Honda HR-V

Prior to 2021, the Honda HR-V hadn't previously set the world alight.

The original version of 1999, dubbed by Honda the 'Joy Machine', was very much an outlier model - an oddball that back then appeared to be the answer to a question nobody had yet asked.

In hindsight, perhaps this was simply a car that was ahead of its time, let down by a lack of marketing and an absence of the visual pizzazz that would characterise the segment-defining Nissan Juke eleven years later.

It was a wasted opportunity, not least because when that original HR-V was withdrawn from sale in 2006, it wasn't replaced in Europe. By the time the successor model was eventually launched in 2015, the market had moved on dramatically and the small SUV/crossover segment was booming.

Yet even after a far-reaching update in 2019, sales were relatively modest, partly because the MK2 design lacked the overtly fashionable looks of trendier segment rivals; partly because Honda price-positioned that car towards the top end of the small SUV sector; and partly because production numbers were limited by the Mexican factory's priority to satisfy the American market. In the meantime, the segment had grown considerably, with almost every brand by 2021 offering a model in this sector.

There was by then more choice in how a small SUV or crossover could be propelled too: by this point in this class, diesel had become very much a niche option; customers were more likely to be choosing from petrol, mild hybrid, full-Hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

And this intensely competitive marketplace was where this third-generation Honda HR-V had to compete. But it did at least offer something different.

As is often the case with Honda, the HR-V brought its own formula - a full-Hybrid-only SUV with fresh looks and what was claimed to be one of the most family-friendly and flexible interiors from a larger-than-class-average bodyshell.

But it needed all these attributes because it was positioned at the upper price end of the segment.

This MK3 HR-V was updated at the end of 2024, but it's the 2021-2024-era pre-facelift versions of it we look at here.

Here's a car that's very much of the moment - a crossover-SUV that combines this genre's higher stance with a raked rear window and design details likely to appeal to many customers in the market for a small-ish SUV offering a reasonable combination of practicality and panache.

Although it shared its underpinnings and much of its engineering with Honda's Jazz supermini, the MK3 HR-V was, to all intents and purposes, a clean-sheet design.

The smartest volume brand model in the segment from this period? We'd subscribe to that view; you may not.

These things are subjective aren't they? If you're wondering why this Honda costs a little more than obvious rivals, get out your tape measure.

It's 110mm longer than a Renault Captur E-TECH 145, 135mm longer than the Hyundai Kona Hybrid and a full 160mm longer than the Toyota Yaris Cross. At the wheel, anyone switching from the previous generation HR-V will feel they've jumped forward a decade.

You might not mistake this for a premium brand model, but there's an impressive sense of calm and cohesion here, aided by the almost unbroken horizontal trim strip running across the front of the cabin, the centre of which is topped by a high-mounted 9-inch touchscreen.

Horizontal vents stretch across the fascia just above it, while lower down, it's unusual to note that there's no centre stack: in its place, an unusual swirling strip, chrome-plated above base trim, encircles the gear lever, with storage areas above and below.

Above entry-level trim, neat little vent controls at the corners of the dash offer a 'diffuse' setting, which promises to spread the air more evenly around the cabin.

As usual on a Honda, the driving position's exemplary and everything falls instantly to hand.

Looking through the steering wheel, there's an unusual combination of physical speedometer dial on the right and configurable information screen on the left.

There are no configurable screen styles or GPS mapping options - just a whole list of ways you can display information in the left hand virtual dial. In the rear, there's certainly plenty of leg room, helped by a lot of space between the floor and the bottom of the front seats.

In fact, there's 35mm more legroom than the previous HR-V provided, and the seats themselves are nicely contoured, though not super-supportive.

The outer two positions are of course very much the preferred place to be - anyone seated in the middle will find themselves perched on a rather flat and raised cushion and reaching for belts integrated into the ceiling, though at least they'll have some leg space because of the flat floor and the positioning of the centre console. These rear seats don't slide or recline - but they are of Honda's 'Magic' variety, so feature the brand's party trick folding mechanism.

That means the seat base can be flipped up towards the back of the car, cinema-seat-style, enabling taller objects - such as an electrical item or that tall plant you've purchased from the garden centre - to be carried behind the rear seats. Finally, let's consider the boot.

If you remember the body length dimensions we mentioned earlier, you'll be expecting it to be segment-leading, so it comes as a bit of a surprise to find that the tailgate (power-operated above entry-level trim) rises to reveal one of the smaller trunks in the sector - 319-litres in size.

At least the opening is wide and deep and the lip's pleasingly low, which should make is easy to move heavier or bulkier items in and out.

It's a shame Honda didn't include either a ski hatch or a 40:20:40 seat back-split; as a result, if you've a couple of rear passengers, longer items will have to go on the roof. To drop the 60:40-split rear backrest, you'll probably have to go round to the side to operate the catches.

Still, at least there, you'll be able to better appreciate the other advantage of that 'Magic Seat' folding mechanism we mentioned earlier.

