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A car for our times

By Tim Saunders

As we slowly come to terms with climate change Honda has made a car that might just help.

The first thing I notice about the HR-V is the seats. They are excellent. My interest in such things usually comes further down the line but having previously driven the Nissan Qashqai mild hybrid with its poorly padded offerings, I am keen to compare it with the Honda. These seats are nicely stitched with a variety of textiles including a neat chequered design, hinting at the manufacturer’s racing heritage. It’s not just the thoughtful design here though, they are hugely comfortable and supportive. And they are heated. This latter feature would not usually interest me one little bit in the height of summer when the test takes place. But to my surprise I find myself regularly using it! You see during a trip to the Isle of Wight we experience the most torrential downpours. As we return to the vehicle absolutely sodden, the heated seats are the perfect way of drying us out and they are very effective. Sadly, though these luxuries are only reserved for the front occupants. The air conditioning quickly warms the car up, too and the windows soon demist.

Good design has always been associated with Honda and this sporty subcompact SUV is no different. Internally there is a considered layout and there's colour. It’s not a dull black run of the mill interior as chosen by numerous manufacturers these days. No, this is something special. There’s some welcoming cream leather effect. This is nicely contrasted with hardwearing black fabric which overall makes a pleasing environment to while away time spent in the Isle of Wight traffic jams. The dashboard is user-friendly and the push button start is easy to operate. It’s an automatic although there are paddleshifts either side of the steering wheel.

Externally, it is attractive, as you might expect and looks like a three door thanks to the location of the rear door handles. Its roof rails add a further touch of cool. I don’t know how the design team does it but they always seem to come up with striking models. There’s a mix of straight lines and curves. I would go as far as saying that from a design perspective this is my favourite vehicle on the roads currently.

It also has a pleasing surprise up its sleeve for me because when I start my test it tells me that it will cover 369 miles on its full tank. But then perhaps a 100 miles in it suddenly tells me that it will travel 386 miles before the tank needs refilling. The fact that this is not a mild hybrid but a full hybrid, means that it is possible to run on fully electric power, if required, meaning that it is more environmentally friendly but also much more efficient. Bear in mind that it has a tiddly 40 litre petrol tank compared to the standard 55 litres (some vehicles even have a 65 litre tank) means that it will cost under £100 (Nov 2022) to fill up at £1.80 a litre… - a car for our times compared to nearly £120 if filling up a 65 litre tank. And you don’t have to suffer as a result because if you’re careful it will cover 459 miles on a full tank. In short I am impressed. This is the joy of hybrid motoring, sensible driving is rewarded. The 1.5 petrol unit is gutsy with enjoyable acceleration and it can be a great driver’s car if the need arises as you might expect of technology developed by Honda’s Formula One racing team…. In the old days it was necessary for the driver to push a button to engage EV mode. Not any longer. The Honda does it automatically. What a Godsend. So driving off the driveway, crawling in a traffic jam or driving in a 30mph zone can all be done in EV mode without any thought from the driver. It works a treat. We drive through Lyndhurst in EV mode, feeling happy for the pedestrians whose air is that little bit less polluted because of our Honda.

Driving through the New Forest I spy an opportunity to overtake a Nissan Qashqai carrying four bicycles on its roof. The driver doesn’t like it and accelerates to try and prevent me but the Honda is so gutsy it makes light work of the opportunity and very safely manoeuvres, leaving him in the rear view mirror. The ride height and the responsive hybrid technology are a fantastic combination. It is a joy to throw around bends and tight corners. There are some excellent windy back lanes to Lee-on-the-Solent and sometimes they can be free of traffic such as on the occasion I travel down it with the Honda. It’s a nice cut through to get to Gosport for my eye test. Pressing the accelerator to the floor does create a bit of a noisy response and it’s quick, reminding me of the excellent Jaguar XE that I tested. Really good fun to drive at speed. On occasions when there is less demanding driving, the automatic box can be criticised for being indecisive but I forgive it.

The power boot seems to be a little quicker opening and shutting than others and can easily be paused by pushing another button, which is helpful. I like the way the parcel shelf/security cover is connected to the boot lid, too.

I have long championed self-charging hybrids for their ease of use and environmental credentials but Honda has taken them to another level.

Overall the HR-V is a slick, understated operator, which is my type of vehicle.

I don’t often say this but if I could afford it, I’d buy one. Well done Honda.

By Tim Saunders

A unique car that arouses curiosity and introduces you to new people.

Traditionally those seeking the wow factor of owning a vehicle that few others do, had to spend a small fortune on the likes of a Bentley, an Aston or similar.

