The all-new 2023 Honda ZR-V

Bridging the gap between the HR-V and the newly enlarged CR-V, the ZR-V is the latest Honda SUV to come with Honda's highly acclaimed e:HEV hybrid powertrain as standard. The clean yet powerful 2.0-litre, four-cylinder direct injection engine works in conjunction with two electric motors to provide the exhilarating performance more usually associated with sports hatchbacks. Revised for this model, it offers a unique blend of exceptional performance and efficiency across all road types, from motorways to country lanes.

Design

The front is dominated by a gloss black grille design comprising strong vertical bars on both Elegance and Advance grades, whilst Sport models receive a unique honeycomb shape finish.

Beneath the lights, the front bumper features a discrete vertical slot ahead of the front wheel, as part of the aerodynamic air curtain that reduces overall drag. Sport grades gain a revised bumper design with gloss black cladding around the air curtain inlet area.

Elegance grades feature a textured finish to the stylised lower body cladding wraps, includes the front and rear bumpers, side skirts and wheel arches, whilst Sport and Advance grades are finished in gloss black. Sport and Advance grades also benefit from dual exit exhaust, finished with highly polished chrome surrounds and a gun metal finished central under cladding element.

Customers can choose from five exterior colours at launch, including Diamond Dust Pearl, Ruse Black Metallic, Radiant Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, and Still Night Blue Pearl. The ZR-V range has 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, finished in Pewter Gray for Elegance and a Matt Berlina Black for Sport grades, while Advance grades offer a diamond cut and Berlina Black finish.

Comfort

The ZR-V offers drivers a hatchback-like driving experience, achieved by ensuring a low offset between the vehicle's heel and hip points, similar to the Civic e:HEV, to give a supported and comfortable posture, with a reassuring seating position. 50mm wider than the HR-V and 59mm lower than the CR-V, the ZR-V is compact yet spacious, offering a balance of capability, spaciousness, and versatility.

Honda's designers have prioritised the use of high-quality materials throughout the cabin, with soft-touch materials and tactile touch points. The wraparound dashboard and large centre console, alongside plush knee pads and arm rests, all combine to envelope occupants in premium comfort. A large nine-inch touchscreen sits in the centre of the dashboard.

The three-spoke steering wheel with a smooth leather finish, includes buttons for audio, phone and setting controls on the left spoke, and cruise control interface and vehicle information selector on the right. Advance grade gains a heated steering wheel. Genuine metal paddles are fitted to all grades and offer full control over the e:HEV's regenerative braking force.

For front seat passengers, Honda's body-stabilising seat structure offers additional lumbar and pelvis support to occupants for greater comfort. The seats incorporate a thick suspension mat with a wire and resin moulded structure, ergonomically designed to reduce driver and passenger fatigue. In the rear, the seats have been optimised to provide a relaxing seating posture for passengers.

Depending on grade, the seats are trimmed in either fabric, half, or full-leather with high-quality detailing and quilting. Elegance grade models receive smart black Mlange fabric seat trim, with a complex embossed pattern, complemented by detailing across the dashboard. Sport grade introduces a stylish synthetic leather and combi-tufted fabric mix - detailed with embroidered accents and vibrant silver detailing to the bolsters. Advance grade models introduce a seamless mix of synthetic and genuine perforated leather that features quilted details, all interspersed with a contrasting silver accent. Genuine leather lines the seat back and base for increased comfort, whilst a harder wearing synthetic adorns the bolsters to ensure a long lasting, premium finish.

Practicality

The ZR-V features a vast array of storage trays and pockets designed to make life easier for occupants. In the front, this includes two cup holders, a centre tray, which gains wireless mobile phone charging for Sport grades onwards, while the tall centre console incorporates storage areas for the driver and front passenger beneath the gear selector.

The rear cargo space features fold-flat seats, a load partition, retractable parcel cover and under floor storage. The ZR-V offers from 370 litres of cargo space at full passenger, 20% more than HR-V, and an additional 921 litres (1291L in total) by folding the rear seats down, while the low, wide boot aperture and flat cargo floor helps users when loading heavy items.

An automatic power tailgate is standard on the Sport grade and above, improving the ease of loading and unloading with both hands full. The system reacts to a kicking movement under the vehicle's rear bumper to the open the boot, while a walk-away function automatically closes, and locks it.

Innovative technology

Behind the steering wheel on Elegance and Sport grades sits a high-quality seven-inch TFT digital instrument binnacle, with an analogue speedometer. Advance grade models gain a fully digitised 10.2-inch TFT readout, designed to relay a multitude of data as clearly and concisely as possible.

A nine-inch touchscreen located atop the dashboard provides an instantaneous, display of key information such as the audio output, time and vehicle status. Everyday applications can be accessed via the ZR-V's touchscreen as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

Advance grades gain an all-new five-inch heads-up display (HUD) that is projected on to the inside of the windscreen and presents drivers with priority information such as speed, navigation, Honda SENSING features and incoming calls - all while maintaining their line of vision.