This neatly cantilevers the seat base when it folds so that you get a completely flat load area - though still not a very large one, the 987-litre figure 200-300-litres down on some rivals.

In short, that useful seat flexibility costs you a little in capacity, but Honda owners will usually tell you that the trade-off in usability is well worth it.

Prices for this MK3 post-2021-era HR-V Hybrid start at around £20,000 (around £22,250 retail), which gets you a '21-plate 'Elegance'-spec model.

On a mid-'23-plate, values for that variant rise to around £22,600 (around £25,000 retail).

A plusher 'Advance'-spec model values from around £20,900 on a '21-plate (around £23,250 retail), with values rising to around £23,500 (around £25,750 retail) for a mid-'23-plate model.

All quoted values are sourced through industry experts cap hpi.

Click here for a free valuation.

Not a lot goes wrong with any third generation HR-V and we've had no reported problems with the Hybrid drivetrain.

Buyers are, on the whole, a contented lot if customer satisfaction surveys are anything to go by.

However, we did come across a few issues.

One owner complained of a range of warning lights suddenly illuminating on the instrument screen; the car needed a full software update.

Check the workings of the central infotainment screen thoroughly, including mapping and Bluetooth-pairing.

Check the interior for signs of damage from unruly kids.

And inspect the alloy wheels for kerbing damage.

Otherwise, it's only a case of insisting on a fully stamped-up service book.

(based on a 2021 HR-V e:HEV - ex VAT - autodoc.co.uk): A front brake pad set is about £21-£99 - its between £20-£40 at the rear for brake pads.

An oil filter is in the £4-£36 bracket.

A pollen filter is around £5-£20.

A wiper blade is around £4-£20, while an air filter is in the £8-£60 bracket.

A water pump is in the £201-£422 bracket.

A thermostat is in the £20-£40 bracket.

It's fairly clear from the get-go that this is a car for pragmatism rather than performance - though that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable in its own way.

Quite a few of the ingredients actually work very well, the highlight being ride quality, aided by sophisticated suspension bolted to a more rigid platform.

In fact, the way this car cossets you over poorer surfaces might easily sell you on it, the ride being soft but well-damped, the whole set-up supple enough to easily absorb bumps while controlling body roll through corners.

The vague steering won't encourage you to push very hard through those turns, but should you do so, you'll find plenty of traction and some of the feel of a larger, more expensive SUV. But what you're really going to need to get used to if you're to choose this car is the way its rather unique petrol engine works - a self-charging Hybrid of the full-fat sort.

Honda calls it an 'e:HEV' and it comes in one variety only, with CVT auto gearbox and front wheel-drive.

It's the same 1.5-litre four cylinder twin electric motor powerplant we've already seen in Honda's Jazz supermini but here, to cover off the HR-V's extra weight, there's a bigger battery (1kWh as opposed to 0.86kWh) and power is boosted by 21PS to 131PS. You can't plug it in, but battery power is certainly in play far more of the time than is usual in a self-charging Hybrid.

The engine only actually drives the wheels when full power is needed and even then, it usually gets some electrical assistance.

Otherwise, its role is to drive a generator that keeps the battery topped up so that the electric motors can supply forward motion to the front axle.

That ought to maximise efficiency - and does, though lighter full-Hybrid sector rivals can better the official figures quoted here: 67.3mpg on the combined cycle and 122g/km of CO2. In theory, more time spent in EV motion ought also to mean a quieter drive.

And, sure enough, when being driven very gently, the HR-V is indeed quiet, smooth and pleasantly responsive, with just a gentle hum from the electric motors.

Flex your right foot to even a modest extent though and the peace is very definitely broken with a cattle-like 'moo' which frequently cuts in and out and which you would tire of very quickly if you were to continue to drive in this manner.

As a result, if the slow-moving urban jungle isn't your natural habitat, we'd suggest a very long test drive before you sign on the dotted line.

But if it is, this Honda's an admirable tool for school run suburbia - and very much a sign of the times in its segment.

We suspect that this MK3 HR-V will either seem perfectly suited to you or oddly compromised.

If you're looking for an easy-going companion that delivers a high degree of comfort and efficiency above that of conventionally powered alternatives, this could be the car for you.

However, you'll have to be just as easy-going, as demands for acceleration introduce a level of noise that's a stark contrast to the sophisticated, calm cabin and impressive ride quality. Still, there are compensations, primarily that clever 'Magic Seat' system which allows you to carry tall items you'd have to either lay flat or leave at home with rival SUVs.

That makes up for the surprisingly small boot, some scratchy elements of cabin trim and efficiency figures that though frugal, aren't quite as good as we'd hoped and lag a little behind rivals. For all that though, quite a few will see this Honda as a smarter choice, both in the driveway and in terms of its concept cleverness.

The brand never sold enough of these MK3 HR-Vs 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 most versatile car of this kind.

High fashion's all very well, but its charms tend to fade.

We think that the appeal of this Honda is less likely to.