Honda HR-V Review 2024

The new Honda HR-V is an attractive small SUV that's easy to drive and cheap to run. It looks expensive compared to competitors like the Ford Puma and Volkswagen T-Roc, but you do get a lot for your money – including generous equipment levels and a hybrid powertrain.

You can't buy the Honda HR-V with a conventional petrol engine. Instead, it uses a version of the hybrid setup found in the latest Honda Jazz. Badged the 'e:HEV', this system combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with two electric motors, each driving the front wheels.

It's a 'self-charging' hybrid so, unlike a Renault Captur E-Tech PHEV, you don't have to plug the HR-V in to extract the best from it. Instead, it automatically switches between drive modes depending on the situation, allowing you to set off under electric power with the petrol engine on hand when you need a little more push. The result is impressive fuel economy, with the Honda HR-V returning up to 52.3mpg in official WLTP tests.

Honda has trimmed the HR-V range down to just three models: Elegance, Advance and Advance Style. While the Honda HR-V's £27,000 start price sounds expensive (you can pick up an Audi Q2 for less), there isn't really a basic entry-level model. Even the most affordable Honda HR-V Elegance comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and a rear-view camera.

The HR-V's interior represents a huge improvement over its predecessor. Not only does it look modern, but there are plenty of soft-touch materials. There are a few giveaways that this isn't a premium SUV (the hard door cards and clunky indicators, for example), but it feels like it should stand the test of time.

The Honda HR-V has a reputation for practicality, but that has been hindered by the placement of the batteries. They're under the boot floor, which means you won't find any useful underfloor storage back there. Indeed, the HR-V can only carry 319 litres of luggage, which is less than a Nissan Juke or Ford Puma.

Despite its sloping roofline, things are pretty good rear-seat passengers, though, with plenty of headroom and legroom. If you need to carry more luggage, Honda's clever Magic Seats are fitted as standard. That means the rear bench can flip and fold down into the floor, leaving a totally flat luggage area.

While the new Honda HR-V isn't going to shake up the small SUV market, it does represent an interesting alternative to the mainstream competitors. If you're looking for a car that's easy to drive, cheap to run and ought to be dependable, the HR-V is now more appealing than ever.

Looking for a second opinion? Why not read heycar's Honda HR-V review.

Let's start with the clever rear Magic Seats. These can fold entirely flat into the floor, meaning you won't have to hold back on Ikea trips (the kids might have to walk home, though). Alternatively, the seat bases flip up, meaning you can carry tall items in the rear footwells.

If you want to use the rear seats for carrying people, though (novel, we know), the HR-V is suprisingly good at that. The coupe-SUV roofline doesn't noticeably hinder headroom, while there's plenty of legroom for taller adults, too.

The boot isn't quite so impressive. The batteries for the hybrid system are positioned under the boot floor, which leaves a rather paltry 319 litres of luggage space. That should be big enough for the weekly shop, but if you're planning a trip away (and don't like to pack light), you might want to look at the Skoda Kamiq instead.

Those in the front should be perfectly happy, with comfortable seats and a high up seating position (certainly higher than a lot of small SUVs). You get plenty of storage areas, including a pair of cupholders in the centre console and some fairly generous door bins.

While the Honda HR-V's interior isn't exactly luxurious, it does represent a marked improvement over its predecessor. There are plenty of soft-touch materials, although we suspect it's a little spec-dependent. Our mid-range Honda HR-V Advance test car featured part faux-leather seats, for example, and a leather steering wheel – neither of which are available on the Honda HR-V Elegance.

The padding running along the width of the dashboard is a nice touch, though, as is the orange stitching on the top-spec HR-V Advance Style.

A smart nine-inch navigation system with Bluetooth, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard across the HR-V range. This is similar to the system used in the latest Honda Jazz, and it's infinitely better than Honda media systems of old. Sharp graphics and fast responses are the order of the day, while there are physical shortcut buttons too – including a knob for the volume control.

Indeed, that's true for the rest of the cabin. While it's hardly minimalist, the Honda HR-V's interior is full of physical controls for things like adjusting the climate control or tweaking the brightness of the dials. While this might seem old fashioned, it's much safer than having everything lumped into the infotainment system.

Audiophiles may wish to splash the cash – the higher the trim level, the more speakers you get. The Honda HR-V Elegance comes with four, the Advance six, and the Advance Style 10.

From launch, prices start from £27k for the entry-level Honda HR-V Elegance, rising to £29k for the mid-grade HR-V Advance. The range tops out at £31,660 with the Honda HR-V Advance Style.

This sounds quite expensive compared to small SUV alternatives like the Ford Puma, Volkswagen T-Roc and Nissan Juke, but you have to remember that the HR-V has its hybrid motor in its favour. A hybrid Toyota C-HR starts from £28k, while the plug-in hybrid Renault Captur E-Tech is priced from £24,500.

