Home Car 2023 Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX evaluation

2023 Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX evaluation

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2023 Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX evaluation

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What’s a ZR-V?

Honda was early to the SUV occasion with the HR-V and CR-V, however beside a short flirtation with an expensive BMW X5 rival within the mid-2000s it hasn’t actually expanded the vary past these two staples.

The ZR-V is right here to alter that. It sits between the small HR-V, which is simply a four-seater, and the larger new CR-V – and goes head-to-head with top-end variations of the Kia Seltos and Toyota Corolla Cross, and low-end variations of the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 in Australia.

Confused? Consider it as an SUV designed to be sufficiently small that it’s pleasant within the metropolis, however with sufficient house for small youngsters and all of the junk that comes with them. Beneath the pores and skin, a whole lot of the ZR-V bundle has been tailored from the Civic hatchback.

The 2023 Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX on take a look at right here is the most costly member within the vary, and the one hybrid possibility at launch.

How a lot does the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX price?

Pricing for the ZR-V kicks off at $40,200 drive-away, and extends to $54,900 drive-away for the e:HEV LX on take a look at.

Honda doesn’t do haggling or pricing variance between sellers, what you see is what you get with that determine – for higher or for worse.

The $54,900 drive-away sticker aligns the e:HEV with a range-topping Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos AWD Hybrid (~$55,000 drive-away). Different hybrid rivals are arduous to return by, though the Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid (~$54,000 drive-away) additionally shapes as a logical different.

2023 Honda ZR-V pricing:

  • Honda ZR-V VTi X: $40,200
  • Honda ZR-V VTi L: $43,200
  • Honda ZR-V VTi LX: $48,500
  • Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX: $54,900

All costs are drive-away

What’s the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX like on the within?

Honda is on a roll with its newest interiors. The ZR-V appears and feels high-end, and is stuffed with intelligent touches geared toward making life simpler for homeowners.

The motive force and passenger sit in plush leather-based seats with heating and electrical adjustment, and imaginative and prescient out is fairly good. The seats drop down good and low to accomodate taller drivers, however anybody chasing a traditional ‘commanding’ SUV driving place received’t wrestle to realize that.

A lot of what you contact and take a look at feels high-quality. The steering wheel is wrapped in comfortable leather-based, the elbow rests are generously padded, and the buttons and dials for the local weather management make a satisfying click on while you use them.

There are some tougher plastics current although. That is the most costly model of an in any other case comparatively inexpensive automotive, which shines by in locations.

Cupboard space is superb. There’s a wi-fi cellphone charger underneath the dashboard (that struggles with massive digicam bumps), twin cupholders underneath the sprint, and a giant, flat house underneath the transmission tunnel with two USB ports. The bin beneath the central armrest is very large, too.

Honda’s newest infotainment system is fashionable to have a look at, with crisp graphics and easy, slick menus. The maps lastly appear to be an OEM product quite than an aftermarket system, though the wi-fi smartphone mirroring means you may simply sidestep the inbuilt software program anyway.

Even the reversing digicam is sharp and vibrant, not like the foggy unit from the final automotive. Over-the-air updates imply the system will be up to date all through its life, too.

The straightforward driver’s show is clear and straightforward to grasp on the transfer, however lacks the performance on supply in Volkswagen Group merchandise. You’ll be able to’t get stay mapping, for instance.

Rear seat house is stable given the ZR-V isn’t fairly as massive as a RAV4 or CR-V. The big doorways open good and vast, making it simpler for adults to climb in – or for adults to load youngsters in – and legroom behind taller drivers is first rate for adults.

Twin USB-C ports and air vents are available, as is a fold-down central armrest. ISOFIX factors characteristic on the outboard rear seats, and in contrast to the four-seat HR-V the ZR-V has three top-tether factors.

The center top-tether is a ceiling-mounted one although, and the middle-rear seatbelt is ceiling mounted, quite than built-in into the seat.

Though the outboard rear seats are properly scalloped, any center seat occupants can be left excessive and dry on what’s a fairly slender, awkward seat. No less than the ground is generally flat.

The slim bottle holders within the doorways will turn out to be useful on longer journeys, and there are map pockets behind the entrance seats to stow books or iPads on lengthy drives.

The boot is hit-and-miss – with simply 370 litres of house, it’s one of many smallest within the class. It’ll nonetheless take a pram or golf golf equipment, however you may have much less house to play with round.

On the plus aspect although, it’s a really effectively thought-out house. The ground will be cut up in two to cease groceries sliding round, and the baggage cowl (which is a correct, stable unit) will be folded in half and saved underneath the ground quite than clogging up your storage.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

The e:HEV LX incorporates a 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid system with two electrical motors and an e-CVT. Whole system outputs are 135kW and 315Nm.

It’s front-wheel drive as normal, with no all-wheel drive possibility provided in Australia. Claimed gas economic system is 5.0 litres per 100km on the mixed cycle.

All fashions run on 91 RON common unleaded gas and have a 57L gas tank.

How does the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX drive?

Clean, quiet, and refined, the hybrid setup within the ZR-V is beautiful.

In some methods it’s fairly just like a Toyota hybrid. Prod the beginning button and also you usually get a “beep” to let you know the automotive is on, quite than an unpleasant flare of revs. Except it’s freezing chilly exterior, the petrol engine isn’t wanted on startup – as a substitute, the ZR-V pulls away on electrical energy.

