Honda’s automotive offerings have always been safe, affordable and reliable. They’re often go-to models for families, single women, soccer moms, seniors, etc. But, it’s hard to say they’re the first choice for men of any age (unless they’re dads and they’re out there looking for kiddie transport).
To counter that, it looks like Honda is ramping up its styling – especially if the new HR-V Crossover SUV is an example of what’s to come for the Japanese automaker. While safety conscious, assuredly ready to roll and adequately equipped the real story of the new HR-V is its more appealing aesthetic.
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During a recent driving event stretch from Miami Beach to the heart of the Everglades, Honda gave automotive journalists a chance to test out the HR-V on city streets, urban freeways and rural highways — all environments the crossover is likely to tackle given that it’s never intended as an off-roading style of small SUV. You still need to head over to Jeep to find those.
Starting just north of $19,000, Honda’s standard HR-V offers a standard 1.5 liter, four cylinder engine — playing along with the Ford and Toyota model of stripping weight from a car and reducing the size of an engine to improve fuel economy. That base engine only produces 117 horsepower, but that’s enough to get around town when the engineers keep the weight down.
Interior features vary with trim levels, but the buyer starts out with a height adjustable driver’s seat, power windows and doors, cruise control, on-steering wheel controls, power adjustable mirrors, electric power steering, air conditioning and Bluetooth wireless connectivity for phone and audio playback.
That’s a decent collection of features for a car that starts out under $20,000. But, at the same time, that kind of functionality is what new car buyers expect these days when they buy new.
The car seats five comfortably with enough cargo space in the rear hatch for payloads more significant than mere groceries or golf clubs. While you might not want to take a HR-V out into the wilds for camping, it could certainly swallow up and carry the equipment.
The driving experience is comfortable, if not exciting. The power is fine for any paved stretch, and the interior ergonomics work for both driver and passenger. There is some of that signature Honda softness of sponginess in the steering and handling, but this is not intended as a tight or responsive driver’s car. The HR-V, like all Hondas, is meant to satisfy as wide an audience as possible — and mass appeal is based on easy driving and personal comfort.
While the new HR-V falls into the Honda line in most expected ways, it’s more aggressive, modern lines set it apart from Honda’s older designs and point to a more attractive aesthetic for the automaker moving forward.
Is it a crossover for a single guy? Maybe. He’d have to be looking for more basic, reliable urban transportation with the ability to carry his gear from A to B. It just doesn’t have the masculine sizzle of some SUV competitors.
