ON THE ROAD: HONDA has set out to give drivers the best of both worlds with the HR-V. The aim behind the design was to offer "the lines of a coupe (with) the robustness of an SUV. It's an aim that, to a large extent, that they have succeeded in.
The HR-V is both stylish and purposeful. It will give those who think with their head the assuredness that it will survive the rough and tumble of urban driving, while those who think with their heart will know it will garner admiring glances from the neighbours.
There are two engines to choose from, a 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol unit and a 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel.
We tested the latter. Under immediate acceleration it's not going to set the world alight, but it comes into its own in the mid-range. It's suitably hushed at speed, insulating those inside from the worst of the noise outside.
A car with coupe pretensions should have decent handling and the HR-V doesn't disappoint, certainly away from the confines of the town. One issue I had was a little vibration through the pedals.
ON THE INSIDE: THOSE who don't like the imposing ride height of a bona-fide 4x4 will like the slightly lower sitting HR-V. Equipment comes easy to hand, such as the gearlever, which has a short stick and is set rather high up towards the front. The instrument binnacle is dominated by the speedometer, with two smaller dials on either side. Apart from the illumination provided from the dials etc, the rest of the cockpit is rather dark. However, it's far from dour, quality materials giving the cabin an upmarket feel.
WHAT DO YOU GET: OUR EX badged car 17ins alloys, dual zone climate control, leather steering wheel and gearknob, front and rear parking sensors, CD tuner and DAB radio, Bluetooth, steering wheel audio controls, rain-sensing wipers, Garmin navigation, smart entry and start, panoramic open glass sunroof, leather interior, heated front seats, rear privacy glass, rear view camera, roof rails and LED headlights and daytime running lights. Pearlescent paint was a £525 option.
HOW PRACTICAL IS IT: ALTHOUGH room in the front is generous for both the legs and the head, because of the sloping roofline some people might find the latter an issue when sat in the rear. The boot has 470 litres of space with the seats up, but drop them and that increases markedly to 1,533 litres. They are called magic seats and there's no wonder - offering arguably the most ingenious space creating package of any similar car. You can split the rear seats and fold them flat or do as I did and roll them over entirely to create an alternative load area that is wide enough to accommodate a bike, leaving the boot area for other items. The boot has an easy entry and an underfloor area. In addition to all that, the front passenger seat can also be folded flat. The least practical aspect of the car for me was the infotainment system which I found fiddly and awkward to use. In addition, despite having the car for a week I never did manage to pair my phone.
RUNNING COSTS: THE Honda is not cheap but I think you get plenty for your money and there's an air of quality about the car. Honda say you should be able to get 68.9mpg on the combined cycle - we managed 52.8mpg. CO2 emissions are 108g/km.
VERDICT: ENOUGH positives to make you think hard before opting for a rival.
ALTERNATIVES: NISSAN Qashqai, Mazda CX-3
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