Between standstill and round 40km/h the electrical motor does a lot of the work in day-to-day driving, and when the engine is required it fires quietly. Except you’re trying on the EV gentle within the instrument cluster it may be arduous to know which energy supply is doing the heavy lifting.

Coupled with gentle steering and a snug experience, the hybrid setup makes the ZR-V a stunning SUV to drive within the metropolis.

There’s barely any noise from the engine, and under 80km/h the cabin is properly insulated in opposition to wind and highway noise. Even on the 18-inch alloy wheels you get with LX variants, the ZR-V doesn’t crash and bash over metropolis potholes or pace bumps.

Imaginative and prescient out of the tall home windows is sweet in each route, making this a simple automotive to put in tight areas, and the swap from the previous camera-based blind-spot monitor to a lightweight within the exterior mirrors is a step ahead for Honda.

Hybrids aren’t recognized for being enjoyable to drive, however Honda programs buck that pattern. Put your foot down and the electrical motor and petrol engine workforce as much as ship a fairly spectacular shove within the again, full with faux gearshifts from the CVT automated.

Reasonably than an unpleasant, droney sensation while you need to go quick, the Honda feels glad to push arduous.

The steering is linear off centre, and there’s stable sufficient physique management that you would be able to drive the ZR-V like an outsized hatchback on attention-grabbing roads. It’s not fairly as nimble because the decrease, lighter Civic, however that is an SUV able to having a little bit of enjoyable.

At freeway speeds the ZR-V appears like a much bigger automotive. It’s properly settled over massive crests and dips, and Honda’s driver assists are all available to nudge you again between the white traces, or to take care of a niche with the automotive in entrance, with out feeling overbearing.

There’s sufficient punch from the hybrid powertrain to make overtaking a breeze on single-lane nation roads, however the lack of all-wheel drive can be a flip off for some. It’s potential to get the entrance wheels spinning off the mark within the metropolis when it’s moist, and in case you frequent the snow or areas with gravel roads all-wheel drive is useful.

There’s a little bit of highway roar from the tyres and wind rustle from the outsized mirrors at 100km/h on common Australian roads.

What do you get?

There are 4 variants within the ZR-V vary.

ZR-V VTi X highlights:

  • Adaptive LED headlights
  • Lively cornering lights
  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Hill descent management
  • 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
  • Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
  • Wired Android Auto
  • 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
  • 8-speaker sound system
  • Black cloth upholstery
  • Twin-zone local weather management
  • Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
  • Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
  • Upholstered centre console with French stitching
  • Entrance USB ports (1 x USB-A and 1 x USB-C)
  • Rear USB ports (2 x USB-C)
  • Rear air vents
  • House-saver spare wheel
  • 60/40 cut up/fold rear seats

ZR-V VTi L provides:

  • 18-inch alloy wheels
  • Heated exterior mirrors
  • Arms-free energy tailgate with walk-away closing
  • Rear privateness glass
  • Mixture LED tail lights
  • Black leatherette upholstery
  • Heated entrance seats
  • Steel paddle shifters
  • LED ambient lighting (roof)

ZR-V VTi LX provides:

  • 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels
  • Physique-coloured decrease bumpers and wheel arches
  • Selectable drive modes (Sport, Regular, Financial system)
  • 12-speaker Bose sound system
  • Wi-fi cellphone charger
  • Satellite tv for pc navigation
  • Black leather-based upholstery
  • Eight-way energy driver’s seat with reminiscence
  • 4-way energy passenger seat
  • Heated rear seats
  • Heated steering wheel
  • Sports activities pedals
  • ‘Door Line Illumination’
  • Auto-tilting mirrors in reverse
  • Plasmacluster air purification system

ZR-V e:HEV LX provides:

  • Sensible key card
  • Shift-by-wire gear selector
  • Tyre restore equipment (in lieu of space-saver spare)
  • Humidity sensor

Is the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX protected?

The Honda ZR-V has but to be examined by ANCAP.

Customary security gear consists of:

  • AEB incl. Pedestrian, Bicycle owner detection
  • Adaptive cruise management with low-speed comply with
  • Driver consideration monitoring
  • Site visitors Jam Help
  • Lane preserve help
  • Site visitors signal recognition
  • Entrance and rear parking sensors
  • Tyre stress monitoring
  • 11 airbags
    • Centre airbag
    • Entrance and rear aspect airbags
    • Full-length curtain airbags

VTi LX and above get blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a surround-view digicam.

How a lot does the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX price to run?

All Honda ZR-V fashions are backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.

Servicing is required each 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. The primary 5 companies are capped at $199 every.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX

The hybrid Honda ZR-V presents spectacular gas economic system and a fun-to-drive character.

Throw within the spacious, luxurious inside and cheap worth alongside its massive rivals from Toyota, and also you’ve received a fairly interesting new possibility in one of the crowded corners of Australia’s new automotive market.

Honda has been struggling to make an impression on the gross sales charts in Australia currently, because it transitions to a brand new enterprise mannequin, with a brand new pricing construction, and a brand new vary of automobiles.

The ZR-V could possibly be the catalyst for a little bit of a revival. Our largest grievance is that the e:HEV hybrid powertrain on take a look at isn’t obtainable in a less expensive mannequin variant – hopefully that modifications quickly.

Click on the photographs for the complete gallery

MORE: All the things Honda ZR-V



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