Honda HR-V e: HEV
Without a plug
Honda HR-V e: HEV
© press-inform – the press office
While the whole world is relying on plug-in hybrids and electric cars, Honda is once again taking a different path. After the jazz, the tech-savvy Japanese are now also launching the HR-V as a hybrid without a plug. It is economical, but without the PHEV grant it will be difficult in some countries.
First of all the best: The new Honda HR-V not only shines with its economical drive, but also with an extremely chic design. It seems as if Honda has finally successfully left its difficult design years behind, because since the electric Honda e is already a very chic small car, the 4.34 meter long HR-V can also be seen. While it is also offered as a pure combustion model in other markets, it looks completely different in Central Europe. Here the Honda HR-V is an obligatory hybrid model with the unfortunate model name e: HEV, under which a hybrid model is hidden for hardly anyone understandable.
But while almost all of the competition from home and abroad relies on appropriately subsidized plug-in hybrids, Honda, somewhat surprisingly, remains loyal to the HR-V and only offers a normal hybrid drive that cannot be charged at the socket. Only a 1.5 liter four-cylinder petrol engine without turbocharging, which is supported by an electric motor, provides the drive. The overall package has an output of 96 kW / 131 PS / 253 Nm, which is significantly less than the up to 182 PS petrol engine of the discontinued generation, which is optionally available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. When it was used in the HR-V, the output of the Jazz hybrid system was increased from 80 kW / 109 PS to 96 kW / 131 PS. At the same time, the number of battery cells was increased by 25 percent.
The lack of engine power is definitely noticeable, because anyone who really wants to be fast and dynamic on the road is sitting in the wrong driver’s seat in the HR-V. After all, it goes from zero to 100 km / h in 10.6 seconds and the speedometer ends its propulsion at just over 170 km / h. It’s a shame, because the very successful look of the HR-V arouses other desires among customers. The hybrid system includes three different driving modes that are selected automatically and are not noticeably influenced by the three driving programs Sport, Normal and Eco. The 1.5-ton HR-V starts up purely electrically and only switches to hybrid or combustion mode when more torque is required.
When driving at a higher and steady pace, preference is given to using the gasoline engine, which otherwise works as a power generator for the electrically driven front axle. In other words, in the city center or on a residential street, the Honda HR-V is a real electric vehicle, because the electrically powered front axle alone provides propulsion. It gets its power from the small battery pack that is fed by the combustion engine. If you are driving faster on the country road or when accelerating more strongly, the on-board electronics decide where the front axle gets its power from – either from the electric motor or at high speed, a hidden clutch is closed and the 1.5-liter combustion engine drives the front axle directly . Recuperation can be accessed in several stages using the gearshift pedals on the steering wheel. The bottom line is a standard consumption of 5.4 liters of super per 100 kilometers. With the small 40-liter tank, that’s enough for up to 800 kilometers without refueling.
The entire drive package is as complicated as it is hidden in the background. The driver is amazed at the display on the on-board computer when the accelerator pedal is moderate, how large the proportion of pure electric propulsion was. A real weak point is the drive of the Honda HR-V alone on longer mountain climbs, because here the electric motor and the combustion engine both try to meet the wishes of the driver and work hard. This can be clearly heard acoustically and the otherwise well-damped interior of the HR-V is penetrated by an annoying engine sound. The best thing to do is to put the dynamic drive back and let the front-wheel drive car cruise a little more casually, then the engine in connection with the continuously variable automatic does not sound so annoying. Which is a shame, because not only the optics make you want more, but also the chassis, because even when driving fast, the tendency to understeer is restrained and the rear is also extremely stable. Steering and brakes – fits.
This also applies to the interior, because there are comfortable seats and an attractive dashboard without any frills. The interior with a nine-inch screen is tidy and the Honda design capers of the past few years also seem to be a thing of the past on the inside. Instead, there is a slightly raised seating position in the front and 3.5 centimeters more legroom in the rear, which are pleasantly noticeable. Just as good as practical are the Magic Seats in the second row, familiar from models such as the Jazz, which can be folded down flat or set up according to the relevant transport requirements. What is missing here is heated seats for the people in the second row. The space is also okay for the length of 4.34 meters and there is at least an optional electric tailgate, which no one wants to do without in the class of a B-segment SUV. The load space has a manageable 335 liters, which can be increased to 1,304 liters by folding down the rear seats.
In terms of price, the Honda HR-V unfortunately has nothing to do with its predecessor, because while it started at around 22,000 euros, it now starts at 30,400 euros. And because the hybrid HR-V is not a plug-in hybrid with a minimum electrical range of 60 kilometers required from January 2022, it does not benefit from the tax advantage of the purchase subsidy in Germany and some other countries. That makes life pretty difficult for him compared to the competition. Most customers are likely to opt for the higher equipment variants HR-V Advance or Advance Style anyway, which then cost at least 32,600 or 35,300 euros including additional comfort and safety equipment.