Honda has always made cars that I find easy to like. They are well engineered, beautifully built and most importantly, have that unmistakable Honda feel that comes from the way everything works together. And while we’ve been waiting for eons for the Japanese car maker to launch the Civic Type-R in India, even if via the more expensive CBU route, it seems, Honda is finally, at least starting to consider the route for launching premium cars in the country! In an interesting turn of events, Honda has decided to enter the full-sized premium SUV space first though, with its ZR-V. The ZR-V is a reasonably large urban SUV with a strong hybrid powertrain under its hood, but more importantly, it looks particularly stylish, and more Italian than Japanese!
And for good measure, Honda had us drive the ZR-V at the Buddh International Circuit! But first things first, the design. The ZR-V is quite a looker, despite not having the upright, boxy proportions of conventional SUVs. Instead, there’s a long hood, a low-slung stance and a beautifully curved roofline that slopes towards the rear. I particularly like the way the roof tapers without making the ZR-V look like a full-blown coupe-SUV. It’s more elegant than aggressive. And then there’s the grille. With its prominent vertical slats, it reminds me of some of Maserati’s designs. I know, I know, that’s quite a comparison. But stand in front of the ZR-V and you’ll see what I mean. The slim LED headlamps, clean front bumper and that grille give the nose a very distinctive appearance, while the 18-inch diamond-cut alloys fill the wheel arches nicely too.
The rear gets neat-looking wraparound LED tail lamps, a subtle roof spoiler and dual exhaust tips, completing the sporty picture. What I also like is that Honda hasn’t covered the ZR-V in black plastic cladding to make it look more SUV-ish, and the wheel arches and lower sections are body-coloured. It looks more like a crossover with attitude, than a traditional SUV. And in a market where almost every new SUV is trying to look tougher than the next, that makes the ZR-V rather refreshing to look at!
Inside, things are typically Honda. And that’s both a compliment and a slight criticism. The cabin is beautifully put together – the materials feel rich, the leather-wrapped steering wheel feels nice to hold and the fit-finish levels are top-notch. There’s plenty of soft-touch surfaces too and everything feels properly screwed together. You also sit relatively low, making for a more car-like driving position. But it’s also a little… boring. The all-black cabin is clean and classy, but there’s very little drama here. The dashboard design is simple and functional rather than exciting. The 9.0-inch touchscreen looks a little small by modern standards, and the interface isn’t exactly going to blow your mind.
But then Honda does something I really like, which is lots of physical buttons! The climate control gets rotary knobs, the centre console has buttons for drive modes, and even the infotainment system retains physical controls. They all feel tactile, and satisfyingly mechanical. In an age where manufacturers are putting every function behind a touchscreen, the ZR-V feels refreshingly old-school. I’m also impressed by the neat execution of the drive selector buttons – I’m usually more of a gear lever guy, but Honda has me impressed with the positioning and design of the buttons!
The ZR-V uses Honda’s e:HEV strong hybrid system, combining a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, Atkinson Cycle petrol engine with two electric motors and an e-CVT. The combined output is 184PS and 315Nm, and Honda claims a staggering 22.79kmpl! We’ve always known Honda to make some of the most well-engineered powertrains on the planet (I know that’s high praise, but I really mean it!), and the ZR-V is no exception. In fact the hybrid powertrain here feels every bit as sophisticated and butter-smooth as you would expect. There’s absolute silence when taking off from standstill, as you get off the line in pure EV mode. There’s an instant response when you press the throttle, followed by a smooth transition to petrol power as you go faster.
The power delivery also feels natural, and remarkably linear, though admittedly, an F1-grade circuit like the Buddh International Circuit was always going to have us wanting more performance. The 184PS felt inadequate, but at the same time, I have to say, driving the ZR-V around the track for a handful of laps helped me understand and appreciate its well-tuned chassis and suspension setup. The steering feels precise in a very Honda way, body control is good, and the relatively low driving position had the ZR-V feel more like a large hatchback than an SUV when I pushed harder, which added to the engaging feel. It doesn’t have the outright pace of a performance SUV, obviously, but the ZR-V certainly carries speeds well through corners.
The hybrid system’s battery adds weight, but the chassis seems well equipped to deal with it. Then you get onto the brakes. They have good initial bite and enough consistency to let you brake hard without feeling nervous. There’s Sport mode as well, and a set of paddle shifters that let you adjust regenerative braking levels. And that’s what I found most interesting about the ZR-V: it doesn’t feel like Honda has simply taken an efficient hybrid system and put it into an SUV. There’s a genuine attempt to make the whole thing feel enjoyable. That being said, we only got to drive the ZR-V on track, and we’re yet to drive it on public roads. This also means I’ll have to reserve my judgement on the ZR-V’s ride quality, real-world feel and overall practicality, though my initial overall impressions about the SUV are quite positive.
The only fly in the ointment here is that the ZR-V feels exactly like a Honda – it feels too stereotyped as a ‘good boy’, and could do with some more performance to make it more fun and engaging to drive. At Rs 47.99 lakh ex-showroom though, the ZR-V enters a room Honda hasn’t been in, in India at least. It also feels a tad expensive for what it brings to the table, especially when compared to SUVs like Volkswagen Tayron, Skoda Kodiaq and more. That being said, it also sits in a very interestingly unique spot. Because the ZR-V isn’t the biggest or most feature-loaded SUV here. It doesn’t have the most flamboyant cabin either. But it has something the others don’t quite offer in the same combination. Elegant on the outside, sensible inside and technically clever underneath.
