The ZR-V – first UK deliveries of which begin in September – also shares much of its technical make-up with the Civic. In Europe, Honda is offering it exclusively with the same hybrid powertrain.
The naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine produces 141bhp, but it mainly serves to spin a generator and either power the 181bhp electric motor or buffer the energy in the 1.05kWh battery. Most of the time, the engine doesn’t drive the wheels directly, but at a motorway cruise, a clutch in the transaxle can close to connect the engine to the front wheels through an overdrive gear.
Because the engine isn’t physically connected to the wheels most of the time, the software can make it do whatever it wants, so at lighter loads, the engine could be doing anything. It could be off, it could be pretending it’s connected to either a CVT or an eight-speed automatic gearbox, or it could be holding a set number of revs to charge the battery.
That’s all familiar from the latest Civic. Where the ZR-V is different is inside, but only a little. Much of it is Civic as well. The dashboard has the same design, featuring a horizontal strip of air vents, and the clicky buttons for the climate control are as welcome as ever. The 9.0in touchscreen for the infotainment isn’t the crispest and its sat-nav system isn’t especially clear, but the shortcut buttons and wireless smartphone mirroring mean it’s largely pleasant to use.
Generally, the materials have had a gentle uplift compared with the Civic, with more soft-touch stuff on the doors and a more sculpted centre console with storage underneath. (Unlike with the Civic, there won’t be a manual version of the ZR-V sold anywhere in the world, so no space needs to be reserved for a shift linkage.)
The ZR-V also has metal paddles (used in this case for swapping brake regeneration levels), which is a first in a Honda since the iconic NSX. Now that’s some pub trivia
Yet, despite the nice interior, one thing does stick out as odd: the driving position. It’s the same as in the Civic, just slightly higher. The Civic sits you low, with your legs outstretched, in a comfortable seat with a good amount of adjustment. That’s great for a hatchback, but a lot of people buy SUVs for the slightly more upright seating position, so it feels a bit as if the ZR-V is trying to please the people who prefer a hatchback anyway. This could be a big strength for some buyers, but also a negative for others.