Honda HR-V Car Review

The futuristically styled body of the Honda HR-V has been stretched to accommodate an extra door on each side of the rear giving more space and easier access to the rear seats. In so doing, the additional doors and length have improved its overall looks.

Released in January 1999, the CR-V's little brother was designed as a recreational fun vehicle with a 'Go anywhere', compact four wheel drive tag. Just eighteen months later this longer, roomier version has been produced to fill a gap in the market that requires better access to the rear seats, plus additional passenger space.

At the lower end of this compact four wheel drive market there is limited competition with only Daihatsu Terios and Suzuki Jimny being serious contenders.

With the introduction of the five-door HR-V the Sports Wagon has been deleted leaving only two models available, both of which are available in manual or the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Prices begin at $22,750 for the three-door manual and peak at $26,950 for the top-of-the-line five-door CVT version.

Standard features in the HR-V include central locking with remote key, power windows, driver and passenger airbags, retractable power mirrors, roof rails with integrated roof spoiler, body-coloured bumpers and side sills and a four speaker radio cassette. Air conditioning, alloy wheels, CD player and automatic (CVT) transmission are optional.

The new five-door model retains the original 1.6 litre SOHC four cylinder engine and matches it with either a five speed manual transmission or an automatic (CVT) option that provides the most suitable ratio between the engine and the drive wheels in accordance with the driving conditions. Honda is proud of its clean engine achievement in the HR-V and claims it was the first petrol powered recreational vehicle to meet the stringent LEV (Low Emission Vehicle) standard.

Power is transmitted to all four wheels through Honda's Real-Time four-wheel drive system, which uses hydraulics to detect slip at the front wheels and applies a clutch to engage drive to all four wheels, only when needed.

McPherson struts with coil springs are used in the front suspension and an independently sprung drive axle is used at the rear. Both front and rear are fitted with anti-roll bars and gas pressurised dampers.

A combination of power assisted front disc and rear drum brakes provides the HR-V's stopping power, and variable ratio, power assisted rack and pinion steering is utilised.

Apart from the obvious extra length and additional doors, there are no other major changes to the HR-V's appearance. Minor changes include fog lights in the front bumper, move the high level stoplight to the rear spoiler and add two extra colours to the list. The front seatbelts are now height adjustable and the external mirrors incorporate power fold-back for passing through narrow places.

Space in the front cabin area is unchanged, however, rear seat legroom has increased by almost 100mm. All storage areas remain much the same as the previous three-door model, with a handy moulded tray positioned on top of the underfloor temporary spare wheel. All instruments are clearly marked and all controls within easy reach from the driver's seat and the tilt adjustable steering column enables a variety of driving positions.

The main difference between the previous test vehicle and this one, is the CVT transmission. This system does not have any definite change points, as in a regular automatic, because it constantly varies the drive ratio between the engine and drive wheels giving the impression of a slipping clutch. When accelerating from a standing start, on a hill or in overtaking mode, the engine revs increase to between 4000 and 5000 rpm and remain fairly constant while the vehicle's road speed increases to a point where the load on the engine decreases and its revs start to lower. While driving along in a constant low load situation, the drive appears normal until acceleration mode is applied again. Two buttons on the steering wheel provide a 'D' position for normal driving and an 'S' position for sports or faster acceleration, where engine revs readily reach 6000 rpm. There was an increase in fuel consumption compared with the three-door manual version previously tested.

The HR-V's suspension is firm as would be expected, however, it has the ability to absorb most of the bumps and give a comfortable ride with confident and precise handling characteristics.