Review: Honda RU5.I HR-V (2015-18)

Overview

Released in Australia in February 2015, the Honda RU5 HR-V was a compact SUV. Manufactured in Thailand, the front-wheel drive Honda HR-V was powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). As per the table below, the HR-V range consisted of VTi, VT-S and VTi-L variants.

From 1 July 2017, the Honda RU5 HR-V was sold with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty; if the vehicle was used for commercial purposes, however, the warranty was limited to five years or 140,000 kilometres, whichever came first.

R18A1 engine

The Honda HR-V was powered by Honda’s 1.8-litre R18A1 four-cylinder petrol engine which had an aluminium-alloy block and cylinder head, ‘plateau honed’ cylinder bores (a two-stage machining process), a steel crankshaft, cracked connecting rods, a single overhead camshaft (chain-driven), four valves per cylinder, lightweight aluminium pistons with molybdenum coating, a variable length intake manifold, drive-by-wire throttle control and a compression ratio of 10.6:1.

The R18A1 engine also featured Honda’s i-VTEC (Intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) system which used two distinct camshaft profiles to vary intake valve timing and lift for low RPM (1200-3500 rpm) and high RPM (5200-7000 rpm) operations.

Under the combined ADR 81/02 test, fuel consumption for the HR-V range from 6.6 litres per 100 km for the VTi and 6.9 litres per 100 km for the other variants.

Honda RU5.I HR-V specifications
Variant	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
VTi, VTi-S, VTi-L, VTi-L ADAS	1.8-litre R18A1 petrol I4	CVT	105 kW at 6500 rpm	172 Nm at 4300 rpm

Dimensions

The Honda HR-V was 4294 mm long, 1772 mm wide, 1605 mm tall and had a 2610 mm long wheelbase. Inside, the HR-V was fitted with Honda’s 60/40 split and folding ‘Magic Seats’ which could be folded up or down to provide 18 different configurations. With the rear seats folded down, cargo space was 1032 litres.

Steering and suspension

The Honda HR-V had MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear suspension. Furthermore, the Honda HR-V had rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Honda HR-V included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

The Honda HR-V VTi-S and VTi-L were further equipped with:

City-Brake Active System (CTBA): operating at speeds between 5 and 32 km/h, CTBA used a radar sensor located in the rear view mirror to monitor the road ahead. If a potential collision was identified, the driver would initially receive visual and audible warnings. If the driver failed to respond, autonomous braking would be applied to avoid or mitigate the severity of a collision; and,
Honda’s ‘LaneWatch’ blind spot monitoring: used an integrated camera in the passenger-side mirror for an 80 degree view of the left lane of traffic. The system, however, did not monitor traffic in the lane to the driver’s right.

As an extra-cost option, the HR-V VTi-L could be specified with Honda’s ‘Advanced Driver Assist System’ (ADAS) which included:

Forward Collision Warning (FCW): operating at speeds above 15 km/h, FCW used a camera located in the windscreen to monitor the traffic ahead. If FCW detected that the vehicle was rapidly approaching a vehicle ahead, a visual warning would appear in the Multi-Information Display and a warning tone would sound;
Lane Departure Warning (LDW): monitored lane markings to determine if the driver had unintentionally drifted from their lane. If this occurred, visual and audible warnings would be issued. LDW, however, could be overridden by using the indicators and/or applying brake pressure; and,
High-Beam Support System (HSS): operating at speeds above 40 km/h, HSS automatically switched between low beam and high beam headlights according to whether oncoming traffic was detected.

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the Honda HR-V received a five star safety rating which included an 86 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 79 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the frontal offset test, protection of the driver’s head, thighs and feet were rated as good, though chest and lower leg protection were rated as adequate (i.e. a slight risk of serious injury). Maximum points, however, were awarded in the side impact and pole tests.

Features: Honda HR-V VTi

Standard features for the Honda HR-V VTi included 16-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 R16 95H tyres, Honda’s ‘Display Audio’ system with a seven-inch colour touchscreen, CD player, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod/HDMI), Bluetooth connectivity mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, black cloth trim, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, a reversing camera with parking guidelines, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking, power front windows, power mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, a height adjustable driver’s seat, an electric parking brake, a 12 volt power socket (front console), tyre pressure monitoring, illuminated vanity mirrors, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

In addition the features described above, Honda’s ‘Display Audio’ system included HDMI audio and video playback and Siri Eyes Free Integration (for compatible iPhones).

Features: Honda HR-V VTi-S

The Honda HR-V VTi-S was further equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/55 R17 94V tyres, front fog lights, LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a proximity key (Honda’s ‘Smart entry’), push-button start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob, proximity key (for keyless entry), additional 12 volt power sockets (in the rear and cargo areas), an auto-dipping door mirror on reverse, push-button start, roof rails and an alarm.

Features: Honda HR-V VTi-L

The Honda HR-V VTi-L was distinguished by its dual-zone climate control air conditioning, black leather seat trim, heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, steering wheel gearshift paddles, power folding door mirrors, power rear windows, an electrochromatic rear view mirror, a retractable panoramic roof, rear privacy glass and rear centre arm rest. For the VTi-L, the steering wheel gearshift paddles enabled the driver to select from seven pre-set ratios for the CVT.

2015 Honda HR-V Limited Edition

Released in September 2015, the Honda HR-V Limited Edition was based on the VTi-S variant but further equipped with leather-appointed seats (included some non-leather material in high-impact areas), heated front seats and rear parking sensors. Visually, the HR-V Limited Edition could be identified by its front and rear ‘aero’ bumpers, side steps and ‘Limited Edition’ badge. As standard, the HR-V Limited Edition had metallic or pearlescent paint finishes.

2016 Honda HR-V Limited Edition

The Honda HR-V Limited Edition returned in August 2016. Based on the HR-V VTi, the 2016 Honda HR-V Limited Edition added 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, rear parking sensors and side steps.

May 2017 update

In May 2017, Australian deliveries of the ‘2017 year model’ (17YM) Honda HR-V commenced. For these models, standard features were extended to include satellite navigation.

2017 Honda HR-V Limited Edition

In June 2017, the Honda HR-V Limited Edition was released. Based on the HR-V VTi, the HR-V Limited Edition added 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, proximity key (i.e. keyless entry), push-button start, side steps and roof rails.

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