Is the 2023 Honda HR-V e:Hev hybrid better than the Petrol HR-V?

Well, it could hardly be worse.

The Extra Bits:

The extra trim and a natty lecky drivetrain go part way to making up for the shortcomings of the poverty-stricken sister.

The exterior has a blue hew haloing the H badge on the grille. There are other hints of the part-batterified bits secreted within, but at 45 grand, I fancy something prettier, with more get-up-and-go.

The ECVT includes paddles shifters, but the elastic band feeling is still front and centre. There Is blind spot monitor, an omission from the base car that is simply unforgiveable, and a handy handsfree tailgate that extends the walk-away locking to closing the hatch as well. For reasons known only to Honda, you need to press the handsfree close/lock each time the tailgate opens. Great minds signed off on this, and I want their names.

Although the look is still the same inside, there is a softer side to the hybrid. The window sills and dash fascia have soft padded finishes, there is seat heating, and another knob for passenger side climate control.

Those in back have a couple of USB sockets and the air vents to make them feel a little less like they’re riding in a barn find.

Again, it feels like one has been treating HR-V with matron’s stern hand, but the thing cost $45,000, no ifs, buts, or maybes, and for that I want more.

Wireless CarPlay is nice, and the hybrid has an extra couple of speakers, making a world of difference to the sound.

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ABOVE: 2023 Honda HR-V e:HEV L Hybrid

The drive:

Starting the HR-V e:HEV is uneventful with the EV in e:HEV being the main player. Honda claims 2.9L/100k but the best we managed was 5L/100k, even though we used the flow metre on the dash like a video game, trying to keep the motor going, or simply coasting, not using power. Either way, engine off is the main aim.

It became a sport, and was strangely satisfying.

Oh, and a word of warning, before offering mates a lift to the boozer, remember HR-V is a 4-seater. I’m accustomed to offering all and sundry a lift. Leaving a punter to make his way on Shanks’ Pony could be disastrous, or satisfying, depending on the state of his disposition.

Steering is as per the dinosaur-powered version, as is the ride. Handling feels quite sharp despite the torsion bar back end. It gets a bit squiffy meeting bumps in corners, but is generally quite the good-time girl. She changes direction quickly, but the acceleration requires a calendar. 10.7 seconds feels like forever, so you have little chance of picking up at the traffic lights unless the boy-racer is in a clapped-out Laser.

There is another side of the coin, and that is that some folk buy a car merely on name alone. They care not for such things as a weekend frolic. All they want is reliable transport to and fro. A CVT is then irrelevant, and warp 10 cornering matters not a jot.

Conclusion:

Unlike the truly superb Civic, HR-V falls short of the feeling of what the price should offer. Civic feel classy and elegant, with a cabin that is tasteful yet sturdy. Although the base models are not offered here, it feels like a quality offering from a quality car maker. HR-V does not.

Don’t get me wrong, the hybrid is streets ahead of the petrol HR-V, but short of having no wheels, a rust-ridden corpse, and rat-eaten carpets, that wouldn’t be hard. As I said of the petrol HR-V, the HR-V e:HEV is a great car, for a car costing 10 grand less.

There are only places for 4 bums, and finally, no AWD offering. Toyota’s CRV hybrid is $6,000 cheaper, Yaris Cross hybrid is $5,000 cheaper, with AWD hybrid models even cheaper than the range topper. You can even get the larger Corolla Cross hybrid cheaper. For a little more, AWD models can be had. All of those are 5 seaters, and the Corolla Hybrid has 146kw/190Nm for good measure.

Put simply, Honda is asking punters to pay more, for less.

2023 Honda HR-V e:HEV L