2021 Honda HR-V review: RS

You won't be able to pick a 2021 Honda HR-V from a 2020 or 2019 model from the outside. No, it still looks identical to the updated model released at the end of 2018.

But Honda's small SUV has undergone major changes. It's inside. And this applies to the touch screen. We'll get to that shortly, but first we need to look at the market in which the HR-V competes.

It competes against the likes of the VW T-Cross - you can see how it performs in our comparison here - and it also competes against the all-new Nissan Juke, the still-very-new Kia Seltos, and the freshly updated Skoda Karoq. All of these vehicles are either new generation models or are within a few years of their local launch.

Honda XP-V? Well, he first debuted here back in 2014. So he's old. Like, very old for a small SUV. The only cars older than it in their segment are the Nissan Qashqai and Mitsubishi ASX.

This means that he begins to feel his age. Has this latest update, which adds some youthful tech to the package, the botox he needs right now? Read on to find out.

2020 Honda HR-V: RS
Safety Rating
engine's type	1.8L
fuel type	Regular unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	6.7l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$27,100

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 7/10

Prices for the entire 2021 HR-V range have gone up — each model is at least $500 more expensive than the 2020 model it replaces.

LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED fog lights and LED taillights are standard on the RS.

There are four more options to choose from: VTi (MSRP $25,490 - up to $500); VTi-S (MSRP $29,140 $1150 - up to $32,490); RS (MSRP $500 - up to $35,740); VTi-LX (Suggested retail price $1150K - up to $XNUMX).

You can read our previous review if you want a detailed list of standard equipment across the entire Honda HR-V lineup, but the RS is the option this review focuses on, so let's see what you get for your money. 

The RS has a unique styling package with 18-inch alloy wheels (more on that below), as well as standard LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED fog lights, LED taillights, keyless entry with start button, rear privacy glass, badges RS, automatic rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights. 

The interior features leather-trimmed seats with manually adjustable front seats, heated front seats, single-zone climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddles, black headlining, sports pedals and - RS version only - variable ratio steering. More on this in the driving section.

The big change for the 2021 HR-V is a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The big change in the 2021 HR-V is the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is the same size as before but doesn't offer owners smartphone mirroring technology. This means you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, even though the existing sat nav has been removed. And in the VTi-S, RS, and VTi-LX, you still get Honda's LaneWatch blind-spot camera system. Learn more about enabling security and disadvantages in the section below.

Do colors (or colors) matter to you? Unfortunately, we don't have the beautiful green, purple and brown options that other markets have. And the good news about choosing paint is that neither color will cost you extra money. 

There are quite a few to choose from, including: Passion Red Pearlescent, Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic, Taffeta White (VTi only), Platinum White Pearlescent, Lunar Silver Metallic (as shown here), Modern Steel Gray Metallic, and Crystal Black Metallic (not available on VTi). Buy an RS model? You can choose Phoenix Orange Pearlescent, but this shade is not available in any other grade.

Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10

The Honda HR-V is the most thoughtful compact SUV you can buy. It's amazing how much space the engineers managed to squeeze out of a car of this size.

Dimensions are 4360 mm long (with a wheelbase of 2610 mm), 1790 mm wide and 1605 mm high.

The dimensions are 4360mm long (on a 2610mm wheelbase), 1790mm wide and 1605mm high, placing it at the top of the "small SUV" segment along with the likes of the Qashqai and ASX. But it beats those two and more when it comes to cabin space. We'll get back to more details in the next section, but just know that there's more to it than you'd expect.

Appearance HR-V? Well, it's starting to look a little dated, and that's no surprise after seven years on the market.

The HR-V is starting to look a bit dated after seven years on the market. 

The game has certainly moved quickly in recent times, with some competitors offering more outlandish and distinctive designs - like the Toyota C-HR and the upcoming Yaris Cross, not to mention cars like the Hyundai Kona and the all-new Nissan Juke. .

But if you like the HR-V and the RS tickles your curiosity, it's because it's a bit different from the rest of the lineup.

The RS gets a body kit with black accents around the wheel arches, lower front and rear bumpers, side skirts and mirror caps. The section under the "black chrome" grille has a honeycomb texture, plus it has dark chrome front door handles, dark chrome rear license plate trim, and rides on the biggest wheels in the HR-V package - 18-inch wheels with Dunlop Enasave 225 rubber/ 50/18.

