HONDA ZR-V
THE ZR-V is designed to slot between the compact HR-V and larger CR-V in Honda’s line-up, although it’s closer in size to the second of those two vehicles. The company says that the car will have “the same DNA as the Civic e:HEV”, so it’s fair to say that the ZR-V is, in effect, a crossover version of the popular family hatchback. That should make it a serious rival for the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan, albeit with a more swoopy roofline.
Honda has pushed hard to make the ZR-V not look too much like a jacked-up Civic, and on first inspection, it’s succeeded. The front has a relatively small grille and slim headlights, while the flanks have much less complex surfacing than we’ve seen on many recent Hondas. The C-pillars are narrow, and the rear features a large tailgate that’s clearly designed to deliver a low load lip.
Inside, the ZR-V adopts much of the same ‘horizontal’ design language as the Civic. There’s a nine-inch touchscreen mounted high in the centre of the fascia, but the car also retains conventional rotary controls for the heating and ventilation. Boot capacity is 380 litres (20 per cent larger than the HR-V’s) and folding the second row expands this to 1,291 litres – around 70 litres up on the Civic’s maximum.
An extensive range of kit will be offered, including heated front and rear seats, eightway adjustment on the driver’s seat, a panoramic roof, 18-inch alloys and Honda’s ‘Sensing’ range of safety and assistance tech.
The ZR-V won’t be available as a pure EV; instead it will feature a recalibrated version of the Civic’s e:HEV powertrain. This mixes an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a pair of electric motors and an automatic gearbox. As on the Civic, the combustion power will spend a lot of its time not actually driving the wheels, charging a battery for electric drive instead.
Honda hasn’t confirmed a power output, but based on the ZR-V’s stats in other regions where it has already been released, we’d expect it to match the Civic’s 181bhp; the company says the ZR-V will deliver CO2 emissions starting at 130g/km and return from 49mpg under WLTP tests.
The ZR-V is supported by the same basic platform as the Civic, featuring MacPherson-strut front suspension and a multi-link rear axle. Honda Motor Europe’s senior vice-president, Tom Gardner, claims that engineers have worked hard to deliver hatchback dynamics in a crossover. “We’re confident that customers are going to be taken aback by how well this car handles,” he said.
The Honda ZR-V should reach UK dealers in the autumn. There’s no word yet on pricing, but given its size and powertrain, and Honda’s range realignment, we’d expect it to be closer to the old CR-V’s starting figure than those of the existing HR-V. That would give the ZR-V a price tag starting from around £31,000.