Upbeat Auto, Motors & More! AUTO DIGEST REVEIWS: 2016 Honda HR-V
Washougal, WA. ~ Honda has been the leader of the cross- overs and small SUV move- ment with the CR-V ranking as the best-seller for 2014 and ac- tually for the last decade. Now they are expanding their offer- ings with a new smaller cross- over, the 2016 Honda HR-V. Developed from Honda’s Global Compact Series plat- form, which is also basis for the highly regarded Honda Fit, the HR-V is no ordinary compact crossover; it comes to market
in an energetic, more luxurious personal cross- over form. With its coupe- inspired styling which even in- cludes hidden rear door handles (in the “C” pil- lar), the HR-V has a bold sculp- tured look with a dramatic
up- swept character lines.
The interior is almost strangely clean, with limited buttons and knobs. Two large glass panels on the center stack include the touch controls for nearly all the navigation, audio, climate and vehicle controls. We like the electronic parking brake and the redundant steering wheel buttons, but miss a few things like audio tuning and volume knobs. Soft touch surfaces are plentiful and add to the upscale look.
Designers have provided spa- cious storage spaces on either side of the console, with ad- ditional
space un- der the front of the con- sole with a power outlet and a couple of USB Ports. It is easy to pair your phone with the audio and com- munica- tion to use Bluetooth connectivity, HondaLink and other enhancements.
The interior is much more spacious than the exterior ad- vertises. Four adults sit com- fortably with plenty of head- room, and the middle rear seat is even a reasonable size for a
26 • UPBEAT TIMES • August 2015 By Barbara & Bill Schaffer •
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fi fth person. For people who compare numbers, the HR-V interior space is about fi ve cu-
charge for a LX with six-speed manual transmission and front- wheel drive to $26,720 for the EX-L Navi AWD. And there are vir- tually no op- tions. The LX and EX are available with the manual transmission and the CVT is an $800 option. AWD adds $1,250 and is only available with a CVT trans- mission.
A 141-hp
bic feet smaller than the CR-V. Cargo space is 24.3 cubic feet with the rear seat back in place. The 60/40 split Magic Seat™ back drops to a fl at surface by pulling one lever. That ex- pands cargo area
to 58.8
cubic feet with a very low load height thanks to the forward
placement of the fuel tank. The HR-V is available in
three trim levels: LX, EX and EX-L with Navi (navigation). Recently announced prices range from as low as $19,995, including the destination
1.8-liter four-cylinder en- gine powers the HR-V and most models have the CVT as the standard transmission. The Honda CVT is effi - cient and we like that this one has shift paddles simu- lating seven speeds, but we still pre- fer real gears.
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26 • August 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES
The 2016 Honda HR-V pro- vides responsive handling and acceleration. A full out 0 to 60 mph run takes 8.4 seconds according to buff magazine fi gures. This is not a racy car, but it’s fun to drive holding its own to provide sure-footing handling on corners with little body lean. Honda has mastered the electric power steering giv- ing the HR-V a precision feel with normal steering input ef- fort. Fuel economy is listed at 27 mpg city, 32 mpg highway with a combined of 29 mpg. We averaged 29.1 mpg. The available Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control Sys- tem drives the front wheels during normal conditions but adds power to the rear wheels on faster takeoff or when other ... continued on page 30
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