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If you're not fully on the SUV bandwagon, you're running behind the pack in the Australian new vehicle market.
It's a fact Honda knows all too well, and it's new five-seat ZR-V, due to arrive here before the end of 2023, is designed to increase the brand's appeal with SUV-hungry buyers.
And the new mid-sizer has come into sharper focus thanks to fresh details confirmed overnight with Honda releasing the full US specification for the car that will be sold as the HR-V in that market.
Honda Australia has told CarsGuide it “will have an all-new SUV model joining the Honda line-up in the next 12-18 months”, and given the company has trademarked the ZR-V nameplate locally, expect to see the ZR-V here in the second half of next year.
The fresh five-seater measures close to 4.6 metres end-to-end, a little over 1.8m wide, and a fraction over 1.6m tall, which places it between the existing HR-V and local CR-V models, and in the same ballpark as Mazda’s CX-5 and the Toyota RAV4.
In terms of design, the exterior extends Honda’s increasingly angular approach, with sharp creases defining the bonnet and hard character lines chiselled into the car’s flanks. Standard alloy wheels vary by model grade from 17- to 18-inch diameter.
The interior adopts a relatively conservative look and feel, with simple soft-form shapes and a combination of on-screen and physical dial/button controls.
In America, power is provided by a 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 118kW at 6500rm and 187Nm at 4200rpm, with drive going to either the front, or all for wheels, via a CVT auto.
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Although Honda Australia remains tight-lipped on local details, it’s odds-on to follow European spec which is likely to pick up the Civic’s more powerful and flexible 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four (131kW/240Nm), and ‘e:HEV’ hybrid (135kW/315Nm) powertrains.
That adoption becomes even more likely given the ZR-V rides on the current-gen Civic’s global FE platform, featuring strut front and multi-link rear suspension as well as a rigid aluminium subframe.
US models feature three driving modes - ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’, and ‘Snow’, the latter adjusting drive ratios and throttle mapping to optimise traction in slippery conditions. Eco reduces throttle and transmission sensitivity, as well as air conditioning output to optimise fuel efficiency.
In a pointer to local spec, the US car features LED headlights and tail-lights as standard, as well as a 7.0-inch configurable digital instrument cluster (alongside a separate analogue speedo), plus a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen in lower grades, and a 9.0-inch HD unit in upper variants. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is also included.
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For safety, the ZR-V incorporates Honda's ‘Advanced Compatibility Engineering’ architecture, which it says has been designed to meet present and anticipated future collision standards.
You can also expect the full suite of ‘Honda Sensing’ active safety tech, including ‘Forward Collision Warning’, AEB, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Passive safety is also well taken care of with 10 airbags including rear passenger side and driver and front passenger knee bags.
The new ZR-V also introduces what Honda is calling ‘Body Stabilising Seats’ designed to hold their occupants securely while reducing fatigue and enhancing comfort.
Boot space is also impressive at 691 litres, increasing to a whopping 1560 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.
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Honda Australia says it will confirm pricing and spec details closer to the car’s launch, but there’s no doubt the ZR-V’s positioning will be critical for the brand in our SUV-rich market.
Adding a much needed third SUV line it will compete with the likes of Mazda’s evergreen CX-5 and Toyota’s all-conquering RAV4, which both range from the low-$30K to mid-$50K bracket.
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