Honda HR-V Review 2024

If you're the kind of person who buys a car to keep forever, the Honda HR-V could be a good choice. It's likely to be very reliable, while its hybrid system means it's cheap to run.

It's more stylish than before, so should appeal to the fashion-conscious – although we reckon style aficionados will still be better looking at a Volkswagen T-Roc or Mazda CX-30. The Honda is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of practicality too – teenagers can squeeze into the back seats without any fuss, while the Magic Seats are pretty impressive if you regularly carry big loads. The boot is only just big enough for the weekly shop, though.

This is a simple choice as the Honda HR-V's line-up isn't exactly big. The only engine option is the 1.5-litre hybrid, while the model range is limited to just three trim levels. The entry-level Honda HR-V Elegance is well kitted out and will be fine if you're on a budget (in which case you should probably be looking at cheaper alternatives), although we expect most people will pay the premium for a mid-range HR-V Advance. 

This would be our choice – it has pretty much everything you could possibly want, without getting into the realms of premium car territory. The range-topping Honda HR-V Advance Style is appealing but you could get a more desirable car for that money.

The Honda HR-V's main competitor is the Toyota C-HR. This is another stylish, Japanese, hybrid coupe-SUV, priced closely to the Honda. We'd also recommend looking at the excellent Mazda CX-30 (although this isn't available with hybrid power - you need the MX-30 for that or pure EV) as well as the Volkswagen T-Roc and Renault Arkana. 

The Nissan Juke, Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq should also be on your radar, as well as premium alternatives like the Audi Q2 and MINI Countryman. As the Honda HR-V clearly isn't a budget option, you may also be looking at slightly bigger family SUVs – cars like the Skoda Karoq, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai.

Alternatively, have you considered going entirely electric? The Honda e:Ny1 is an electric SUV that's otherwise very similar to the Honda HR-V. You could also consider the Volvo EX30, Peugeot e-2008 and Hyundai Kona Electric.

The Honda HR-V's interior feels solid. Like it will last the apocalypse. But that doesn't come at the expense of premium materials or soft-touch finishes. It's certainly much easier on the eye than the old HR-V and, in some ways, better finished than a Volkswagen T-Roc's cabin (which itself is surprisingly flimsy). We like the padding that runs across the dashboard, while the top-spec Honda HR-V Advance Style comes with orange stitching which looks pretty smart.

Note that, if you want some of the nicer features, you'll have to hunt out one of the higher-spec models. The mid-range Honda HR-V Advance comes with part-faux-leather seats, for example (black cloth is standard on the HR-V Elegance), as well a leather-covered steering wheel.

This is one area in which the new Honda HR-V has improved enormously over its predecessor. All models get the same 9-inch sat-nav, positioned usefully high up on the dashboard (convenient for glancing at while driving without having to take your eyes off the road for a moment too long).

It's easy to use with simple menu layouts, sharp graphics and speedy responses. Also, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the range. Phew. That means you can mirror apps, such as Google Maps or Spotify, onto the digital display.

While the infotainment can't be controlled via a rotary controller (like in the Mazda CX-30), there are some useful shortcut buttons and a rather dashing knurled knob for adjusting the volume. 

Versatility has always been the Honda HR-V's key selling point. And it still is... to an extent.

There's certainly plenty of space for those in the front, while the seats offer a high seating position (certainly more commanding than you'll get in a Skoda Kamiq or similar), and there's plenty of little storage areas for your odds and ends.

In the back, you get Honda's clever Magic Seats, which allow the rear bench to drop and leave an entirely flat boot floor. Alternatively, you can flip up the seat bases, leaving enough room to carry upright objects. On those occasions when you actually want to use the rear seats for carrying people, they do that very well, too – with loads of headroom and legroom, even for the tallest of adults.

