Honda HR-V review - Interior, design and technology

The previous HR-V model majored on practicality, offering lots of interior space and a huge boot which wouldn’t have looked out of place in the class above. Although still a reasonably versatile family car, the third-generation HR-V is focused on delivering decent efficiency, improved on-board tech and a little extra style in an attempt to stand out in the ultra-competitive small SUV market.

At first glance, the exterior design is certainly eye-catching, with cleaner lines than before and a sloping, coupe-like rear end – shown off particularly well if you go for the Premium Sunlight White Pearl paint option. The interior is equally impressive, with a high level of perceived quality; you wouldn’t call it minimalist, but everything feels smart and well organised.

Standard kit is generous, with all models featuring 18-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, LED auto headlights, adaptive cruise control and a 9.0-inch touchscreen with integrated sat-nav, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. Buyers also have the opportunity to personalise their HR-V by selecting one of three design packs: Sport, Obscura Black and Ilmenite Titanium, with each pack offering different exterior trim options.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

In essence, the HR-V’s infotainment system is closely related to the set-up used by the Honda e, albeit in a less extravagant form, featuring two displays rather than the uber-futuristic EV’s five. It’s a big improvement over the old car’s set-up, and stands up well to its main challengers.

The main menu page is arranged on a nine-inch screen with large, colour-coded tile icons for all of the major shortcuts, and there are physical home, back, track skip and volume controls to the side, too. The graphics aren’t quite as sharp as we’d like, nor are the loading times quite as quick, but it’s still a hard system to fault. The digital dials have a clear white-on-black design, but they could offer more customisation options.

Also included is the My Honda+ app, which can operate as a digital key, using Geo Fence tech to create an alert if the car leaves a specified area, and locate wherever it is parked.