Honda HR-V Hatchback

1.5 eHEV Advance 5dr CVT [2024]

Honda’s compact HR-V crossover has long flown under the radar – in fact, you could even say it’s been almost forgettable over the years.

Honda has tried numerous design philosophies with it. Initially, it was a rather strange-looking SUV in the late-1990s. It blended practicality with affordability in a reasonably utilitarian-looking car, which the Japanese automaker hoped would appeal to beachgoers and the surfer scene.

This design was followed by a more rounded shape a few years later, incorporating a sloping roofline that took on the likes of the Nissan Juke. But, for many, it simply looked like an enlarged version of the Honda Civic at the time.

Neither design was particularly successful, so Honda returned to the drawing board again. It needed to because of the competition in this market segment. Anything perceived as second-rate just won't do.

Happily, the latest version of the HR-V has shown a lot more promise, and nearly a quarter of a century from the first one, this third-generation hybrid model has a more menacing and muscular, yet simpler and cleaner, design.

But is it any good? That is what we’re aiming to find out.