To ensure uninterrupted connectivity for all occupants, the ZR-V features five individual ports for charging mobile devices throughout the cabin.

For Elegance and Sport grades, an eight-speaker audio system is included as standard. The Advanced model benefits from an upgraded premium 12-speaker audio system - complete with a high-capacity sub-woofer - that was developed jointly with BOSE to fill the cabin with a realistic concert hall sound experience.

Efficiency

The ZR-V features an upgraded version of the twin electric motor system found in the Civic e:HEV, now producing a total power output of 135 kW and 315 Nm of torque, providing acceleration from standstill to 62 mph from just 7.8 seconds.

Despite the strong performance, the ZR-V also offers genuine real-world efficiency, where the updated e:HEV produces CO² emissions from 130 g/km (WLTP) and achieves fuel economy from just 5.7 L/100km (WLTP combined).

The full-hybrid powertrain combines a power-dense lithium-ion battery and two compact, powerful electric motors with a newly developed 2.0-litre direct-injection Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, shifting seamlessly between EV, Hybrid and Engine Drive:

• EV Drive - in urban environments the vehicle mostly runs in EV Drive, producing zero emissions.
• Hybrid Drive - when you require stronger acceleration, the car will switch to Hybrid Drive to propel the wheels via the powerful electric motor, with the internal combustion engine generating the required electric power.
• Engine Drive - at constant high speeds, the petrol engine will drive the wheels directly, assisted by the electric motor when necessary.

The engine has lower vibrations than in previous generations of the e:HEV system, enabling a smooth drive in every mode. Brake and deceleration energy is recuperated to improve the overall efficiency, resulting in remarkably low fuel consumption - particularly in stop and go traffic.

Using a drive selector, users can seamlessly switch between four drive modes: 'Normal', 'Sport', 'Eco' and 'Snow'. Sport mode sharpens throttle response and improves performance, while Eco adjusts throttle response to improve fuel efficiency. The new Snow mode tailors throttle response characteristics to suit driving on low friction surfaces to reduce the burden on drivers in difficult conditions.

Responsive handling

The all-new ZR-V inspires confidence, delivering impressive levels of grip and control in all driving situations and road conditions, from urban areas where responsive acceleration is required, to fast winding country routes where vehicle stability is key. With a chassis that is both light and rigid, plus a responsive hybrid powertrain, Honda's latest SUV delivers driving characteristics more akin to a sporty hatchback.

Sitting 59mm lower than the CR-V (on 18" tyres) and 50mm wider than the HR-V, the low and wide appearance is central to both the assured style and stance of the car, as well as the dynamic behaviour.

Multilink rear suspension and a floating subframe work together to deliver predictable and confidence-inspiring steering. Strategic use of ultra-high-tensile materials and structural adhesive offer additional levels of chassis rigidity to help deliver assured handling when cornering at speed, by significantly reducing body roll.

Safety

Honda's latest SUV offers high levels of safety for all occupants.

A combination of soft and rigid structural components, including a frame made of high tensile strength steel, form part of a body that provides exceptional front, rear and side collision protection. Strategic placement of high-tensile steels against softer steel ensures deformation paths direct energy away from occupants in the event of an accident.

There are 10 airbags, including a front centre airbag that prevents collisions between the driver and front passenger in the event of a side impact, and a knee airbag for front occupants.

The ZR-V is the latest vehicle to feature Honda's advanced suite of Honda SENSING technologies as standard, enhanced with Honda's latest camera and sonar technology. Honda SENSING is among the most comprehensive safety technology packages in its class, using camera information in conjunction with a host of high-tech sensors, to warn and assist the driver in potentially dangerous scenarios.

• Collision Mitigation Braking System, helps bring the car to a stop if the system determines that a collision is unavoidable.
• Road Departure Mitigation System alerts drivers when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use.
• Lane Keep Assist System reduces the driver effort by gently applying steering inputs to ensure the ZR-V doesn't leave its lane.
• Traffic Jam Assist technology is also available in low speed congested traffic, helping to keep the vehicle in its lane from 0 mph.
• Traffic Sign Recognition System now detects and automatically recognises over 90% of road signs and displays them on the instrument binnacle behind the steering wheel. The system also provides a pre-notification of signs to help prepare you earlier for junctions.
• Adaptive Driving Beam automatically switches from high beam to low beam when an oncoming vehicle, or a vehicle in front, is detected.
• The Auto High-Beam Headlights are activated through the front sensor, which automatically switches the headlights when driving at night or in poor conditions such as fog.
• Driver Attention Monitor feature helps drivers recognise when their attention to the road is becoming diminished.

More photos

ZR-V Sport

ZR-V Advance