Honda HR-V 2015 Review

It wasn't that many years ago that I was scratching my head, wondering what the point of a compact SUV was… Why not just get a small wagon or perhaps drop a large boulder on your foot? But having spent time driving these affordable but practical city-savvy vehicles I'm starting to come around.

Easy to drive, easy to live with, easy to like.

Those were the initial thoughts swirling around my head after testing this vehicle for week. Although it's got a lot going for it, including best-in-class interior packaging thanks to its modular rear seats, it's one of the more expensive compact SUVs out there.

Priced at $24,990 (plus ORCs), the entry-level Honda HR-V VTi model on test here represents decent value for money – you get a classy touchscreen infotainment system, automatic (CVT) transmission and reversing camera as standard – but when the Mazda CX-3 starts at $19,990 it begins to take on a different hue.

Does it offer better bang for your buck? You know what, in some ways it does. It gets alloy wheels as standard, climate control, electric windows and mirrors, a detailed trip computer and plenty of zazz from the engine.

It's motivated by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine worth 105kW/172Nm, which provides snappy acceleration to 60km/h under full throttle, the continuously variable transmission doing a dapper job of keeping things lively. The days of the CVT being the poor man's transmission also appear to over, because this one's quiet and super smooth.

And it's between those speeds, 0-60km/h, where the HR-V excels, making it perfect for the urban battle that is driving in Australia. Although it’s fair to say that on its way to 100km/h the pace is not quite as zesty. But like 2006's Nacho Libre, one of Jack Black's most endearing movies, you'll still have a good time.

Prompt acceleration is married with light but direct steering that makes slow speed navigation and tight parking a doddle. The electric park brake is a nice touch as is the reversing camera (fitted as standard), which takes most of the stress out of backing into car parks too, and it even has three different 'modes'. Although it works well, it's probably the lowest resolution, grainiest reversing image I've seen to date – but it's better than not having one.

Ride comfort is good yet the chassis is balanced enough to whip it through roundabouts briskly without things going pear-shaped.

Fuel economy for a not-so-small petrol engine is decent: With a week long drive of chiefly urban commuting and errand running, with a smattering of freeway driving, the result was 7.4L/100km for this entry-level HR-V. That's slightly above the claimed 6.6L/100km average but still more than acceptable, and is due in no small part to the flexibility of the CVT.

Like many Honda passenger cars, the compact SUV features an LED ring around large speedo that glows green when you're being efficient, and it's a simple but effective way to drive more efficiently. It's not so overt that you feel compelled to potter around lest you destroy rainforests or acidify the oceans with CO2 poisoning, but it's there at a glance and I found it a great help.

The interior is best described as inoffensive and concise, the of trio of instrument gauges providing you with all you need to know in terms of fuel consumption, engine revs and road speed. The view from the driver's seat is good, and although you don't feel like a king (or queen) of the road, it affords a more commanding view than a regular sedan.

The touch sensitive controls look and feel amazing and inject a dose of techno-cool and all they require is a light touch to activate. Not unlike the 2001 comedy Shallow Hal, in certain lights it's hard to see what's what, but by and large the pros outweigh the cons.

Overall the infotainment is neat and tidy and does what it should do most of the time; although response rate is a little slow when changing menus and what not, due to what is likely a slow processor. But the real drawcard of the HR-V's interior, and the reason I'd probably pick it over its rivals, is the reconfigurable seating layout.

Dubbed 'Magic Seats' by Honda, there's actually nothing enchanted about them, only clever engineering and sound execution. The result is that while the rear three seats offer decent room, they can be folded and tumbled and flipped in variety of directions, allowing for tall, long and even awkward-sized objects to be loaded into the wagon.

It's a hugely versatile interior and there are no other vehicles in this class that can match its flexibility. As an inner-city dweller whose family members have penchant for flat-pack furniture, I found the HR-V very easy to live with. And even this entry-level model was well-equipped and pleasantly comfortable.

But like Jack Black's performance in the 2010 fantasy flick Gulliver's Travels, the HR-V is far from perfect. For instance, the headlights are poor, which makes country driving at night driving a bit iffy. It's not the cheapest compact SUV on the market and there are no AWD models either. And if you want a diesel, forget it.

Kind of like the Carl Denham character in the 2005 reboot of King Kong, the HR-V is a bit too focussed on the money – it should be more affordable. Will this be a deal breaker? For some people it will be, but those who demand unrivalled versatility will see it as a worthwhile premium.

2015 Honda HR-V VTi pricing and specifications:
Price: $24,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 105kW/172Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 155g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

Also consider:
>> Holden Trax (from $23,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda CX-3 (from $19,990 plus ORCs)
>> Renault Captur (from $22,990 plus ORCs)