Topic: Preview: 2015 Honda HR-V

[Autos_Editor]

A logical "fit" in the Honda lineup?

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[EV-Light]

This is a very small engine for this vehicle...add in the extra weight + AWD and it will be lazy to get to 60mph.

[Fobroader]

This is a very small engine for this vehicle...add in the extra weight + AWD and it will be lazy to get to 60mph.

I agree....that little 1.5 coupled to an auto plus a heavier, awd wagon.....christ, break out the sundial for 0-100 times.

[isthatmybanana]

130 horsepower? Is that an error?

[ALin]

This is a very small engine for this vehicle...add in the extra weight + AWD and it will be lazy to get to 60mph.

I agree....that little 1.5 coupled to an auto plus a heavier, awd wagon.....christ, break out the sundial for 0-100 times.

It's hard to find a review of the Vezel that spends any time talking about the gasoline engine (there's a hybrid available in Japan, and that's the volume seller). For reference, the Juke offers 177/184/210 lb-ft of torque across its engine options, the Escape 170/184/270, Trax 148. The Fit gets 106. Mind you, the HR-V is going to be relatively light – the Japanese Vezel weighs 1180–1270 kg (may be heavier in NA due to additional safety requirements), while the Trax weighs 1363–1476. It's not going to break any speed records, that's for sure, but it should be adequate for short jaunts around town.

130 horsepower? Is that an error?

It's the Earth Dreams 1.5L (L15B), so it offers a bit more pep than the current 1.5L in the 2014 Fit. They already have this engine in the US, in the 2015 Fit (EPA estimates (L/100km city/hwy/combined): manual 8.1/6.4/7.4, CVT with paddle shifters 7.4/6.2/6.7, standard CVT 7.1/5.7/6.5).
EDIT: Corrected the transmission types in the EPA numbers

[lebowski]

....that little 1.5 coupled to an auto plus a heavier, awd wagon.....christ, break out the sundial for 0-100 times.

 

Also too bad it doesn't look more like the original - always liked that thing; sort of like an Evoque that, ya know, you could see out of 

[Vanstar]

This is a very small engine for this vehicle...add in the extra weight + AWD and it will be lazy to get to 60mph.

I don't get this "0-60" nonsense. This is a Japanese model and in Japan, getting to 60 mph at any time would take an act of god. Same goes here in Vancouver, I can't remember the last time I drove 100 km/h here. For what I do, this would make an excellent city car

Not all drivers, me included, need 400 hp. When gasoline is running $1.50 a litre, small engines make sense. Besides, anyone who wants 400 hp can go buy it, but I do not that cars like the Elantra and Civic much outnumber Mustang GT's.

[ALin]

By the way, sorry this preview got posted up late. I got distracted by the fact that, in Japan, the only "vehicle with trunk" that Honda offers is the Accord Hybrid. No Civic. No coupes whatsoever. I realize I'm late to the party since JDM sales of the Civic stopped in 2010. Still, it's not something you want to find out at 3am, halfway into a preview article while you're trying wade through some heavy Japanese autojourno-ese.

[hemusbull]

"it’s unlikely that the boost in performance will be justified by the increase in fuel consumption"...Hm...Even existing generation compare between Fit and Civic gives extremely small gas mileage advantage for Fit even though it is more functional but ...well, smaller. There is difficult to justify HR against CR in that regard, especially considering over all higher price brackets. Shortly talking - put 1.8 Civic engine or even the 2.0 L one from CSX on new HR-V! 

[Niklasky]

This HR-V kinda looks like a cross between the Hyundai Tucson and the Mazda CX-5.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I wonder if they'll put Fit-style 'magic' seats in the HR-V.  That would truly make it a versatile little cute-ute.

[Noto]

I can't remember the last time I drove 100 km/h here. For what I do, this would make an excellent city car

In some cases, a larger, more powerful engine, will be more fuel efficient than the opposite.  I think this will very much be the case here, where the engine is too weak and it will consistently be strained, using more fuel in the process.

I'd like to see Honda build 2 of these, one with the 1.5L and one with the 1.8L or a 2.0L (or even the 2.4L in the CRV).  Then, test them and see the fuel economy differences.

THEN, test them all in real world driving, and see.

The last gen I4 Rav4 used barely 1L/100km less than the V6 because the V6 was plenty of power that was seldom tapped into, and the I4 was always buzzing to keep up.