You can sense a 'but' coming, right? And that's the boot space. You see, the HR-V's coupe-SUV sloping roofline combined with the positioning of the hybrid batteries under the boot floor means there's not actually much space left for carrying luggage. There's only 319 litres of boot space, which is significantly less than the old model (which could carry 480 litres of luggage), and less than alternatives like the Volkswagen T-Roc, Toyota C-HR and Nissan Juke. A ball dropped?

In terms of dimensions, the Honda HR-V is 4340mm long, 2028mm wide (including door mirrors) and 1582mm high. It has a ground clearance of 188mm, which drops to 150mm with a full load, and a turning circle of 11.3m.

You get a limited choice of engines and gearboxes in the Honda HR-V: it's offered exclusively with a petrol engine combined with a pair of electric motors, producing 131PS and 253Nm of torque. An eCVT automatic transmission is used, while the HR-V is strictly two-wheel drive. And that's your lot.

It's the same system as you'll find in the latest Honda Jazz Hybrid, albeit with a minor power boost. As you'd expect from those figures, it's not the feistiest of things, taking 10.6 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph, or 10.7 seconds for the two higher spec trims.

When you're bimbling in traffic, the Honda HR-V is a very refined car. It can set off under electric power, and you can barely tell when the petrol engine starts up. If you spend a lot of time in congested city centres, it's a much more pleasant car to spend time in than a non-hybrid.

If you want a driving experience more akin to an electric vehicle, select 'B' mode. This allows you to use the paddles behind the steering wheel to increase the amount the car slows down when you lift off the accelerator. With the regenerative braking ramped up to the max, you won't have to use the brakes as much to slow down, although it's not quite severe enough to resort to one-pedal driving.

Refinement takes a noticeable knock when you leave the city centre. The engine isn't the most responsive of units and eCVT gearboxes aren't known for their responsiveness. If you try to accelerate with any degree of urgency, the revs will flair and you'll hear quite an unpleasant drone from the engine.

The Honda HR-V uses a wide-angle HD camera to monitor the road ahead and act as a second pair of eyes for the driver. Paired with artificial intelligence, this can recognise other road users (including cyclists, pedestrians and motorbikers), taking steps to prevent a collision as part of the Collision Mitigating Brake System.

If it thinks you're about to collide with a low wall or another car in a car park, the Low Speed Brake System will apply the brakes, while the Front & Rear Collision Mitigation Throttle Control will limit the power if you suddenly hit the accelerator (seemingly inadvertently) when stationary or travelling at low speeds.

These systems are standard across the Honda HR-V range, as well as adaptive cruise control with an intelligent speed limiter. Front and rear parking sensors are also fitted across all models, as well as a reversing camera. There's also a Hill Descent Control system, which will help out when descending steep, slippery slopes.

Euro NCAP awarded the Honda HR-V four stars for safety when it was tested in 2022.

Honda generally performs well in terms of reliability, ranking highly in the annual HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. As the latest Honda HR-V is based heavily on the latest Jazz, it should be hassle-free.

The cheapest Honda HR-V to insure will be the HR-V Elegance, which has been placed into insurance group 30A. Both the Honda HR-V Advance and Advance Style are in insurance group 31A.

In reality, the difference in insurance costs between models is likely to be negligible. It will, of course, depend on factors like your age, home location and annual mileage. We'd always recommend shopping around for insurance quotes when buying a new car.

The first year's VED is lumped into the on-the-road price and is based on CO2 emissions. With emissions of 122g/km, the Honda HR-V's first-year VED will cost £200.

As a hybrid model, you'll save £10 a year on the annual VED road tax. That means you'll pay a flat rate of £170. If you want to pay less, you'll have to look at a pure-electric alternative like the Hyundai Kona Electric.

The Honda HR-V is available in three trim levels, all of which are pretty comprehensively kitted out.

The range starts with the Honda HR-V Elegance, which comes with LED headlights, heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels and a nine-inch navigation 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.

There are also various option packs you can add to the HR-V, including Premium Upholstery with part-leather trim, Sport Pack, and Cargo Pack.