No it’s not a Vezel, it’s Honda’s HR-V RS 1.5L HEV! Grey imports don’t give you a 3-year Honda manufacturer warranty do they? On top of that, Stafford Motors is giving you 2-year warranty which includes free maintenance! Oh and the language of the infotainment system is English! Let’s dive into it further…
Driving Experience
Driving
the HR-V RS was smooth and nice. The 8-way power adjustable driving seat
was awesome, as it gave me the option of having a ‘taller’ driving position
which I prefer.
I quite liked the sportiness that SPORT mode gives you. When you do put your foot down, you hear that 1.5 litre engine, but when you aren’t driving as enthusiastically, the HR-V is quite silent. Don’t be fooled by the ‘paddle shifters’; they are actually for adjusting the regenerative braking levels! (yes, the HR-V RS is a hybrid).
Now I must say the low-profile tires which have a slim sidewall do remind you every now and again that some of the ‘rutty’ sections of the road demand for slightly thicker sidewalls. But it’s definitely a smooth ride overall on the generally okay roads that we have in Sri Lanka (I said, ‘generally’!).
Mech & Tech
Honda
(Vezel) and transmission… yes, most of us Sri Lankans worry about it as we have
heard some of the transmission related pain points of the previous generation
of Vezels. However, rest assured, the new HR-V uses an electronic CVT (eCVT) system
and not the DCT transmission which was known to cause a few problems in the
previous gen Vezel.
Now
that we are over the ‘elephant in the room’, I am going to talk about the
‘three eights’ which I spontaneously coined the term for during our RevMatch
video review. FIRST, the 8” infotainment system which is Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto compatible (and we are so glad it comes in English!). SECOND, it’s
got 8 airbags and finally, 8 speakers!
The HR-V RS is a 1.5 Hybrid (HEV) which puts out 130bhp and 250Nm of Torque. NORMAL, ECO and SPORT are Driving modes. Eco will give you extra regenerative braking and is ideal for city traffic conditions. Sport will be where to be if you like some spirited driving (which we did). However, in general, Normal mode is not a bad place to be!
We
have got USB ports up front and in the rear as well. Not to mention the most
important, wireless phone charging capability as well!
One of the key features of this HR-V is that you can ‘pre-cool’ the interior with a press (long press) of a button on the key fob, before even getting into the vehicle; a neat feature if your HR-V RS was parked in the sun and you wanted to get in! So this feature turns on the AC, but in case you were wondering, it does not activate any drive modes. This is a welcoming safety feature as well, especially if you have little kids who might mess with the drive mode selector while you are away!
Exterior
Sleek
and stylish is what I would call the Honda HR-V RS. The front facia gets
a grille that is different to most of the grey imports that come to Sri Lanka.
The stance of the HR-V is very nice. It is not ‘under-tired’ like some of the
new compact SUVs coming into the country. You also get 196mm of ground
clearance; more than enough for the occasional ‘rough’ terrain you might
encounter.
You have 5 colours to choose from; Silver/White, Black, Grey, Blue and Red. Our test vehicle looked rather nice in the dark grey paint job. Low-profile tires and stylish rims give the Honda HR-V RS that extra ‘flair’ I feel.
Interior
‘Machine
minimum, Man maximum’ is the design philosophy for the new Honda HR-V’ we are
told. And it shows. There’s loads of space inside (front and rear). The
interior option that you get is Black leather and it’s rather sporty. The front
two seats get the ‘RS’ badging embossed too. The subtle red lines on the door
panel reminds you that it’s an HR-V RS you are in.
Rear A/C vents are also a welcoming feature. Although the interior is fully-black, you get a sense of airiness when you open the shades covering the dual moonroofs that the HR-V offers. There’s a slight inconvenience when you need to do this manually I must say, but it’s not a deal-breaker!
Storage space
Trunk
space is decent at 304 liters, although I did not sit in there to check! With
the rear seats down, you get 1274 liters of storage space! A practical family
SUV, no doubt!
Storage space
Trunk
space is decent at 304 liters, although I did not sit in there to check! With
the rear seats down, you get 1274 liters of storage space! A practical family
SUV, no doubt!
Safety and ADAS features
You
get a host of safety and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that allow
you to drive (or ride) with comfort and confidence. What’s it called? It’s
called ‘Honda Safety Sensing’. This includes things like Lane watch which
activates when you indicate to the left for example, providing you with a
visual of your blind spot on the center screen. Also, the HR-V comes equipped
with Adaptive Cruise Control and 8 Airbags for yours and your
passengers’ safety.
Don’t forget to have a look at the linked video review on RevMatch SL where we talk more about these features!
Fuel Efficiency
Stafford
Motors, the authorized Agent for Honda tells us that the HR-V RS, will
do approximately 15km/l-18km/l in the city, and 25km/l-27km/l outstation. Now
isn’t that something for a stylish SUV that’s BRAND NEW!
Living with it
I
admire the new Honda HR-V for what it is. It’s stylish and practical. It gives
you the right amount of tech to make things easier on the road, loads of space
for added practicality and a sense of ‘peace’ as it is likely to maintain good
levels of secondhand value.
Price and Warranty
How
much for the top spec? it’s Rs. 21.5 million, and Stafford Motors tells
us that this is a special price! Now what I am most interested in is the fact
that you get a 3-year or 60,000km (whichever comes first) manufacturer warranty
from Honda itself and also 2-years of warranty from Stafford Motors for
maintenance. And yes, this means maintenance free!
Final Words
Yes,
you may not get all the tech that Chinese competitors offer at this price
point, but you do get what is more than sufficient for you and your passengers
to enjoy a nice and comfortable ride. Also, for those of you who still
prioritize every other vehicle manufacturer over Chinese ones, this is one
option to short list. It’s stylish, practical, economical, spacious and
Japanese! Oh yes, it also comes with 3-years of Honda manufacturer warranty;
so, need I explain more?
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