Honda ZR-V

In the Indian market, Honda has been selling mass-market products for quite some time now and while they are often considered reliable, value-for-money, and mechanically sound, they lack the premiumness and feeling of aspiration that are now becoming the trends. So, to make the people see that Honda can also make such upmarket cars, the Honda ZR-V has been brought to India with all its bells and whistles, and apart from being placed as a premium and driver-oriented product, its success can also open doors for other premium Honda cars available globally.

In the Indian market, it rivals with the compact and mid-size SUVs like the Kia Seltos and Tata Harrier based on its size, however, its high price puts it in the price range of more premium SUVs like the Jeep Meridian and Skoda Kodiaq. We recently got our hands on the ZR-V and drove it for a short time at Buddh International Circuit to see if it delivers on the promise of being an enthusiastic family SUV.

The ZR-V is definitely not a looker. There are no sharp design elements that convey its sporty nature, no connected lighting elements to keep up with the trends, and no boxy styling to show ruggedness. But, its simple and sober design language still makes it look sophisticated and that’s how most Japanese cars usually look – simple. However, it can still turn heads, thanks to its fascia. You get creases on the bonnet that merge into the nose, the LED headlamps are rounded-off but sleek, you get slim L-shaped DRLs, there’s a slim bumper, and air dams on the sides for aerodynamic efficiency.

But some people can easily draw parallels with another car or another brand when they look at the shape and the design of the grille. Still, it looks aggressive, and as a standalone car, the face has nothing to complain about.

On the sides, you get a fairly simple design, but the sloping roofline and the coupe-style rear end does make it look a little sporty.

The cladding under the doors are the wheel arches are slim, staying away from any ruggedness, but the 18-inch alloy wheels seem a size smaller and 19- or 20-inch ones would’ve looked better.

The rear end is also as simple as the rest of the SUV. No connected lighting elements, instead you get wrap around LED DRLs, a roof mounted spoiler, a slightly thick bumper, and dual exhaust tips to add to the sportiness.

In terms of colour options, you get four exterior shades: Twilight Mist Black Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, and Platinum White Metallic.

Design & Quality

Inside the ZR-V you get an all-black cabin which due to its single-tone and dark theme might look dull to some. Still, the design is worth noting for its curved and sophisticated look. The dashboard is all-black with some contrasting white stitching and a chrome strip that runs from the far left AC vent to the centre ones.

There is a free floating touchscreen at the centre, a black strip with small hexagonal elements running across the dashboard, and below the AC console is a curved central tunnel that stretches till the rear AC vents.

In terms of quality you’ll find it to be very upmarket. You get leatherette seats, soft touch padding on the doors and dashboard, smooth plastic elements, and solid and tactile feeling buttons and knobs across the cabin (including the ones for climate control). You also get ambient lighting on the doors for additional contrast in the cabin.

Front Seats

To sit on the front seats of the ZR-V, you first need to get inside, and it does not take much effort. Since the ZR-V is not so tall, you can easily slide inside the car rather than lifting your knee too high which can be difficult for elders. You just need to duck a little or you can hit your head on the roof.

Once inside, you get front seats that offer 8-way power adjustment for the driver and 4-way for the front passenger, both offer good headroom, the contours keep you in place, and the underthigh support is also enough.

The driver also gets tilt and telescopic adjustment in the steering wheel making it easier to find the ideal driving position.

Rear Seats

In the back seat of the ZR-V there is good space for two passengers, but not three. You get a good amount of headroom, the kneeroom is acceptable, the side supports are thick and keep you locked in, and the only thing that needs to be better is the underthigh support, which is less than what’s needed for an average sized adult.

There is also a centre armrest which allows you to sit even more comfortably and in a more relaxed manner during long drives. But, when it comes to three passengers in the back, things change.

Due to the width of the car and the shape of the seats, the middle passenger will struggle with shoulder room and will have to sit upright. This, with the lack of underthigh support can easily make long drives uncomfortable, especially for the middle passenger. Also, while the rear passengers do get adjustable headrests, a centre armrest, rear AC vents, and charging ports as amenities, they do miss out on sunshades which I feel should have been included in a car of this segment.

Storage & Practicality

With the ZR-V you get all the basic storage options covered. The front passengers get bottle holders in the doors, a decent-sized glovebox, two cupholders in the centre console, a small tray under the central tunnel, and storage under the front armrest.

Rear passengers also get bottle holders in the doors, seatback pockets, and cupholders in the centre armrest.

Charging Options

In terms of charging options, you get a wireless phone charger, a USB Type-A port, and a 12V socket in the front, and two USB Type-C ports for the rear passengers placed under the rear AC vents.

