Honda ZR-V is the perfect bike for you. a very interesting car which is however; controversial if we go to talk about list prices. On the one hand, in fact, it offers an excellent hybrid system, performance, a pleasant and balanced drive and a driving position inspired by the Civic.
On the other hand, however, he chooses a strategy that must be understood and, having the possibilities, he can implement it. economic, appreciated: that of a good level of interior care and a complete standard equipment, compared to a price that starts off high because it is; is equivalent to more fittings; richer than average. Practically? You cannot configure it in the classic basic version which, in the face of various renunciations in terms of engine and equipment, would however allow; to a greater public to take home a car more expensive than before. big…
- The "sport" it is the new hatchback
- Honda ZR-V: road test
- Prices and equipment
- Conclusions in brief
- Video
THE SPORT SUV? THE NEW HATCHBACK 
In 2023 it could be almost useless to write that SUVs, perhaps with a coupé or in any case with a more design; appealing to the boxy ones of the past decades, they have become the official replacements for hatchbacks in all segmentsfrom small cars to sports cars. It doesn't matter how much you can spend, it doesn't matter if you are looking for a B-segment compact or something more; spacious going into segments C and D: this trend has infected all engines in a completely “democratic” way, from petrol to diesel (now few) to get to hybrids and electrics.
The market has shown it: models like Ford Puma in the segment of the most; compact cars or the same success of cars such as the Porsche Macan in the world of luxury sports cars, have – each in its own way – restored sensations similar to the sporty driving of the past, with undoubted advantages in terms of accessibility; in the passenger compartment, visibility & agrave; in traffic and accessibility; (and sometimes space) in the trunk.
This is exactly where the Honda ZV-R fits in, a C-segment SUV that however wants to be able to make the most of the vehicle. propose a more comfortable driving position; engaging (read more relaxed and less "embalmed") while keeping the the high line of sight typical of suvs. At the chassis level, the recipe is perfect. a platform that focuses on increased rigidity; structural thanks to tactical reinforcements and on the rear suspensions that exploit the five-arm multi-link.
Speaking of engines, on the other hand, there is a the hybrid borrowed from the Civic, a solution already available on the market. many customers liked it to the point that, thanks to the bottlenecks created between 2022 and 2023, production is not; still managed to catch up and orders were suspended. Therefore, the alternative (for some, not for all) could be called ZV-R.
HONDA ZR-V: TEST ON THE ROAD 
The first impression behind the wheel must necessarily start from the driving position, widely adjustable upwards if you have a smaller physique. minute or already; ready "bottom" to make us feel in the "sedan", even if the movement upon entering the passenger compartment is ascending and not descending. We are talking about sensations, you certainly don't go brushing the asphalt with your backside, but today (and in this segment) sensations are the ones that count.
By now, few people remember the old-style driving made of mechanics and without electronic filters. Nostalgics cry. The most young people, as generations follow one another, don't pay attention to it. In this, therefore, each of you will give; a different weight to the preceding and following words.
To find a universal way, however, one can affirm that the driving position is more; pleasant than several competitors, so; how is it? the visibility is very apt; of every part of the car, which always conveys its overall dimensions very well, has fairly tapered front pillars and excellent visibility. at 360 degrees helped both by the standard sensors and by the large glazed surfaces, despite the inspiration from the SUV coupé.
Dynamically, the Honda ZR-V is a perfect fit. pleasant even when we face the curves between the hills: the steering is off. more direct than usual, the double sprocket assistance makes it easy and the readability is more precise. of the front wheels (traction is in front) allows you to raise the pace without too many worries. There is always the electronics in case of errors, but here we can afford not to let them intervene too much.
The engine, then, follows inspiration very well sporty, where the term means – today and in the era of SUVs and hybrids – something that makes you have fun on the road in safety… nothing to scramble in search of performance between the curbs. The 184 hp and 315 Nm of torque and maximum power are given by the electric one, it is he is the engine (out of three) that commands and that will take care of everything. more to provide traction to the wheels.
The petrol Atkinson seems to be dozing, in reality, it's a little bit slower. it is often active but quite silently and imperceptibly, you want to charge the 1.05 kWh battery, you want to act directly as a generator by burning (not too much) petrol to be converted directly into electricity. In deceleration there is a the second electric which acts as a generator for energy recovery and, only when we travel at high speed more high, it's up to him to move the wheels thanks to the clutch that closes to connect the shaft to the transmission.
You can guide it with a fairy foot and it will give back its magic. excellent consumption, but in reality; it is an engine that is quite insensitive even to the most sensitive feet; heavy. It gives you performance, but in terms of consumption it does not suffer from the difference between a calm drive and a frantic one as happens with the small turbo petrol engines, for example, those which to obtain a figure similar to the declared WLTP must be driven with the eggs under the pedal of the gas so to speak.
