Soon, if trends are any indication, the bestselling car on the planet may not be a car at all.
In Canada, Civic is still top of the heap, according to 2015 figures of non-truck sales, at 64,950 sold in 2015. But crossovers such as the Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are closing in, with the RAV-4 within just 3,000 sales of Civic to the end of March.
And Ford has predicted the crossover will surpass cars in only a few short years. Indeed, for 2015, Escape nudged past the No.2 car, Hyundai Elantra, by four units.
Today’s subject, the Honda HR-V has a way to go to reach those numbers, with 8,959 sold in 2015 and 2,031 to the end of March, but its presence in the market, along with subcompact CUV rivals Chevrolet Trax, Mazda CX-3, Fiat 500X and others, clearly suggests nobody wants to get left behind the crossover surge.
The HR-V, based on the Fit platform, is quite a bit smaller than the Civic-based CR-V. Nearly 300mm shorter and 100mm narrower, it also has nearly 400 litres less cargo space. It lives up to its subcompact billing. Yet it has more rear legroom and only three millimetres less front legroom than CR-V.
Practically, that cargo room means if you have four people on board, they better travel lightly. More likely, the HR-V is going to appeal to folks who would otherwise buy a car, and who would normally be travelling solo or as a pair.
Such is the first caveat for HR-V shoppers: while many compact crossovers make up for their size with cargo accessories such as roof racks or trailer-hitch mounted carriers, no such factory options exist for HR-V (or for some other subcompact crossovers). While there are roof “racks” visible on higher-end models, they lack tie-downs and don’t appear tall enough to actually protect the roof. They appear cosmetic only.
As well, Honda recommends against towing of any kind, so naturally no trailer hitch is offered.
All of which means if you know you’re OK with something such as the Fit, but want a bit more height, you’re good. In that way, HR-V really does speak to the part of the market crossing over from cars.
If you’re still with me, there’s a lot to recommend adding HR-V to your list. The power is adequate, not heart-stopping, and the Continuously Variable Transmission is, well, a CVT.
With a stick, this would be a lot of fun to drive. But the truth on the market is most of the people who don’t get sticks also aren’t going to even notice it’s not a conventional automatic. The stick, a six-speed, is only offered on front-drive models.
All-wheel drive, with a CVT, is offered as an option on LX and EX models. Topline EX-L Navi models get a CVT and all-wheel drive as standard.
Handling has always been a Honda forte, and the HR-V is no exception. It’s steady on the road, hugs corners nicely and has a decent ride. The steering is precise, but offers little feedback from the front tires, thanks to the electric power steering.
Fuel economy is another strong suit, with a worst-case official number of 8.3 l/100km combined, or a bit more than $8 per 100km. Not shabby.
The level of equipment is high, with Bluetooth, heated seats, automatic climate control, three 12-volt power outlets and auto-off headlights standard. At higher trim levels, you get dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, LaneWatch (camera shows you the lane immediately to your right) and proximity key with pushbutton start. Satellite radio is standard on EX-L Navi models and comes with a free three-month trial period.
As well, the interior design and execution wouldn’t look out of place on an upmarket Acura. It’s a pleasant place to be.
The HR-V is not a pocket-rocket, nor will its styling set the world on fire. What it is is what Hondas normally are: solid, reliable and relatively fun to drive. It’s another compact crossover, it could be argued, for drivers who don’t like crossovers.
Which, considering the success of others like it, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment