2016 Honda HR-V is What We Have Been Waiting For?
2016 Honda HR-V Crossover is finally here! It was fully revealed at the Ls Angeles Auto Show after being premiered as a prototype in Paris this September. The car will be arriving in dealerships early next year, when it will enter the crossover market. The small SUV features dynamic and refined exterior, shows great performance as well as fuel economy. Interior spaciousness and cabin versatility are other two qualities worth mentioning.
The unique platform design of the vehicle features center-mounted fuel tank and reconfigurable second-row "Magic Seat", delivering 100.1 cu. ft. of passenger volume (LX) and 58.8 cu. ft. of cargo volume with the second row seats down.
The "face" of the HR-V features the typical design. However, when I saw the sides of the car, I immediately thought about the CR-V. Actually, it looks like a smaller version of Honda's emblematic SUV with its dynamic appearance and sporty, solid stance. An element which I liked very much and which is taken from the Civic is the concealed rear door handles. So the designers managed to great a great combination of some of the best Honda designs here.
Inside, the interior is spacious enough and features soft-touch materials and details such as the bezels, stitch lines and brushed chrome and piano black highlights. The three-meter driver's instrument cluster immediately grabs the attention with the "floating" illumination rings and brand's ECO Assist feature. The speedometer illumination changes from white to green depending on the fuel efficiency of the car.
2016 HR-V is driven by the updated 1.8-liter SOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with i-VTEC valvetrain. It generates 138 horsepower (102 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 172 Nm (127 lb.-ft.) of torque at 4,300 rpm. The unit is coupled with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Honda "G-design" shift logic, or can be linked to a slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission in the 2WD models. The all-wheel-drive drivetrain configuration features company's Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System.
Safety performance is ensured thanks to the addition of the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) front body structure as well as the standard four-channel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Brake Assist and Hill Start Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control, an Expanded View Driver's Mirror, a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera, dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, driver and front passenger SmartVent side airbags and side-curtain airbags and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
Speaking about standard equipment we should mention the power windows, power mirrors and power door and tailgate locks, electronic parking brake, rearview camera, aluminum-alloy wheels, tilt and telescoping steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface and Pandora radio. They come in all three HR-V trims: LX, EX and EX-L.
Depending on the trim level, the crossover might get 7-inch touchscreen Display Audio telematics interface, Honda LaneWatch, Smart Entry/Push-Button Start, paddle shifters, SiriusXM radio, HD Radio and Honda Digital Traffic, heated front seats, a power sunroof, embedded navigation and leather trim.
| 2016 HR-V Key Packaging Specifications | |
| Wheelbase, in. | 102.8 |
| Length, in. | 169.1 |
| Width, in. | 69.8 |
| Height, in. | 63.2 |
| Passenger volume, cu. ft. | 100.1 (LX), 96.1 (EX, EX-L) |
| Cargo volume, cu. ft. | 24.3 rear seats up 58.8 rear seats down |
| Seating capacity | 5 |
Source: Honda
