TEST Honda ZR-V: this technical masterpiece is so economical and so expensive - AutoReview.nl

If you entered the Honda showroom in recent years, you did not exactly stumble over the models. A Jazz, a Honda e with a range that you would have been ashamed of even 10 years ago and then the old HR-V and the CR-V.

Honda in the Netherlands

Not that many people come by at all, Honda's sales numbers in the Netherlands are lower than ever. In the first half of 2023, 342 were registered, of which the Jazz accounted for more than half.

There has been speculation for years: will Honda Netherlands give up? Might it even withdraw from Europe? But then in a short time the Japanese come up with two new models that fit in perfectly with European fashion: the electric one Honda e:Ny1 and the Honda ZR-V. The latter fills the gap between the HR-V and the CR-V.

As big as a Volkswagen Tiguan

With a length of almost 4.60 meters and a width of 1.84 meters, the Honda ZR-V is approximately the same size as the Volkswagen Tiguan. Inside, the new Honda offers enough space for four adults. The high-quality choice of materials is striking, the dashboard looks beautiful and everything feels nice. Honda keeps up with the times and offers the ZR-V with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and numerous online services.

Trunk of the Honda ZR-V

For an SUV of this size, the luggage space is disappointing, it only holds 380 liters. That's about as much as a Volkswagen Golf swallows. The maximum loading volume of 1312 liters is also not impressive. A typical Japanese joke is that the trunk lid closes automatically when you walk away from the car. If you want to open the lid, make a sweeping motion around the bumper with your foot.

Comfort wins over sportiness

Honda is known as a sporty car brand, but the clientele of a C-segment crossover is usually a bit wild. That is why a lot of work has been done in the area of ​​comfort. The noise of the tires, the wind and the engine is neatly damped and the chassis has a comfortable tuning. With the exception of one part: during city driving, short bumps are passed on firmly. It's a good thing that the seats are very comfortable and that they are also adjustable in many ways.

Of course, Honda also mentions pro forma how sporty the ZR-V is, but in practice this does not appear to be the case. It does not steer precisely enough for a bit of driving pleasure and if you take a few corners too quickly, the ZR-V quickly starts to slide over its front wheels.

Many driver assistance systems and good visibility all around

The safety equipment is complete, the Honda has a collision warning with pedestrian detection and active braking and adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistant.

The thin A-pillars make us happy, making the Honda one of the few modern cars where there is no complaint about the all-round visibility. You can also see exactly where the hood ends and the rear window is also so large. If you still can't figure it out, you can always use the reversing camera with parking sensors. That is standard.

Special hybrid system

We will save the technical highlight for last, because the ZR-V is equipped with the special hybrid system that the Japanese developed in-house. The ZR-V has an electric motor and a direct injection two-liter gasoline engine, which works according to the economy-oriented Atkinson principle.

The driver does not notice which motor sends power to the front wheels - sometimes they both do it, at other times they work separately. Just like an electric car, the ZR-V has a constant transmission. It is an impressive feat of engineering.

The system power is 184 hp. Because of the technology, the ZR-V seems to accelerate like an electric car, after 8 seconds you already reach 100 km/h. The power can be dosed well and you don't notice anything about the complex control of the individual components, although that is partly thanks to the insulation material that neatly dampens engine noise. A WLTP consumption of 5.8 l/100 km or 1 in 17.2 is decent.

Delivery time Honda ZR-V

The ZR-V will be at the dealer this year. Honda is not known as a brand for bargain hunters and you also have to bring a lot of money with this compact SUV. Even Volkswagen drivers will be shocked, because the Tiguan has a lower entry price. The basic Elegance version costs not much less than 50 grand, for the Sport you pay 50,500 euros and for the most expensive Advance 53,250 euros.

Conclusion

It will be exciting for Honda to see whether it can still squeeze itself among the many successful competitors. The small trunk does not speak in favor of the ZR-V, nor does the high base price. But the efficient hybrid powertrain is a masterpiece that only Honda can imagine.