How practical is the interior space? 9/10

As mentioned above, the HR-V is a pragmatic machine. If you're the type of person who loves the idea of ​​a tiny house, you'll love the HR-V. 

This is because his small body contains a lot of smart abilities. I mean, basically, the 60:40 rear Magic Seats. They're almost like a witchcraft, allowing you to raise the seat bases in that division or together, while the seatbacks can also be dropped all the way down, providing a huge amount of storage space if you have longer items to carry around.

I'm talking about 1462L (VDA) with the rear seats folded down, or the still excellent 437L (VDA) for its class with the rear seats in the upright, maximum reclined position. This figure is at the level of the parcel shelf, although the standard trunk lid is actually a folding mesh partition. If necessary, you can order an additional hard trunk lid for the cargo area.

The boot easily accommodates all three Cars Guide suitcases (124 l, 95 l and 36 l) with seats in place, and there really was too much space. Speaking of the spare, there is a spare tire under the boot floor to save space. 

Indeed, the HR-V's trunk and rear seat is why you're buying this car. It is incredibly practical and very roomy. In the back row, with the driver's seat set up for my fit (I'm 182 cm or 6'0"), I had enough room to sit for hours. There's plenty of room for knees, toes, and shoulder room, and while there's plenty of headroom, those who are taller will have to make sure their head gets in or out of the car, as the roofline slopes down a bit.

Rear amenities include dual card pockets and oddly shaped door pockets that are difficult to fit a bottle into. There is no center armrest or cup holders, but there is a bottle holder in front of the middle rear seat, which is also where you'll find a 12-volt outlet, but unfortunately no USB ports, as many competitors now offer.

The materials are really nice, with padded trim on the doors and padded elbows, all of which make the HR-V's rear seat feel a bit more special than most competitors.

At the front, the dashboard design has stood the test of time, although even with the new multimedia screen, it's not as modern as many of its competitors. The screen itself is placed at a slightly odd angle, which meant that driving at night saw a reflection on the windshield next to the rear view mirror.

The HR-V's rear seats feel a bit more special than most rivals.

The screen itself is also not the best quality. The display is oddly fuzzy and not as high resolution as, say, the VW T-Cross screen. It looks a bit washed out as you can see in the images. 

The on-screen menus are fairly easy to learn, but the lack of a volume knob for quick adjustments is annoying. Also, you cannot change the sound settings (bass, treble, equalizer, etc.) when the smartphone is connected via USB. This must be done when you are not connected to a network, which means you may be setting the wrong options for what you end up listening to.

There are door pockets suitable for bottle holders and center tiered cup holders, as well as a small covered basket on the center console.

It's annoying. And you know what else was annoying? That our test car's screen didn't switch to Android Auto mode when we plugged in an Android phone. We tried several times but couldn't get it to work.

So while adding a new screen does upgrade the HR-V in terms of phone mirroring technology, you could probably do better by choosing an aftermarket head unit and installing it. If you were to buy a used HR-V and do that, you would save big money too. 

The cabin is otherwise pretty good up front, with door pockets to fit bottle holders, central tiered cup holders (which can be turned into bottle holders if needed), and a small, enclosed bin on the center console. There is no room in front of the gear selector for your phone or wallet, but there is a shelf below the selector that is a bit out of sight and out of mind and would fit in a purse. 

The cockpit is pretty good up front.

There are also USB ports - one for the screen (fortunately, the old screen had a USB port, because of which the cable did not get tangled), the other for recharging devices. There is also a 12 volt outlet.

The pixelated monochrome digital driver display doesn't have a digital speedometer, and it's just another element that dates the HR-V's cockpit. But if you can ignore those little things, this is a very practical car.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 6/10

There is no news here. It's the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 105 kW (at 6500 rpm) and 172 Nm of torque (at 4300 rpm). These numbers are low for the class.

The engine is paired with an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) and is front-wheel drive (FWD/2WD). Other markets are getting a six-speed manual, and there are all-wheel-drive (AWD) models around the world, but they were never available here.

It's still the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine.

There is no hybrid model either, despite being offered worldwide. However, there is no plug-in hybrid or electric model in this generation.

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How much fuel does it consume? 8/10

The fuel consumption of the HR-V range ranges from 6.6 l/100 km to 6.9 l/100 km depending on the variant. The official combined fuel consumption for the Honda HR-V RS is 6.7 liters per 100 kilometers. 

