Honda HR-V vs Nissan Qashqai & Peugeot 3008 - pictures

Honda's new HR-V has joined the crowded crossover class. We find out if it has what it takes to topple our crossover of the year and the Peugeot 3008. 

For its first test, we've got the £24,295 HR-V in 1.5-litre i-VTEC EX spec, with a CVT gearbox. It produces 128bhp. 

On the road, initial impressions of the HR-V are largely positive, although the biggest niggle we had with the car was its CVT gearbox. It feels unresponsive and seems to take a lot of effort to deliver very little performance. At leas

Inside, the dash looks and feels the part, plus the driving position is quite low making it feel more like a conventional hatch. There's a distinctive instrument binnacle with 3D-effect speedo, plus the gloss-black centre console adds

There's plenty of space in the rear seats, but the panoramic sunroof on our car eats into headroom slightly. 

The HR-V has a 453-litre boot, and the rear seats can be folded completely flat from the rear of the car. The rear seat bases can also be flipped upwards so you can carry taller items in the footwells. 

The boot also features a false floor so you can store items out of sight of prying eyes. 

There's plenty of grip from the chassis in the bends, plus there's less body roll than the Nissan Qashqai. 

The Honda's steering is light and doesn't deliver much feedback, but it's no worse than the Nissan's and it feels nimble changing direction.

Distinctive row of three slender air vents cut across the passenger side of the dashboard. 

Bank of sockets in the recess behind the centre console features twin USBs, a 12V input and an HDMI connection. 

CVT gearbox feels unresponsive in the HR-V. You'd be better off opting for the slick six-speed manual. 

Front-end of the HR-V gets a large Honda badge surrounded by gloss-black grille. Angular headlamps with bright LED daytime running lights contribute to the Honda's sharp, angular look. 

Rear door handles are hidden in the C-pillar, and the rounded look can look a little awkward because of the size of the rear lights. 

Parcel shelf in the Honda feels a little flimsy, although the elasticated frame makes it easy to move out of the way.

The Nissan Qashqai is our current crossover champ, and here we test it in 1.2-litre DIG-T Tekna trim, coming in at £24,080. The car in our pictures is a lower-spec n-tec+ model, though. 

On the road, the Qashqai handles well and is refined, but the suspension doesn't iron out bumps as well as the HR-V's. 

The Qashqai's interior reflects the exterior's stylish looks. The gloss-black trim and colour displays look modern, but the infotainment touchscreen is on the small side. Build quality is good and the switchgear works well. 

Thanks to larger dimensions, there's more space on offer in the back of the Nissan than the HR-V, even with the panoramic sunroof. 

With the seats up, the Qashqai's loadbay weighs in at 430 litres, but this expands to an impressive 1,585 litres with the rear seats folded. 

Configurable boot floor is a clever practical touch, plus there's plenty of storage elsewhere in the cabin. 

In corners, the Qashqai rolls a little more than the HR-V, but there's still plenty of grip. It feels well balanced at most speeds, but the steering could do with a little more feedback. 

Infotainment screen is quite small, but it's easy to navigate and clear to use. 

You need to work the gears to get the best out of Nissan's 1.2-litre turbocharged engine. 

The Qashqai is a common sight on UK roads, but it still has a sharp look that helps it to stand out from the crowd. 

Overall, the Qashqai's proportions are well-judged and there's plenty of classy touches like the silver roof rails, large alloys, tinted windows and neat tail-lights. 

The 3008 is getting on a bit now, but Peugeot updated it in 2013 to keep it competitive. Here we test it in 1.2 PureTech Allure trim, coming in at £21,995.

The engine produces 128bhp which means it should have the run of the other cars here, but the extra weight of the 3008 means performance is slightly blunted. 

Despite its age, the interior of the 3008 still looks appealing, but some of the quality doesn't match up to that of some more recent models from the French brand. 

There's plenty of space for those in the rear, thanks to the 3008's boxy shape. Middle-seat occupants benefit from a flat floor, too. 

The boot comes in at 512 litres, which increases to 1,604 litres with the back seats folded. Drop-down tailgate makes reaching into the boot a bit of a chore.

Although the Peugeot is the most responsive car here and a useful cruiser on the motorway, its steering leaves a lot to be desired. The steering wheel suffers from plenty of kickback, too. 

3-cylinder PureTech petrol engine has a pleasing thrum that's not too intrusive, plus the raised suspension smooths out lumps and bumps well. 

Head-up display adds a modern touch to the 3008's well-equipped cabin.

Peugeot offers its £470 Grip Control system which adds all-weather tyres and a switchable traction control system which makes the car a bit more usable in all weather conditions.

The 3008 looks awkward from nearly every angle, with a mix of raised ride height, gaping grille and bulging bodywork.

Small wheels and silver trim on lower bumps contribute to the slab-sided look, plus the hunched glass and split tailgate complete the awkward mutation between crossover and MPV.