Back to Page 1: Introduction and Interior

Driving Experience 

The base model HR-V falls a bit flat here. It’s not a bad car to drive and features above average sound insulation along with good high speed stability, but the dynamic experience is lacking.

As an appliance type car it excels, but it’s not very quick accelerating from a standstill. You might think that it’s not important for a family car, but quick bursts of speed is an essential component for slipping quickly and safely between gaps in traffic when driving in Singapore.

When something like a base model Skoda Octavia can punch through the 0-100km/h in just 8.5 seconds, the more than 11 seconds that many Japanese cars take to do the same seem slow in comparison these days.

The continuously variable transmission is good at helping keep fuel economy at a respectable figure however, and we recorded 6.5l/100km on average after about 200km of driving in mixed conditions. Accelerating hard will result in the usual four-cylinder engine drone while the car gains speed, but it’s still a smooth engine that doesn’t chatter excessively.

The 118 horsepower total keeps the car within the Category A COE in Singapore which in theory will keep its price as low as it can reasonably be these days, but one does wonder how much more engaging the car will be with a more powerful engine.

Suspension setup is still good though, and the car tracks smoothly through corners and rides over rough roads very well. 

Another big plus point is that the car comes equipped with the Honda Sensing suite, the brand’s name for its active safety systems. Lane keeping assist, lead car departure notification, road departure mitigation, and collision mitigation braking come fitted as standard even on the base model.

The HR-V’s big brother seats seven and is also well kitted-out with safety features

Competition and Pricing

The previous-generation HR-V in all forms was an exceptionally strong seller in Singapore, but the driving landscape has changed since then. Rising petrol prices, the push towards electrification, and reduced COE quotas have really put pressure on the middle class buying public, which the HR-V is targeted right at.

Smaller cars like the Kia Sonet and Kia Stonic are being looked into by many shoppers more out of practical necessity than choice, as the Honda HR-V used to occupy a lower price point when COE prices weren’t as extreme as they are now.

Higher up the price scale there are urban SUVs like Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross, and continental offerings like the Skoda Kamiq are within shouting range if you’re able to spend a little more.

Conclusion
Is the Honda HR-V still a relevant competitor now? Brand loyalists and consumers who love the familiarity of the HR-V will still line up for one, and on the whole it’s a spacious, well-developed product but it’s becoming more of an appliance vehicle in the same vein as a Toyota Corolla Altis than cutting-edge exciting. 

The hybrid variant, which is due to go on sale here shortly, might be friendlier at the petrol station but will cost more up front, and be not very much quicker on the move. We’ll reserve judgement on that until the car arrives.

Honda HR-V 1.5 DX

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