On the test, I saw a return of 7.4L/100km, which is in line with a long-term Honda HR-V RS I've had for six months. It's decent.

The fuel consumption of the HR-V range ranges from 6.6 l/100 km to 6.9 l/100 km depending on the variant.

The fuel tank capacity is 50 liters, which is quite a lot for a car of this size. The theoretical range for a full tank is 675 km based on my actual fuel consumption experience.

What is it like to drive? 7/10

So you buy the RS model because it's supposed to be more fun. It looks the part, and the RS badges and 18-inch wheels mean it's a bit more popular than the rest of the HR-V lineup.

Unfortunately, for the most part, this is a case of smoke and mirrors. 

The 1.8-liter engine and CVT isn't the most pleasant combination, and the transmission - while offering ample power for a car of this size that weighs in at a relatively light 1294kg in RS spec - is actually pretty boring.

You can put the gearbox in 'S' for 'sport' mode and that will mean it spins a little harder and retains its momentum at higher revs. But really, it's not that sporty. You can also take matters into your own hands by using the paddles, but even that isn't a "real" shift as the CVT can slur between "shifts".

The steering is the most fun part of the recipe.

At city speeds in the city, the power unit is in order. Just good - not fun. On the open road, it remains the same. There's enough power to overtake slower-moving traffic, although it's unlikely to tempt you to push the limits.

steering, however. This is the most interesting part of the recipe. Honda fitted the HR-V RS with a variable ratio steering rack that just makes it respond a little quicker and feel sharper when you change direction.

The steering itself isn't overly complex in terms of steering feel, but it's quick to respond and corners well enough. The Dunlop tires provide reasonably good traction, and it's a fairly well-balanced car in corners.

The suspension hasn't changed between the "regular" HR-Vs and the RS model, though those big alloy wheels and low-profile tires can make the ride a bit bumpy and bumpy, especially on the front axle over bumps. 

When the surface below is smooth, the ride is quite acceptable. It's just that when you hit a sharp spot or a sharp edge, things get a little nasty. And in areas with large rubble, the penetration of road noise is also noticeable - not deafening, but certainly not as quiet as on concrete freeways.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

5 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 6/10

The Honda HR-V received the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2015, but times have changed quite a bit since then in terms of expectations for safety technology in new vehicles.

Thus, HR-V is in many ways inferior to its competitors. Admittedly, it has a low-speed automatic emergency braking (AEB) system that works at speeds between 5 and 32 km/h, but it does not detect pedestrians or cyclists.

There's also no lane-keep assist, no traditional blind-spot monitoring (models from VTi-S and up have Honda's own LaneWatch camera system for the passenger side), no rear cross-traffic alert, no rear AEB, and no adaptive cruise control.

In 2015, the HR-V received the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, but times have changed and it falls short of its competitors in many ways.

On the top-of-the-line VTi-LX you get automatic high beams, lane departure warning and forward collision warning, but I don't understand why Honda didn't bring this technology to the other variants to at least give the HR-V a shot. in the lower grades. 

All HR-Vs have a rearview camera, and VTi-S and above also have rear parking sensors. The VTi-LX also adds front parking sensors.

Where is the Honda HR-V made? It's made in Thailand.

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 7/10

The Honda HR-V has a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty plan that is paired with a 10-year, limited-price service plan. 

Service intervals are set at 12 months/10,000 km, so if you drive a lot, you may need to have your vehicle serviced more than once a year. At the very least, the maintenance cost is low and averages $310 per year for the first three years.

Unlike some competitors, Honda doesn't yet offer a pre-purchase service plan, so you can't just include the cost of ownership in your monthly car payment.

The brand also doesn't offer free roadside assistance like many others do. You can get it as part of the Premium Roadside Assist option, which is included in the Value Added Extended Warranty Plan (seven years/unlimited mileage).

Verdict

If you want a small SUV that packs a lot of space, then the Honda HR-V is the best option on the market. It cannot be beaten for overall practicality in a small area. 

But it's really starting to lag behind its rivals in terms of safety, engine excellence, and it's starting to feel old on the inside, too. Yes, the new screen gave it a welcome shot in the arm, but the HR-V needs more than a facelift to stay relevant amid a seemingly endless list of impressive newcomers to the class.