When the Honda Civic first puttered onto Canadian roads, it had the place pretty much all to itself.
Cute as it may have been, that original Civic was the pointy end of a wedge, the harbinger of an invasion.
Forty years later, Honda will sell you everything from a lawnmower to a streetfighter motorcycle to a passenger jet. And, as they're still most absolutely a car company, they'll happily sell you this, a compact crossover.
If the Civic's front-wheeldrive layout was relatively innovative (a fuel-sipping Japanese Mini? Great!), then the HR-V isn't really a standout. The compact crossover market is a relatively cramped one, filled with everything from the surprisingly good Buick Encore to the sporty little Mazda CX-3. Unlike the Civic, the HR-V's got competition, and lots of it.
However, once we get to the end of this sales year, you should probably expect this newest Honda to have equalled the success of Canadian favourites like the Accord, the CR-V, and yes, the Civic. It's a lot bigger than the first Hondas to hit our shores, but the HR-V still has some of that same magic.
Design
"Compact crossover" being a bit of a mouthful, many pundits choose to refer to this new growing market segment as the "cute-ute" brigade. Thing is, the HR-V isn't all that cute.
If the original Fit was a bug-eyed wonder, and that long-ago Civic downright adorable, the HR-V is somewhat plain. It's got a proud H-badge out front, black plastic fender surrounds, and a curvy roofline, but mostly, this is a very conservative shape. Even anonymous.
Moving up a couple of trim levels adds a little chrome brightwork to the HR-V's exterior, and all models come with 17-inch alloy wheels, but the available colour palette is a little bland. Frankly, this is just Honda understanding their customers very well: the biggest criticism to be levelled at the HR-V is that it looks like a smaller CR-V, and that's a good thing. It's not so much what Honda's littlest crossover looks like, as what you can do with it.
Environment
The HR-V is underpinned by the compact Fit platform, although both stretched and widened. It's 230 millimetres longer and 70 mm wider than the Fit, and as a result has even more space.
For anyone who's experienced the surprising flexibility of Honda's aptlynamed subcompact, that's a very good thing. The HR-V gets the same clever folding rear seats as the Fit, and a trunk space that swells from 688 litres to 1,665 litres. The flip-up seat bottoms make carrying taller objects upright easy, and the low load floor should find favour with dog owners.
As interesting and sensible as the HR-V's cargo solutions are, its infotainment is something more of a mixed bag. Top-level cars come with touchscreen controls for many functions, including the replacement of a volume knob with a fiddly touchslider instead. The entry-level HR-V is actually the better option here as it has more analogue controls, but navigation-equipped models can be frustrating.
Having said that, the layout and material quality of the HR-V does seem a cut above the Fit, and not much of a downgrade from the larger CR-V. A little more in-cabin storage space would be nice, but overall the HR-V qualifies as very practical.
Performance
While overseas markets make do with an HR-V powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine you find in the Fit, Canadian customers get the stouter 1.8-litre four-cylinder out of the Honda Civic. As we've got a tendency to load up our crossover with all sort of gear (mountain bikes, kayaks, poutine, moose pelts), that's probably a good thing.
However, even with the larger engine producing 141 h.p. at 6,500 r.p.m., the HR-V is no pocket rocket. You'll see why when you glance at the torque rating: just 127 footpounds at 4,300 r.p.m. Add in a CVT, the only transmission option available for all-wheel-drive models, and acceleration can be pretty leisurely. However, the HR-V doesn't feel slow, not exactly. Like all Hondas, the modest torque figure belies a willingness to zip up into the higher end of the rev range for passing. It's at least adequate to the task, and maybe even zippy. Additionally, if you can live without the all-wheel-drive option, Honda will still sell you a manual transmission version, which livens things up a bit.
Thanks to a higher ride height, the HR-V isn't really a corner-carver. Those who have fond memories of the old double-wishbone suspension you got in Civics of yore won't find much joy here. However, it is again perfectly adequate to the task, and the ride quality is very good. Road noise at speed is well muted for such a small car.
There are sportier options for a cute-ute, but once again the HR-V ticks those boxes that might be of more use in the real world: practicality, smoothness, and quiet.
Features
The base LX HR-V might be the pick of the litter, equipped as it is with all the power options, heated seats, USB connectivity, and the easier-to-use analogue controls. Moving up the LX model nets you goodies like Honda's clever passengerside blind-spot camera. The top-level EX-L Navi (as-tested, a little less than $30,000 before freight), adds navigation, leather seats, and driver assists like forward collision warning.
Fuel economy, generally a strength with Honda products, is very good. Official figures rate 7.2 (litres/100 kilometres) on the highway for CVT and AWD cars, and 8.8 in the city. Even if you've got to rev the HR-V up from time to time, real-world economy seems easily repeatable.
Green light
Flexible, efficient cargo space; well-optioned base model; available manual transmission.
Stop sign
Very reserved styling; pricey top model; sedate handling.
The checkered flag
An ultra-practical hatchback runabout with good fuel economy - sound familiar?
Competition
Mazda CX-3 ($20,695): Practicality might soothe the travails of the day-to-day, but sometimes you need a little something to stir the soul. Mazda's CX-3 is just as efficient as the HR-V, but trades a little of that cargohauling nature for a zippier ride.
Consider it the spiritual ancestor of the Protege5. While it's neither as good at people-or stuff-hauling as the Honda, the Mazda is more fun than any front-wheel-drive crossover has a right to be (and you can get it with allwheel drive too).
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