HONDA HR-V E:HEV

Giving it its full title, the ‘HR-V 5D 1.5i-MMD Advance Style e-CVT’, which is quite a mouthful, is Honda’s third-generation HR-V and it marks a radical change in both design and technology.

Its new sleek body competes well with its competitors,

On the road

The first time Muddy Madam took it out, she asked, “Why is it so revvy?” “That’ll be the CVT.” I muttered.

CVT stands for ‘continuously variable transmission’ and operates in a similar fashion to a traditional automatic, but without the cogs. They’re especially popular in hybrids and SUVs because they offer excellent fuel efficiency and smooth, uninterrupted power delivery, but as Muddy Madam said, they have a tendency to send revs soaring to the roof if you plant you foot hard on the accelerator.

Driven sensibly, the HR-V is very smooth and hushed, helped obviously by the two electric motors that kick in whilst driving slowly around town and other built up areas, and of course when you start the car and move off. Combined with its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine you get a total of 129bhp. This combination gave me an impressive 48.9mpg and included fast motorway and B road driving, town centre stop star and of course driving along the odd green lane.

As for the handling, I found the HR-V to be very grippy around corners, helped by accurate and naturally weighted steering. However, the combination of a tallish body and soft suspension meant that I got the impression it rather I didn’t drive as spirited as I often did. That said, it always felt is safe and predictable. Ultimately, the HR-V much prefers it if you drive at a more leisurely pace as this is where you’ll find the sweet spot between the CVT and its soft suspension.

Being only 2WD I didn’t venture too far off the beaten track, though with decent enough ground clearance and a Hill Decent button, I did enjoy a little foray. That said, I had the HR-V during the uncomfortable 40º dry spell, so there was nothing really to test it on.

Despite the lack of 4x4-ness, the sheer practicality of the HR-V could be a winner for those who still want to get away at the weekends. Up front the cabin is well designed, and with plenty of soft-touch finishes it feels both plush and well screwed together, as well as looking rather stylish. You even get proper dials for the heating controls - thankfully.

No matter which HR-V you choose, they all feature a 7” digital driver display behind the steering wheel and a 9” touchscreen for the infotainment, and of course,Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring are standard.

Although you shouldn't have any trouble finding a comfortable driving position, as mentioned by Muddy Madam in the last issue, we did find that the seatbelt receiver and chunky belt catch protruded into the seat, thus making for a bit of uncomfortable time for those… let’s say, with larger hips!

Not only do the rear seats fold completely flat to make for a cavernous boot for camping gear or even to sleep on, but they have another party-trick up its sleeve.

Known as ‘magic seats’, when the rear seats are in the upright position, you are able to flip up the bases, like cinema seats.

As Henry ford is reportedly to have said; “You can have any colour you like, as long as it’s black.” The same goes for the power options in the HR-V as it’s offered solely with a 129bhp 1.5 i-MMD (Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) full hybrid set-up, with frontwheel-drive and the aforementioned CVT.

There are three powertrain settings - 'Electric Drive', 'Hybrid Drive' and 'Engine Drive' which it automatically switches between as you drive to maximise efficiency.

As a self charging full-Hybrid with a clever powertrain, this new generation Honda HR-V is part of a new generation of far more efficient small SUVs, but with a starting price from around £29,000, it’s quite a bit more expensive to buy than its close rivals. However, there’s lots to like about the HR-V, and of course it’s a Honda, so there’s peace of mind ownership.

price: as tested - £34,460

more at - www.honda.co.uk