2022 Honda HR-V review: Australian first drive

The 2022 Honda HR-V e:HEV L adds hybrid technology to the Japanese manufacturer’s small SUV range as part of an important, and compelling, all-new generation model update.

Honda’s HR-V is just one of two SUVs in the brand’s line-up at this point (though that should change in the near future), meaning it has to do plenty of heavy lifting in terms of sales. When faced with refined and impressive competition such as the Mazda MX-30, Kia Seltos and Toyota C-HR, that’s no small task.

From our first impressions of the new HR-V, Honda is able to stand tall against those well-liked and popular rivals with a product that provides practical solutions to consumers along with a genuine step up in fit and finish compared to the outgoing model.

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Making up the new HR-V range are just two variants. The non-hybrid Vi X with its $36,700 drive-away pricing, and the e:HEV L for $45,000. It’s the latter – with its jumbled badging and hybrid powertrain – that we have driven.

Previously the HR-V had a four-model line-up, starting with the base VTi model grade with a $31,300 price tag, walking all the way to the range-topping $41,000 drive-away VTI-LX. This means both the price of entry and ultimate flagship cost have risen.

All of the previous-generation cars utilised a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine producing 105kW and 172Nm, which we were quite fond of. Both new variants utilise a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder at the core of their powertrains.

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In the Vi X, it produces 89kW and 145Nm, while the addition of a 1.1kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor allows the e:HEV L to claim a total system output of 96kW and 253Nm.

What does this mean day-to-day? Well, this isn’t a plug-in hybrid, which means you won’t be charging its battery from a wall socket or roadside charger. Instead, the lithium-ion battery gains charge via either regenerative braking or by the combustion engine, which acts as a power generator at low speeds.

This can sometimes result in a slightly odd driving experience where the combustion engine holds its revs at a steady state to produce energy for the battery, while the electric motor shifts you along by itself. It’s different to the norm but easy to acclimatise to.

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Other than the noise of the combustion engine, it’s a clever way to keep the hybrid battery topped up so that it remains helpful in minimising fuel use.

While we were previously endeared to the gutsy-for-its-class engine, the outgoing HR-V was an overall loud and firm drive. Honda has ultimately reversed these criticisms for its newest generation small SUV.

The driving experience itself is as unremarkable as it comes, but the HR-V presents a cabin that you’d happily soak in for hours. The interior treatment feels remarkably upmarket for the price. Generous servings of leather abound, while the switchgear has a reassuringly slick movement.

Yes, prices have inflated, but so has the quality of the product. Honda has clearly been peering at Mazda’s homework of late. And we mean that as a compliment.

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It's not just material choices that speak to this either, with the standard equipment list being incredibly generous. Head-up display, heated steering wheel and front seats, adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, hill descent control, sat-nav with over-the-air map and system updates, and a six-speaker sound system.

You’ll spend most of your time in the HR-V controlling features through the central 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. During our loan, the system was easy to navigate and responsive to touch – which isn’t always the case at this price point.

As it is so often said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But in this case, we can’t help but argue that Honda has penned a handsome, striking design that stands up as an alluring visual offering. Our only notes would be a soft tut-tut to the swooping coupe-esque fastback cut to the roofline behind the C-pillar.

With such a strong shoulder line and an interior design so heavily biased toward practicality, this shave of rear boot space runs at odds to the HR-V’s overt capabilities.

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Official boot capacity is 304 litres with the rear seats in place, 956 litres with the rear seats folded and luggage loaded to the windows, and a total of 1274 litres of available space when loading to the roofline with the rear seats stowed.

That simple reading of capacity somewhat undersells the HR-V’s party trick, which many will know as ‘Magic Seats’.

Interior storage solutions in the Honda small SUV are as ample as they are simple to execute. Tug here, pull there, and the entire interior of the HR-V can be rearranged to suit your abundant needs. There are plenty of smart cubbies and storage solutions hidden throughout the cabin.

You won’t be going anywhere too quickly off the line in the HR-V. Even compared to rivals, the Honda feels lethargic on step-off. It’s not a major dealbreaker but feeds into our major criticism of this car, which is the sometimes-uncouth way the combustion engine flares when you request some semblance of urgency from the HR-V in terms of forward motion.

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The ride is well-judged. Not a magic carpet, but it does an impressive job of smoothing out the harder edges of Australia’s often patchy road conditions. Vertical movement is well controlled, and there is little fore, aft, or lateral pitching during urban driving.

Impressive outward visibility in the HR-V is in part due to raising the driving position by 10mm between generations and moving the mirrors from the A-pillar to the door itself. A large glasshouse aids no end and even with the swooping boot, rearward vision isn’t hampered heavily.

2022 Honda HR-V: VERDICT

Honda should be proud of the way it has updated the HR-V and consumers in the market for a small SUV should put this handsome contender on their shortlist.

If you can live with the quirks of how its electric and combustion componentry interact and want a premium-feeling product that doesn’t scrimp on the interior storage solutions, the HR-V could be the ticket you are looking for.

2022 Honda HR-V e:HEV L specifications