Honda ZR

Jul 05, 2023

Honda’s new mid-size, full-hybrid SUV is a potential cat amongst the pigeons in this crowded car class. It has an all-round appeal to see it stand among its best competitors, and a pleasing level of quality and equipment that might make you reconsider more ‘premium’ alternatives.

Note that this review is based on our initial drive of the Honda ZR-V. Our full review and verdict (complete with the car's overall score, plus scores for safety, reliability and more) will be available to Which? members once all our extensive lab and road tests are complete.

Looking to buy a car that's been through all our tests? View our pick of the best cars for 2023

The ZR-V is the latest addition to Honda’s range of crossovers SUVs. Sitting between the (slightly) smaller HR-V and the soon-to-be-replaced CR-V in terms of size, it’s a high-rise five-seat family car – the sort of model that’s immensely popular in the UK.

It’s available as a hybrid only, sharing the same 2.0-litre 184hp petrol/twin-electric motor drivetrain as the Civic hatchback. Power is sent to the front wheels (four-wheel-drive is currently not an option) through a single-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid system typically acts as a ‘range extender’ (in a similar way to the Nissan Qashqai e-Power), in which the petrol engine mostly generates electricity for the electric motors that power the driven wheels. As in the Civic, though, the ZR-V can use the petrol engine to directly power the wheels at high speeds or for when full acceleration is required.

It's offered in three trim levels: Elegance, Sport and Advance. Entry-level Elegance models come with a comprehensive level of standard equipment, including 18-inch alloy wheels, eight-speaker stereo, digital driver’s display, adaptive cruise control, all-round parking sensors, rear-view camera, 9-inch touchscreen navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and importantly, Honda’s full suite of active safety technology.

Sport models add to the tally with half-leather seats (full leather upholstery is reserved for range-topping Advance versions), a wireless charging tray, electrically operated front seats and boot hatch, a brace of additional USB ports in the back, as well as a unique front grille and other exterior trim pieces.

Range-topping Advance cars get a panoramic sunroof, a 12-speaker Bose stereo, heated rear seats and steering wheel, head-up display and adaptive high-beam headlights.

The ZR-V’s eCVT automatic transmission is a particular highlight, as it delivers the simplicity and economy of a conventional CVT gearbox, but without the surge in revs (and accompanying din) normally associated with full hybrid models. It can even simulate the effect of conventional gear changes, for a more ‘involving’ driving experience.

The 2.0-litre hybrid may be the only engine option currently available, but it’s a great choice. With 184hp available, and the instantaneous torque of its electric motor, the ZR-V never feels sluggish or lacking for power – something we couldn’t say of Honda’s other small crossover, the HR-V.

The petrol engine only really betrays its presence under hard acceleration, and even then its noise is reasonably well suppressed. Under normal driving conditions it’s barely noticeable, and the transition between petrol and electric power is near imperceptible, too. Wind and road noise are more the issue at higher speeds, though both are acceptable.

While having no ostensibly sporting pretensions, by the standards of the small SUV class the ZR-V is entertaining and agile to drive. There is some body roll in corners, but with accurate and well-weighted power steering, and plenty of grip, it inspires confidence even on challenging roads.

Ride quality hasn’t taken a hit, either. It’s not quite as soft as the smaller HR-V, nor is it quite as supple as the Civic hatchback, but it’s perfectly comfortable over broken asphalt and speed bumps.

The automatic transmission is controlled via buttons on the centre console rather than a traditional gear-lever, but is simple to use and smooth in its operation. Metal paddles fixed to the steering wheel mimic the effect of gear changes by altering the amount of regenerative (or ‘engine’) braking.

The cabin has a simple but elegant design, and plush-feeling soft plastics adorn most surfaces. It’s ergonomically sound, too, with physical buttons and switches for the climate control. The digital driver’s display is crisp and easy to read, and the central touchscreen is perfectly intuitive to use, though is only average in terms of responsiveness and graphical quality.

Despite the ZR-V’s relaxed and not especially elevated (subjectively at least) seating position, the extremities of the car are easy to gauge, making for easy manoeuvring around town. The traditionally large rear blind spot caused by the rear window pillars isn’t especially intrusive, either, and there’s the security of all-round parking sensors and a rear-view camera on all models.

We haven’t received enough information about the Honda ZR-V to assess its reliability. However, we have heard from enough Honda owners to rate the dependability of the brand as a whole.

To find out more, head to our guide on the most reliable car brands.

Large door apertures and low sills, front and rear, make it a doddle to climb aboard the ZR-V. The relatively laid-back seating position is more akin to a conventional hatchback than an upright SUV – it’s comfortable, aided by supportive and sufficiently bolstered front seats. There’s no shortage of head or legroom either, and the cabin largely carries over the airy, spacious feel of the impressive Civic hatchback.

Rear seat passengers are well catered for, too. The seat bases are deep enough to provide decent under-thigh support and the backrests are reclined enough so that even taller passengers will be able to sit comfortably for longer stints. As is typical for this type of car though, the width of the rear cabin means sitting three adults abreast is a squeeze, and the middle seat is narrow.

At a claimed 390 litres (rising to a maximum of 1,322 litres with the rear seats folded), the boot is smaller than some rivals (the Nissan Qashqai for instance has claimed boot space of 504 litres). It is at least well-thought out, with no load-lip, a low sill and wide boot aperture, as well as rear seats that fold flat for useful additional load space. There’s also a small space under the boot floor. An electrically operated boot-hatch is fitted to all Sport models and above.

Additionally, there’s a good amount of storage in the cabin, including a centre cubby large enough to store a tablet, door bins with space for larger bottles and additional space underneath the floating centre console.

Based on the official WLTP test cycle (the standard by which all manufacturer fuel economy figures are now calculated), the ZR-V should return an average of 48.7-49.6mpg, depending on trim.

Official CO2 emissions range between 130-132g/km.

The ZR-V is yet to undergo a Euro NCAP crash safety assessment, although as it’s primarily geared towards family users, we’d be very surprised if Honda hasn’t gone to the same lengths for a five-star rating, as was awarded to the Civic hatchback.

Pleasingly, all versions are fitted with Honda’s ‘Sensing’ full suite of active safety aids as standard. This includes all-important autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep-assist and road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist, traffic-sign recognition and a driver-attention monitor.

Choose a Sport model or above and you’ll also get a blind-spot monitor and cross-traffic monitoring, which alerts the driver to vehicles approaching from either side – for instance when exiting a parking space.

Top-grade Advance models are further equipped with adaptive driving beam headlights, which adjust the high-beam to provide maximum forward illumination without dazzling oncoming traffic.

In terms of more conventional safety equipment, all ZR-Vs get no less than eleven interior airbags, including knee airbags for both front seats occupants, and a front-centre airbag which prevents the front seat passenger from colliding with the driver in the event of a side-on crash.

In a slight dent to the ZR-V’s practicality credentials, Honda’s famed ‘magic’ seats – where the rear seat bases can be folded up, cinema-style, to allow through storage for larger or taller items – aren’t available, even as an option.

Price: from £39,495

Pros:

Cons:

Effortless everyday usability is key in a good family car, and based on this initial first drive, the new ZR-V certainly has all the boxes ticked. Like the Civic hatchback with which it shares its hybrid engine, it’s a superb balance of comfort and poise as well as performance and (claimed) economy. We’ll have to reserve full judgement until we’ve put it through our battery of lab tests, but we’d certainly recommend taking it for a test drive when order books open this July.

To be among the first to find out when our full Honda ZR-V review is live, get our Cars newsletter – it's free monthly.