New Honda ZR-V Full Hybrid – An Enhanced Driving Experience.
Honda ZR-V Full Hybrid – An Enhanced Driving Experience.
The new Honda ZR-V is essentially a high-riding and reworked SUV version of the gorgeous Honda Civic, and it is a direct competitor to the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Tucson in the highly-competitive mid-size SUV market segment. With an overall length of 4568mm and ground clearance of 180mm, the ZR-V slots into the Honda SUV line-up between the smaller HR-V and the larger CR-V, with its fresh design making it distinctively different from its siblings. The ZR-V has been designed to appeal to the senses, with a bold and athletic form made real by its sculpted curves. Its inner strength and quality are elevated to give a powerful road presence, with wide wheels arches accentuating the sporty stance. An aerodynamic rear spoiler and twin exhausts add a touch of kinetic style, while the fluent and sleek finish is complimented by a choice of five exciting metallic and pearlescent paint colours. The ZR-V is available in three trim versions: Elegance, Sport and Advance.
Self-Charging Powertrain.
The beating heart of the ZR-V is the advanced e:HEV self-charging powertrain with its impressive performance, economy and three autonomous drive modes: Electric mode provides silent, instant power; Hybrid mode provides sporty responsiveness and long-range potential, while Engine mode seamlessly engages during sustained higher-speed cruising. The ZR-V uses a combination of electric motors and a petrol engine to create copious electric power, while a regenerative braking system returns waste energy to top-up the EV battery, allowing for dependable, dynamic electrification. The dominant role of the petrol engine is to act as a generator, which is mostly used to recharge the small battery that fuels the electric motor, which in turn drives the wheels for the majority of the time. As a result, when you are accelerating, you may very well be progressing silently on electric power alone, or you may hear the petrol engine seamlessly kick into life. If there isn’t enough power in the battery when you are on a motorway for example, the petrol engine will drive the wheels forward.
Test Car Details.
My ZR-V Elegance test car looked particularly attractive in its Radiant Red metallic paintwork and standard 18” alloy wheels with a gun metal paint finish. Key standard equipment in entry-level Elegance trim includes LED headlights with High Beam Support, LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, black fabric upholstery, body colour mirrors, rear-view camera, front & rear parking sensors, 2 x front USB ports, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, Honda CONNECT (with navigation, 9” touchscreen, AM/FM/DAB digital radio, and Apple CarPlay & Android Auto), along with Honda SENSING, which includes Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keeping Assist System and Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Following. Engineered with a sporty chassis, the ZR-V displays agile handling and a composed ride, while its dynamic stamina is combined with the advanced e:HEV powertrain, resulting in a rewarding and energetic driving experience on every journey. The full hybrid powertrain produces 182bhp (184PS) and 315Nm of torque, and this enables the car to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 7.8-seconds, on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 173km/h (where permitted). Adding further to the driving pleasure of the ZR-V are selectable drive modes. The default is the Normal mode, giving you all-round high performance, but drivers can also choose from Sport mode for increased dynamism, or Econ mode for increased efficiency. There is also a Snow mode, which changes the ZR-V’s set-up to provide the optimum drive in wintry conditions. I managed to achieve a combined fuel consumption figure of 5.7l/100km during my time with the car, and this is exactly the figure quoted by Honda on a WLTP combined driving cycle, so that in itself is very impressive. The ZR-V’s cabin is logically laid-out, with all of the major controls located within easy reach and exactly where you would expect to find them. The materials used throughout are all pleasant to the touch, and the comfortable seats provide plenty of lateral support. The honeycomb pattern on the air-vent strip across the dashboard looks great and the 9-inch colour touchscreen on top of the dash is crystal-sharp, with everything presented logically and clearly in front of the driver. The ZR-V’s 390-litre boot is actually slightly smaller than its Civic sibling, but by dropping the rear seats you have access to an impressive 1,322-litres of usable space.
Verdict, Price & Warranty.
The new Honda ZR-V is easy to drive, practical, spacious and impressively fuel efficient too. Its advanced e:HEV self-charging hybrid technology means that you can just drive normally and the car will sort out how to be as efficient as possible on every journey. It really is as simple as that. The new ZR-V e:HEV Elegance is priced from €54,995 (excluding delivery charges) with Sport and Advance versions priced from €57,595 and €59,995 (ex-delivery) respectively. The new ZR-V comes with a mechanical warranty for 3-years (or 100,000kms, whichever comes first), a 12-year corrosion warranty, and a 5-year/100,000km hybrid powertrain warranty as standard.
Visit www.honda.ie for further information.