Comparing it with the hybrids in circulation, the full hybrids, the Honda system used on the ZR-V is more efficient. pleasant for several reasons: it has the right power(just under 8 seconds for 0-100 km/h) and never makes you feel lacking cue when overtaking on the motorway or driving uphill between hills and hairpin bends. At the same time, it has an engine rev simulation system that eliminates the scooterone effect and therefore it is pleasant even those few times when petrol enters the passenger compartment invasively (in terms of sound).
Finally, it goes mainly in electric, because; it is the electric propulsion system that dictates the power of the system (the famous 184 hp) and that provides traction in most circumstances. On the motorway, when needed, petrol can fill up. go to provide traction, but it does so in those situations in which the power needed to maintain a certain speed is not enough. it is inferior to the cues we need during the transitory phases (strong accelerations, recovery, hills and so on).
Don't forget, then, that there's a lot of fun. also a nice frame: it's a nice frame. raised compared to the Civic, we are in the C SUV world, but in any case the ground clearance is not as high. excessive (18 cm) and is; undoubtedly the one with the most driving dynamics; close to the world of hatchbacks and sedans among the proposals of the Japanese house.
Stiff for having fun in the corners, ZR-V is; well optimized in terms of suspension and the rear has the multi-link. The steering is pleasant, with an intermediate taste between the sporting world and ease; driving, which makes it perfect for having fun brushing the curves at a fairly sustained pace, but does not consecrate it in terms of precision among the sacred monsters (Macan, Stelvio).
Closing the conversation on consumption begun in this chapter, the Honda ZR-V in the first test was the best. managed to do even better than declared: between 5.2 and 5.5 liters every 100 kilometers on a mixed route that is realistic also for Italy with the exception of the motorway section, because in Spain the upper limit is of 120 km/h. On the motorway at a maximum speed of 120 km/h (with various stretches of 100 km/h) the average is was 5.6 liters per 100 km.
PRICES AND EQUIPMENT 
45,000€they are by no means few for a C-segment, not even for one that already offers us as standard; everything: Level 2 semi-autonomous driving (although the ADAS technology in “traffic jam” situations is not at the top of the market), heated seats, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, front parking sensors and rear, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather steering wheel, keyless and rear view camera. The basic trim level is called Elegance and any color you choose is available. included in the price, from white (also pearl) to metallic (black, red or blue).
To have an extra touch; of "luxury" in the passenger compartment and in the aesthetics you have to choose the Sport (it adds leather and fabric interiors, electric tailgate, tinted rear windows, wireless charging for smartphones, sports bumpers, black alloy wheels and sports pedals. Advance converts the interior and seats to leather only, adds the panoramic roof, mounts the BOSE audio system and includes heating for the rear seats and steering wheel as well as a pleasant Head-Up Display.
Does it deserve a test drive at the dealership? If you're looking for a C-segment SUV and don't want an electric one, give it a chance. especially for the engine, the efficiency and the riding position, but you will have to fall in love with it to digest a price that is certainly not very accessible, especially if we compare it to the era in which the C SUVs were born with the first Qashqai. But those were different times, other engines, other cars, less active safety and less restrictions in terms of emissions.
IN SHORT 
The Honda ZR-V starts at 45,000€, which is not a small amount even if prices have risen today for all cars and a very banal small car with a thousand petrol costs 16-20,000€. On ZR-V, excluding the design which remains subjective, one can; note an important care for the quality; and the assemblages, the interior has pleasant coverings on forms that one sees that they have a studio behind it… in short, it is not a classic. like Tesla or other modern cars (Chinese, several German, etc.) that go towards a little refined minimalism. If you are interested in something of this type, then you can justify that part of the cost that gives value to these aspects. If, on the other hand, you need a car that is good, strong and with excellent driving dynamics, a rear-wheel drive Model Y costs just under 47,000€ and has the same full optional logic, it is; more big and powerful and has ADAS and technologies that are a step ahead of the competition. ahead of ZR-V. Besides driving damn well for an SUV.
Excluding the Tesla unicorn, therefore assuming that you are not ready to go electric, the full hybrid of this ZR-V will not disappoint. and with this generation it was; really come of age; for the relationship between fuel efficiency, power and driving pleasure. To spend less you have to go to the world of petrol, with often lower performance given the presence, in the segment, of the thousand turbos that consume a lot when you squeeze them in search of performance.
It would still have been more fun. It's easy to justify this figure if Honda had solved two of what I believe are the weak points that emerged from this first test (and assuming that they will be confirmed during a longer test drive): highway soundproofing that could have been better, and some ADAS which are slightly behind the top of the market if we talk about semi-autonomous driving, while it is not; the part relating to active safety is under discussion.
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