Overview

Like many cars in this day and age, the Honda HR-V is referred to as a coupe SUV. This simply means it borrows design touches, such as a sloping roofline, from sleekly designed two seaters, but combines it with the practicality of a small-ish high-riding family car.

This means it has a tonne of competitors. The Renault Arkana and Toyota C-HR also class themselves as coupe SUVs, the Skoda Karoq is the benchmark car in this class and the big-selling Nissan Qashqai has always been popular with the UK market, and is the one to beat, commercially.

The HR-V’s dimensions span two classes of family car, so smaller SUVs, such as the Ford Puma, Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka and Skoda Kamiq are rivals as well as the aforementioned challengers.

Unlike many of its rivals, there’s only one engine on offer. It’s a 1.5-litre self-charging hybrid capable of high mpg and low emissions. Think of it as a smaller version of the drivertrain you’ll find in our car of the year-winning Civic hatchback. Although, we’re disappointed to report that it is on the loud side of acceptable. More on that in the engines section of the review.

At least there are three trim levels to choose from. Elegance is the cheapest, but still comes with loads of desirable kit, such as a touchscreen infotainment system, heated seats and a rear-view camera. Advance includes a clever air diffusion system that blows air around the car rather than directly at occupants and Advance Style is top spec but is all about visual upgrades.

The HR-V has a lot going for it, but so does the competition, which seemingly sprouts new entrants vying for your monthly payments on a daily basis. Does the HR-V have what it takes to get a recommendation from us? Keep reading to see how we rate the HR-V for practicality, efficiency, ease of use and dynamic prowess.