Boot Space

While Honda has not disclosed an official boot space figure (the only known boot space figure is 1313-litre with the second row folded), the boot has enough space to keep an entire suitcase set (small, medium, and large) along with a few soft bags. However, since the boot is not deep, stacking suitcases on top of each other does become a hassle.

During our drive, we managed to fit three cabin sized suitcases, two large camera bags, and two small office bags with space left for some additional smaller bags. Lastly, to add some more convenience, you get 60:40 folding rear seats if you want to carry large items and there is a powered tailgate for some ease.

With the ZR-V you get all the features you’ll need for your daily commutes, but it lacks the niceties and flashy equipment you want in a car of this segment, and there are certain features missing which you can find in most cars in the segment below. Firstly it gets a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.

This screen runs smoothly, it is easy to follow, the touchscreen also gets physical controls on the side, and there are no lags or glitches. But, the size of the screen is much smaller than what we’re used to seeing in cars of this segment, and wireless Android Auto is missing. However, you do get a 12-speaker BOSE sound system with a good audio quality and a 10.2-inch digital driver’s display as well.

Other features include ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, a wireless phone charger, push button start stop, cruise control, and electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs. What seems to be missing are features like ventilated front seats, a bigger infotainment system, and a feature which has become very popular over the years – a sunroof.

In the safety kit, you get 8 airbags (including knee airbags), ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill hold assist, hill descent control, all wheel disc brakes, front and rear parking sensors, an electronic parking brake, rear wiper & washer, rear defogger, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

It also gets a 360-degree camera with decent camera quality, a lane watch camera, and camera-based Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and autonomous emergency braking.

The Honda ZR-V has been crash tested by Euro NCAP and Australia NCAP and it secured 4-star crash test ratings from both organisations. It is yet to be tested by Bharat NCAP, but we expect a similar rating.

Honda claims a boot space of 380-litres with the rear seats up, and just for some perspective in terms of numbers, it is slightly less than what you get in a Volkswagen Taigun. 

Fold the rear seats, however, and you get 1312-litres of space measured up to the roof.

Before getting into the drive experience of the ZR-V, we want to specify that we drove the SUV for a very short period of time, and that too on an F1 track (BIC), which does not represent real world conditions in a fair and detailed manner.

Engine & Performance

The ZR-V’s 2-litre engine is well refined, you barely feel vibrations, and due to its hybrid setup, you not only get EV mode and good amount of torque from standstill, but also smooth and linear power delivery.

It accelerates quickly from naught as Honda claims a 0-100 kmph figure of sub-8 seconds. While the acceleration feels quick, the acceleration remains gradual and you don’t feel any jerk when you floor the pedal. 

The power here is more than enough for your city and highway commutes, and with quick acceleration, overtakes will also not require much effort. The CVT also delivers a smooth performance since there are no gears to give you any jerks. Since this is a family car, and that too hybrid, you get EV mode where you can drive it at city speeds without the engine being turned on, and the hybrid setup also gives it a claimed fuel efficiency of 22.80 kmpl.

However, while Honda markets the ZR-V as a performance-oriented SUV, it is not as engaging as you’d want a performance car to be. It is quick, smooth, and effortless, but not exciting or thrilling.

Ride & Handling

The ZR-V’s ride feels planted at high speeds and around corners. While we didn’t get to check how it behaves on potholes, since there are none on the track, we did manage to do some high speed runs and took some sharp corners, where the ZR-V proved to be a car which can handle itself well.

At high triple digit speeds, it remained stable in a straight line, did not waver at all and made us feel safe at those speeds.

Around corners taken at speeds of around 60-80 kmph, the body roll was controlled quite well, the movement inside the cabin was limited, and this made it feel planted and confident.

The Honda ZR-V is being offered in a single fully loaded variant.

The Honda ZR-V is a product which tries to blend family needs with that of an enthusiast, and it succeeds, but only to a certain level. It looks good but doesn’t get any modern design elements, the cabin feels premium but the feature list is just enough, and while you do get good performance and fuel efficiency for your family commutes, the space and practicality for your family needs is limited.

It is an SUV which tries to do everything, and while it covers all the basics, doesn’t make you feel like you're missing out on major things, it also doesn’t feel special or great at any particular aspect.

At the price point it is expected to come at (which will be high since it is an import) the Honda ZR-V will sit as an SUV which won't make you complain about anything, but at the same time, it won’t feel like it gets everything the price demands.

Other Cars To Consider

Skoda Kodiaq

Reasons To Consider

• Gets a 7-seater layout

• More fun to drive

• Better features

• More affordable entry point

Reasons To Ignore

• No strong hybrid option

Jeep Meridian

Reasons To Consider

• Much more affordable

• Offers seating for seven

• Gets a diesel engine

Reasons To Ignore

• No strong hybrid option

• Not as fun to drive