By Brian Byrne
WITH the arrival of their new ZR-V on the Irish market, Honda is filling an SUV gap between the HR-V in various iterations and the large CR-V. In addition, the very recent launch of the latest HR-V, along with the introduction of the latest CR-V earlier in the year, means the brand’s whole line-up is arguably the freshest of any now available to the Irish motorist.
In its highly competitive compact segment arena, stylistically the exterior of the ZR-V has a softer look than most in the segment. That isn’t a negative, but suggests the design is there for the long haul and won’t date quickly. Close up, the detailing is very tidy and works well to create a relaxed but self-confident and quality impression.
Inside, that quality feeling is also very well executed in what many would regard as a very traditional manner. And you know what? That’s really nice. Circular driver information dials with appropriate digital speed readout if desired. A central touchscreen that is small by the sometimes gargantuan offerings in other brands and models — it is nice to read that this is deliberate by Honda, who say they want to minimise the distraction issue of screens and retain the use of proper switchgear for climate and other systems management. Those on-screen functions they do allow are simply and clearly placed.
If there’s one matter where they might improve things, it’s the selector for the automatic transmission, which is four buttons on the centre console, each a different size and action which I found confusing. A Stellantis-style switching, or a traditional stick selector would be much more preferable.
Seats are comfortable front and rear, the boot capacity at 380L is about average, you can get some 942L more with the back seats folded. There’s a sense of a really good build quality, which is reassuringly Honda, both sitting in the car and while on the road.
The other big Honda thing has always been its powertrain engineering, and Honda has now fully adopted hybrid powertrains across the range. In the ZR-V’s case, it is a 2.0 petrol engine and electric motor with a total 184hp output, a power-split system that seamlessly switches or merges ICE and EV to most efficiently power in the relevant driving load and conditions. The CVT automatic keeps everything very smooth. There’s a 0-100km/h potential of under eightseconds, which is slower than many of the pure battery electrics I’ve been driving in the last couple of years ... but it feels just right for the normal driving that virtually all owners in this class will do (speed-happy petrolheads are really just a tiny, tiny fraction of the motorist population).
All the foregoing said, the ride and handling are a good mix of comfort with agility where and when required — I do have a twisty local road where some of my review cars perform better on the push than do others. I’m of the view that comfort is more appreciated than tight handling, but the ZR-V won’t let anyone down in the latter context.
All the usual driver assist tech is onboard. The ubiquitous audio warnings are blessedly non-peremptory.
There is a view that Honda in Ireland tilts into the premium space, and the pricing does reflect that when compared to the prestige equivalents. Is the ZR-V worth the money that needs to be put down? Well, that will depend on the buyer’s own attitudes to premium badges as against soul appreciation.
