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Honda's second generation HR-V lifestyle crossover SUV revived an idea that was originally ahead of the game. Jonathan Crouch looks at the improved model.

Ten Second Review
This improved second generation Honda HR-V aims to stake a strong claim for the Japanese brand in the growing compact crossover market. It's a little pricier but more smarter, more spacious and better equipped than segment leaders like Nissan's Juke and Renault's Captur. Buyers choose from either a 1.5 petrol unit - now with a couple of output options - or a 1.6 diesel, both sending drive to the front wheels. It's Honda's idea of what a small SUV should be.

Background
The original Honda HR-V, launched in 1999, was the model that should have started the current seemingly insatiable craze for small Crossovers. But it didn't have either the marketing, the peppy handling or the visual pizzazz that would characterise the segment-defining Nissan Juke, launched eleven years later. That original HR-V - marketing as 'the Joy Machine' - was withdrawn from Honda's range in 2006 and, amazingly, not replaced. It was a wasted opportunity.

Driving Experience
The engine range is as it was, though Honda has improved the interior quietness and refinement of the HR-V by adding greater levels of insulating material around the car. Plus certain grades have Active Noise Cancellation which reduces low-frequency noise in the interior by monitoring for such noises using two in-cabin microphones, and then cancelling them out with precisely-timed 'reverse phase' audio signals through the speakers. As before, this model's available only in front-wheel drive guise.

The HR-V features a low centre of gravity, with the driver's hip point more akin to a conventional hatch than an SUV. The body is extremely rigid due to a high percentage of high-tensile steel, and this in turn helps isolate the suspension to do its job properly.

Design and Build
Honda reckons the MK2 model HR-V combines the 'personality of a coupe with the solid stance of an SUV' and they're not too far wrong. Think of it as a shrunken BMW X6 in appeal and you're not too far off the mark. The design is neat and interesting, with hidden rear door handles, deeply sculpted lower body panels and has been smartened up in this revised form. At the front, there's a sleeker interpretation of Honda's 'Solid Wing Face' graphic, with a re-styled high-gloss dark chrome panel and a revised front bumper with deeper air intake sections that house circular fog lights. The headlights now have projector lenses with re-designed LED daytime running lights. At the rear, a dark chrome garnish across the tailgate mirrors the trim at the front, and the rear lights sit within darker lens casings.

Market and Model
Pricing-wise, this HR-V is pitched at the higher end of the small Crossover sector - so against cars like the Mazda CX-3 and the Jeep Renegade rather than at models like the Nissan Juke and the Renault Captur. Prices start at around £20,000 for the entry-level 'S'-spec variant, rising to around £27,000 for the flagship 'EX' diesel model. There's an £1,800 premium to pay if you choose the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel rather than the 1.5 i-VTEC petrol unit.

As for safety, well comprehensive active safety systems combine data from radar sensors and forward and rear facing cameras.

Cost of Ownership
The i-VTEC engine has been enhanced by 'advanced plateau honing', that lowers the friction level between the pistons and the cylinder bores by creating an ultra-smooth surface. Its timing chain guides also feature a new friction-reducing coating, which further helps to reduce long-term wear and boost engine efficiency. Petrol buyers selecting this 130PS 1.5 litre i-VTEC powerplant can expect combined fuel economy of up to 42.8mpg and CO2 emissions from 148g/km. The 182PS 1.5-litre petrol model manages up to 42.2mpg and up to 151g/km of CO2. As for the 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel variant, well the combined cycle figure is up to 56.5mpg, with CO2 returns of up to 132mpg. All the figures quoted are WLTP-rated.

Summary
We like the HR-V. It's a touch more spacious than other cars in this class, with superior practicality you can really make the most of thanks to the brilliantly flexible 'Magic Seat' system that offers MPV-style interior flexibility. Alongside sophisticated design and class-leading safety, this set-up aims to justify premium pricing and if for you it does, then there's plenty else to like about this Honda. The brand won't import enough for it to become a mainstream choice but then this was never going to be a high volume model. It will instead appeal to those in search of the cleverest and classiest car of this kind. For these people, this car will, in Honda's own words, be 'precisely, pleasingly perfect'.


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