The New Honda HR-V (2015)

The Honda HR-V is set to arrive this summer, and will go head to head against the likes of the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.

There will be a choice at launch of a 1.6 litre i-DTEC (120 PS) diesel unit or a new 1.5 litre i-VTEC (130 PS) petrol engine. In the UK the HR-V will be front wheel drive only via a six speed manual transmission with the option of a CVT transmission for the petrol.

Versatility is key to the success of the HR-V so Honda have implemented 60:40 split Magic Seats, which can be configured in a number of ways, including a ‘Utility' mode where the rear seats fold forward to create a long flat floor, or the ‘Tall’ mode where the rear seat base is locked in to a vertical position to leave space from floor to ceiling. In the ‘Long' mode the front and rear passenger seat backs are folded forward to the horizontal position.

The boot ranges in size from 453 litres with the seats up to 1026 litres to the window line with the rear seats folded down, this compares to the Jukes’ 354/1189 litres.

On the safety front City Brake will be standard across the range with Advanced Driver Assist Systems standard on Sport and Executive trim levels. The ADAS package comprises Intelligent Speed Assist, City Brake Active Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition system, and High-beam Support System.

As you would expect the HR-V comes with the latest technology, from the Sport model on, a seven-inch Honda Connect touchscreen interface is fitted, the base ‘Comfort’ model has a five-inch screen.

Honda Connect system can connect smartphones and other multimedia devices through MirrorLink, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB. It also allows you to view vehicle data including a trip meter, fuel economy and journey time.

The Connect interface offers a familiar smartphone style user interface under the android operating system. This allows access to internet-based services including web browsing, real-time traffic, news and weather, social media, and internet music stations. There is the option of Garmin based navigation.

Although Honda are tight lipped about prices, the closest rival, the Nissan Juke starts at a little under £14,000 for its entry level model, so we would expect prices to be competitive.