There is a new contender that is causing a real stir at a fraction of the price. Enter the Genesis. Hyundai’s luxury division. They’ve taken the lead from Toyota’s Lexus range but added something that you can’t quite put your finger on.

We sit in a car park at Battle and watch as passers-by of all ages stop and inspect the Genesis, digesting the emblem and the enormous chrome effect grille. One gentleman scratches his head as he appreciates the GV80. Men and women, boys and girls all take a shine to it. The youngsters particularly so, taking photos on their phones. While eating fish and chips inside it at another car park in New Milton, this time with grandma accompanying us, a man cannot take his eyes off it. He walks up to me and we have a natter through the window. “What is it then?” he enquires.

At the bottle bank a fellow recycler again asks: “What is it then? An Aston?”

Not one of the 200 cars I have driven has ever created so much interest. This is the car to get if you want to become more popular and widen your social circle. Hats off to Hyundai because this car has something that all others do not. It’s like hanging around with the most popular kid in school. That charisma, charm. And the Genesis has it in spades.

Driving the GV80 is a pleasant experience, too. The driver’s seat seems to hug you the faster you go and then releases its embrace as you slow down. The seatbelts seem to tighten and loosen in a similar way to the Bentley Flying Spur, too. The eight-speed automatic gearbox is responsive and it will hurtle from standstill to 60mph in just over seven seconds, which for a vehicle of this size and weight is quite an achievement. The children seem comfortable enough and Henry (6) likes to sit in the third row of seats where there is a good amount of legroom.

Sit in the driver’s seat and start the ignition and there’s a welcome theme tune similar to that of some washing machines when they finish their cycle. The interior is well put together but very black. It would be nice to see some real wood. The dial to operate the gearbox in the Genesis feels cheap when compared to the ones in a Jaguar or Land Rover – both competitors to this vehicle.

When I open the power boot to put the third row of seats up and to clean the boot the lid comes back down without any warning and nearly knocks my block off. This makes me particularly wary when my children are anywhere near.

“It’s packed with technology,” says David, the enthusiastic delivery driver, who has just retired from JLR after more than 30 years. “Do you know you can even press a button on the keyfob and drive the vehicle remotely?” He pushes the buttons but they refuse to work. “There’s a video that shows it in action,” he adds. I try throughout the test but cannot get it to work either. Annoying. Apparently it’s ideal for extricating it from tight spots where the driver can’t open the door. Is there really such a need for this? When would a driver park in such a stupid fashion? Another piece of flash technology to wow the other senseless accountants and solicitors in the car park at lunch time, I suspect!

It takes time for me to familiarise myself with the Genesis. Naturally everything is electrically operated, making light work of adjusting the driver’s seat. There’s a heated steering wheel, all round heated seats and air conditioning that Henry enjoys operating. “Can you remove the blind?” asks Heidi (9) as I set off. Her blind goes down by pushing the switch for her electric window. Push it down once and the blind descends, push it down twice and the window goes down. Neat. Another interesting feature is that when an indicator is engaged a camera view of that side of the vehicle is displayed on the dashboard in front of the steering wheel. Fancy. But is it actually necessary? It’s the same view I get by simply looking in a wing mirror. Yes, it’s clever but increasingly I find that technology is taking over and I fear that this is actually creating a generation of morons.

There’s a head up display for the driver displaying speed on the windscreen. The cruise control is pretty easy to operate. It will go fast, if required. The 8-speed automatic with shift-by-wire and paddle shifters isn’t too demanding for the driver.

Externally, it’s a striking vehicle. “It’s a Bentley,” insists my son Henry. “Look it’s got the same logo.”

“Or Aston Martin,” I add. Then the in-yer-face Range Rover-like grille is another copy. Good idea. We know who Hyundai has their sights set on. Perhaps those financial sector types watching their stocks rising and falling, might be tempted to trade in their year old Aston or Bentley SUVs and replace them with this. There’s a smattering of something pretending to be chrome, I suspect. Finished in tasteful British Racing Green it does cut a striking presence, demanding a second glance. The interestingly designed alloy wheels look good, too.

As usual the power boot can be operated from inside the vehicle. When outside the button can be found near the rear wiper.

From a family perspective, a wealthy family admittedly with the £56,000 plus price tag, this luxury 25mpg vehicle is appealing because of the third row of seats, which is so easy to operate. And once the children have quietened down, it does deliver peace and tranquillity for a time. The troublesome trio savouring the experience. But as I write, Putin is trying to carve out more of the world for himself, sending oil prices sky high.

We visit Southwick and go into St James’ Church where the Bible is open on Genesis and Heidi (9) questions: “Is that where the name for the car came from?” Hyundai would certainly welcome a religious following.

Or was Phil Collins more the inspiration?

Facts at a glance