the Bucket: Bucket Seat: Honda H-RV 1.5 Executive

When it comes to Japanese car manufacturers, reliability is the key word that rings out and with good reason. Most cars that come out of Japan are bulletproof and the two biggest brands being Toyota and Honda have grown quite a cult following over the years. While the cars were pretty solid in terms of build quality and reliability, there was that perception of them being bland and boring. It is true, there was nothing exciting about the cars coming out of Japan, while there were select few one off models, the rest of the line-ups were not much to look at but still maintained steady sales because of the brand heritage. Over the past two years, Toyota have picked up on this and have really made great strides into changing their philosophy and have produced great cars since, with the further introduction of new models and brands into 2023. What about Honda though? The tag line reads power of dreams but other than the Civic Type-R, nothing else in their model line-up screams it. Well, to their credit they have been working behind the scenes have slowly released some of their new models that encapsulates their direction of their new design philosophy and I must say, while they may not be drastic in design they've certainly upped their game in other departments. I first got to sample this with their new Ballade last year before spinning around in the new FIT (ex Jazz), a few weeks ago I had the new H-RV on test and I was blown away with this car, which I'll explain in my review.

DESIGN

Fresh new face to the H-RV and change in the overall body shape, moving away from that bubble like chassis to a more straight and square look. The front is fierce and commanding with the colour coded grille being the main feature with a chrome bar that extends to the new front headlamps which has an LED day-time running lamp that follows the contours of the bar. It's a very clean finish with very little folds and creases as it runs down to the mesh radiator cooler with LED fog lamps on either side. I had the Executive model on test which came with 18-inch black alloy wheels, the Comfort model features 17-inch alloy wheels. The side profile is pretty attractive with that sharp slanted tailgate line giving off the crossover coupe vibe and the rear design is finished very elegantly and sport with the solid bar light that runs across with tear dropped styled rear LED lights which wrap around the side. Almost looking like the Porsche Macan. If you think Honda knocked it out the park with the exterior design, wait till you jump on inside, okay look it's nothing extravagant but the look they trying to achieve was clean, minimalistic and modern, they've certainly nailed it in my opinion with everything so well laid out and the finishes made me weirdly excited to sit inside and touch everything. It's hard to explain and something you just need to experience, the attention to detail is immaculate, only something the Japanese could perfect, everything from the quality of the plastics to the frosted screen coverings for the aircon controls was impeccable.

PERFORMANCE

Here's where I might get shot for hyping this car so much, the H-RV is powered by a 1.5-litre Chain Driven DOHC i-VTEC motor which produces 89kW and 145Nm of torque. Hardly much to write home about, and I you must be thinking I'm going to drop the "but its not meant for performance, its meant for cruising" line but my God this thing can be frustrating when trying to pick up speed. The CVT gearbox does it no favours at all and while there is a "S" sport gear and paddle shift, which does improve performance ever so slightly, it does sky rocket your average consumption, which with todays fuel price won't be very healthy on your bank balance. Honda claim an average combined fuel economy of 6L per 100km but I was averaging around 8 with my heavy foot. But look, if you not in a rush, the H-RV is superb, with well timed gear shifts, a smooth acceleration, brilliant ride comfort and great handling and steering with minimal body roll. It's not meant to be an old persons type of car but it serves as a brilliant city car and that is what I loved about it.

COMFORT

Apart from the great interior design, quality of materials used, the H-RV is extremely comfortable. The front seats are ergonomically designed for good posture and great comfort. Both front seats were electrically adjustable which was a nice surprise. They front occupants also get dual zone climate control as well as heated leather seats. The 8-inch infotainment touch screen has an easy to use interface and has plug and play mobile application integration. The head unit for the screen was a bit odd, with it flowing into the dash like a 1980's tube television. Not sure why Honda opted for this vs the floating tablet finish is an odd one but I suppose it works and makes the screen more secure. Another odd one was the placements of the USB ports which were mid-dash above the separation from wireless charging mat, with the mobile application only being a hardwired connection, it made it a bit cumbersome to have wires dangling around and ruined the aesthetics of the great interior design. The car comes with a split panoramic glass roof which I found out doesn't open, it was a bit of a bummer but at the same time I am not a massive fan of driving around with the sunroof open but rather just the curtain, so this worked out well for me. The rear passengers get to enjoy the same quality seats but what surprised me the most was the amount of leg room they had at the back! I'm a tall guy and with my seat properly adjusted to suit my height, there was still ample amount of space in the back for the passenger to lounge behind me! The luggage compartment is a decent size, coming in at 304L but with the rear seats folded down, this extends to 956L. The tail gate is power operated and can be opened with the key.

VERDICT

Overall, the H-RV left a great impression on me, so much so I am actually thinking of adding one to my garage. The price tag is a bit of a stinger but seeing that Honda hasn't messed about with the quality of product they got here, I can sort of understand why it is what it is. There is a loads on offer with the car and after spending a week with it, I was smitten with it. Even for a person like me, who likes to zip around quite fast, I found my self sitting in the middle lane of the highway, cruising along listening to some great music and enjoying the drive home or to the office office. As with all Honda's, the safety features are in abundance with it having ABS, EBA, VSA, Lane Watch, Driver attention monitor, tyre pressure monitor, High beam assist, Active cornering lights and the list goes on. It's a practical family car, perfectly suited for small to medium families. Certainly a car that won me over with it's charm.