Honda HR-V Sport 2019 review
Should I buy one?
Here’s where the problems start to emerge, in case you were wondering why a review with plenty of praise doesn’t merit a higher star rating.
In isolation, the HR-V Sport is a pleasant and vice-free alternative to high-spec crossover rivals. But its ambitious pricing (nearly £28,000 in manual form and well over £29,000 with the optional CVT automatic ‘box) can only result in us drawing parallels with models from different segments.
Not only is it nearly £5000 more expensive than a top-drawer Mazda CX-3, it’s also more expensive than the identically powered Civic Sport. And if it’s a sporty yet practical SUV you’re after, the substantially larger Seat Ateca is available for significantly less.
Worse still, some of the best hot hatches on the market, namely the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Hyundai i30 N, are within reach, and in some cases cheaper. For those not solely after outright performance and not blindly tied to the idea of a crossover, a well-specced Ford Focus is more accomplished in pretty much every area.
Clearly, the HR-V isn’t capable of matching these despite a decent kit list, whether you’re comparing in terms of driver appeal, performance or even interior quality. Fundamentally, it’s a small crossover with the same underpinnings as the Jazz, and it’s out of its depth at this end of the market.
It’s hard to work out who the HR-V Sport is aimed at, then, because traditional HR-V buyers, as in the ones looking for a sensible, reliable and spacious crossover above all else, are also better served by a middling non-turbo petrol model for a far more reasonable outlay.
Honda HR-V 1.5 VTEC Sport
Tested Lisbon, Portugal Price £27,840 On sale Now Engine 1498cc, 4cyls Power 179bhp at 5500rpm Torque 177lb ft at 1900-5000rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual Kerb weight 1340kg Top speed 133mph 0-62mph 7.8sec Fuel economy 42.4mpg CO2 151g/km Rivals Mazda CX-3, Peugeot 3008
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/honda/hr-v/first-drives/honda-hr-v-sport-2019-review
