Honda ZR-V – advanced efficiency

JAPANESE brand Honda offers plenty of choice for potential buyers of a family SUV, which these days seems to be most people.

Sitting plumb in the middle of the line-up at slightly larger than the long-established HR-V but smaller than the time-honoured CR-V is the company’s latest addition to the range, the ZR-V.

With its standout design – quite low-slung for a crossover model – the ZR-V is only available as a hybrid and, like its stablemates, comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, two electric motors and a battery.

The e:HEV hybrid powertrain, so successful in the super-economic Honda Civic, has been upgraded for the ZR-V and works with a small battery pack to drive the front wheels.

And the results are impressive. The system shifts seamlessly between EV, Hybrid and Engine Drive without any input from the driver, so that in urban conditions the car runs predominantly in fully electric drive.

Need some acceleration and things switch to Hybrid Drive with the electric motor turning the wheels and the engine generating the required electric charge, while on faster roads and motorways it’s engine power all the way.

In every case the Honda feels smooth, comfortable and well balanced, the driver having the added options of selecting between the four drive modes of Normal, Sport, Eco and Snow as well as being able to access brake regeneration via paddles on the steering wheel.

The result is some outstanding efficiency – in our case an average 47.4 miles per gallon over 280 miles of mixed town, country and motorway driving.

It’s not slow to pick up its feet either, with a 0-62 time of 8.0 seconds and on to a potential top speed of 108mph.

Move inside and the ZR-V boasts plenty of space for a mid-size SUV, especially in the back where there’s ample legroom and a flat, unimpeded centre rear seating position plus useful features like multiple USB charging points.

You can certainly tell that Honda’s designers prioritised high quality materials and tactile touch points throughout the cabin, which is simply and sensibly laid out and has a nine-inch touchscreen that’s straightforward and intuitive to use sitting at the centre of the upper dash area.

The 380-litre boot is not big by SUV standards, a consequence of having such a spacious cabin area, but you can still fit plenty in there. You also get some underfloor storage and there’s a rubberised mat to help with muddy sports kit or pushchairs.

A powered tailgate is standard on Sport and Advance trim and a kicking movement under the rear bumper will also open the boot, while simply walking away automatically closes it.

But there are plenty of stowage options within the cabin like a deep central bin, glovebox, shelf below the centre console, cup holders, trays and door bins – and the rear seats fold flat.

All three trim grades of Elegance, Sport and Advance are  generously equipped, with the likes of front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, heated steering wheel, 18-inch alloys and an eight-speaker sound system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto as standard.

And our tested Advance model comes fully loaded as well as featuring a more premium, leather-clad interior, a sliding panoramic sunroof, diamond-cut and black alloys plus a 12-speaker Bose sound system.

There’s also the brand’s Honda Sensing suite of safety and assistance features including lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, traffic jam assist, road sign recognition and driver attention monitoring.

Also useful is the way the wing mirrors are mounted on the door skin, away from the A pillar, to reduce blind spots.

It all adds up to a mid-size SUV that actually feels larger than it really is and combines the best elements of its Honda siblings.