You can't buy a Billy basic Honda HR-V, either. The range has been slimmed down to just three derivatives – all of which are fairly comprehensively equipped.

If you're willing to wait, we're sure there'll be some nearly-new or pre-reg deals available on the Honda HR-V. For now, though, Honda's quoting a monthly PCP finance figure of £269 a month – although we're yet to see what kind of deposit is required for that.

In official WLTP fuel economy tests, the hybrid Honda HR-V officially returns up to 52.3mpg. That's pretty good for a car of this size, although the Toyota C-HR manages up to 56.4mpg.

You should see mid-40s MPG in the real world, though, and as a 'self-charging' hybrid, you won't have to go to the effort of plugging it in for maximum fuel economy (unlike the Renault Captur E-Tech).

Don't expect huge savings in road tax (you need to buy a pure EV for that these days), but your annual VED bill will be £145 – £10 a year less than a straightforward petrol competitor.

The Honda HR-V's steering feels accurate and responsive, which means it's an easy car to manoeuvre around town. It's very light, too, which is great when you're wanting to wind on the lock and reverse into a parking space - not so great when you're on the open road.

Indeed, out of town, the Honda HR-V isn't as fun to drive as the sporty Ford Puma or SEAT Arona (or even the bigger SEAT Ateca). If you want a hybrid SUV that's enjoyable on the open road, you might be better looking at the Toyota C-HR.

It feels safe and reassuring to drive, though, while the suspension is compliant enough for a car of this type (although the Volkswagen T-Roc is a comfier option).

Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Honda HR-V review

The Honda HR-V uses the same petrol-electric engine setup as the Jazz hatchback, albeit with a minor power boost. As such, the 1.5-litre petrol engine combines with two electric motors to produce a slightly underwhelming 131PS and 253Nm of torque.

It's not that we'd expect the Honda HR-V to have a hot-hatch-baiting fire cracker of an engine, it's just that the hybrid system requires fairly heavy use of the accelerator if you actually want to get anywhere with the slightest hint of urgency.

Combine this with an eCVT transmission and an engine that isn't particularly refined in the first place, and the whole thing soon gets rather noisy rather quickly.

It's not something we noticed quite so much in the smaller Jazz, although maybe the extra weight of the HR-V means its engine does need to work harder to get it up to speed. Certainly, around town, it's perfectly refined – it'll bimble off under electric power and you can barely sense the petrol engine kicking in.

The hybrid system flicks automatically between a trio of drive modes: namely Electric Drive, Hybrid Drive or Engine Drive, depending on the situation.

Unlike plug-in hybrid alternatives (like the Renault Captur E-Tense), it can't travel any significant distance under electric power alone. Equally, you won't have to manually charge it either. There are also the more traditional drive modes (Eco, Normal and Sport), which do things like tweak the weight of the steering and the responsiveness of the accelerator pedal.

For a more electric-car-like driving experience, you can select B-range from the transmission. This allows you to use the paddles behind the steering wheel to increase or decrease the levels of energy recuperation under coasting – with this ramped up, you'll feel a marginal increase in engine braking when you lift off the accelerator, meaning you can theoretically use the brakes less.

Note that, despite the HR-V's SUV design and twin electric motor setup, it's strictly two-wheel drive. You'll have to look elsewhere if you wish to venture off road. Equally, there aren't any plans for Honda to expand the HR-V's engine line up, so don't expect a punchy little turbocharged petrol unit or one of those old-fashioned diesel motors we used to see in cars like this.

Officially, the Honda HR-V will accelerate to 62mph from a standstill in 10.6 seconds.

All Honda HR-V models come with a wide range of safety systems designed to keep you safe in a crash, or prevent you from being involved in one in the first place.

The HR-V uses a new wide-angle HD camera which combines with artificial intelligence to recognise other road uses and mitigate in the case of a potential collision. This powers systems like the Collision Mitigating Brake System which can detect pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, applying the brakes if it detects an impending crash.

There's also a Low Speed Brake System, which will apply the brakes if it thinks you're about to collide with a wall or other obstacle during low-speed manouvering, while the Front & Rear Collision Mitigation Throttle Control can limit the power if it detects excessive input in to the throttle pedal when the car's stationary or travelling at low speeds.

All Honda HR-V trim levels feature adaptive cruise control as well as an intelligent speed limiter, while standard-fit front/rear parking sensors and reversing camera help with parking. There's also a Hill Descent Control which will help out when descending slippery or steep slopes.

There are just three trim levels in the latest Honda HR-V. Essentially, there isn't really a cheap entry-level model – the range kicks off with the Honda HR-V Elegance which is pretty comprehensively equipped. Standard kit highlights include LED headlights, heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels and a nine-inch infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).

The Honda HR-V Advance adds a heated leather steering wheel, faux-leather and fabric interior trim and a power tailgate, while the range-topping Advance Style comes with a premium sound system, orange interior detailing and a two-tone exterior paint finish.