. The system not only detects cars, but also cyclists and pedestrians. Blind spot detection has also been improved, the same applies to Cross Traffic Minotor. For the first time, the HR-V is available with Hill Descent Control.
HR-V in the Netherlands
The last HR-V, which started its life in 2013 as ‘Vezel’, has not been able to break any pots in the Netherlands. Since the reintroduction of the model name in 2015, less than 2,000 units have been sold in our country. Only in 2016 (587 units) sales figures exceeded 500 units. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, 389, 308 and 307 units were sold successively. Last year sales fell to 223 copies. The new HR-V will hopefully ensure better sales figures for Honda. It will be on the Dutch market at the end of this year. Prices will follow in the run-up to the market launch. In China, Honda recently presented the SUV e: Prototype, a concrete preview of an electric version of the HR-V. It is not yet known whether that model will also come to the Netherlands in the long term.