By the way, the HR-V looks like Honda followed Nissan's stupid V-motion styling.  I hate it.  HATE it.

[johngenx]

Honda takes on Subaru's XV.  The power will be fine.  The segment has a strong emphasis on economy.

[mixmanmash]

I like the look of this little ute.  HR-V Si anyone?  The K24 out of the Civic Si  would be a hoot in this thing.

[Vanstar]

I can't remember the last time I drove 100 km/h here. For what I do, this would make an excellent city car

In some cases, a larger, more powerful engine, will be more fuel efficient than the opposite.  I think this will very much be the case here, where the engine is too weak and it will consistently be strained, using more fuel in the process.

I'd like to see Honda build 2 of these, one with the 1.5L and one with the 1.8L or a 2.0L (or even the 2.4L in the CRV).  Then, test them and see the fuel economy differences.

THEN, test them all in real world driving, and see.

The last gen I4 Rav4 used barely 1L/100km less than the V6 because the V6 was plenty of power that was seldom tapped into, and the I4 was always buzzing to keep up.

By the way, the HR-V looks like Honda followed Nissan's stupid V-motion styling.  I hate it.  HATE it.

A gasoline engine is inherently most efficient at full throttle.

In Japan, and this is a Japanese model, any car over 1.5 litres pays punitive road tax rates, really absurdly high. Speed limits are low, even many expressways are 80 km/h and  there is vigourous enforcement . For a Japanese driver, 1.5 litres suits the bill perfectly.

[MKII]

A logical "fit" in the Honda lineup?

But it’s wading into treacherous waters with some very strong competition, not the least of which is its own stablemate, the Fit. Its most direct threats are the Chevrolet Trax, Ford Escape EcoSport, and Nissan Juke, which are all priced around $20,000. Once trim levels and options are factored in, that figure may float dangerously close to some larger crossovers, such as the Ford Equinox Escape, VW Tiguan, Toyota RAV4, and of course the CR-V

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Fixed 

[Noto]

Honda takes on Subaru's XV.  The power will be fine.  The segment has a strong emphasis on economy.

We're not talking similar power here to the XV...we're talking similar power to a Honda Fit.  Even the RVR has more power than this, and the Hyundai Tucson is a relative rocket in comparison.

In Japan, that engine makes sense.  Not here.  Not at all.  It'll suffer from low torque numbers to move the added heft of the HRV over the fit.

[EV-Light]

Honda takes on Subaru's XV.  The power will be fine.  The segment has a strong emphasis on economy.

We're not talking similar power here to the XV...we're talking similar power to a Honda Fit.  Even the RVR has more power than this, and the Hyundai Tucson is a relative rocket in comparison.

In Japan, that engine makes sense.  Not here.  Not at all.  It'll suffer from low torque numbers to move the added heft of the HRV over the fit.

0-60mph in 11s - LOL

this needs at least the 2.4 engine...the 1.8 from the Civic will also feel slow here, unless they give it a lot more torque.

[johngenx]

From the article:

Keep in mind the HR-V is being billed as an “Urban SUV”, so outright performance is being traded for better fuel economy and maneuverability. Also, the engine in question here is the new Earth Dreams 1.5L I4, which offers 130 hp @ 6,600 rpm and 114 lb-ft @ 4,600 rpm,

The Subaru XV has 148hp.

True the Honda is a little down compared to the Subaru, but I doubt many buyers would tell the difference.

[jyarkony]

Honda takes on Subaru's XV.  The power will be fine.  The segment has a strong emphasis on economy.

We're not talking similar power here to the XV...we're talking similar power to a Honda Fit.  Even the RVR has more power than this, and the Hyundai Tucson is a relative rocket in comparison.

In Japan, that engine makes sense.  Not here.  Not at all.  It'll suffer from low torque numbers to move the added heft of the HRV over the fit.

0-60mph in 11s - LOL

this needs at least the 2.4 engine...the 1.8 from the Civic will also feel slow here, unless they give it a lot more torque.

If they don't worry about the cr-v feeling fast, why bother here? Makes more business sense to go with the one engine for a Fit and HR-V produced at same facility. Honda and ToyotabRe both successful at selling the one-powertrain crossovers - there are other ways to attract customers than power... Magic Seats!