However, there’s also a Civic Sport and a Jazz Sport with warm-hatch credentials and now Honda wants to add the HRV Sport to that list. Pitched in the same class as the Nissan Qashqai and a multitude of other mid-size SUVs, the Honda HRV is aimed at families with children. Honda hopes the Sport version will attract more younger families. These would be people who are aware of Honda and its sports heritage, reliability and innovation but haven’t bought from the brand before. Honda doesn’t give an exact sales prediction for the HRV this year but it will admit sales are running level with the past few years, when it has sold around 6,000 a year.
This Sport version is expected to take around a fifth of that with the majority being the six-speed manual version and around a third being the auto.
To distinguish the Sport from the rest of the HRV range Honda has given it a gloss black bodykit.
At the front this means a smooth swathe between the lights and a lower aero splitter beneath the grille, there’s then side skirts and wheel-arch edging in black.
Finally, at the rear there’s a black section across the lower portion of the bumper.To cap off the exterior design tweaks, the Sport sits on gloss-black 18-inch alloys.
The visual impact of the bodykit works particularly well with the grey metallic paint, giving the small family SUV a meaner, more aggressive look that suits a sportier car.The biggest difference between the Sport and the rest of the HRV range, which also gets a mid-life update, is the 182bhp 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine.
It’s an impressive unit. Power delivery is smooth and linear throughout the rev range and it cleverly manages to be quiet and refined at both lower speeds and on a motorway cruise, while offering some vocal character from the engine and exhaust when you want to get on a bit on a twisty road.
Plus, it manages this without having to resort to sound amplification through the speakers, which some rivals opt for.
Blistering isn’t a description you’d use for the performance of the HRV Sport but it’s reasonably quick with a 0 to 60mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 134mph, so it’s what you’d call “usefully nippy”.
It also means that there’s plenty of shove to handle motorway work with ease. Despite being a Sport model, economy is good too, with an average fuel economy of 47.9mpg.
On the road the HRV Sport can be hustled along fairly swiftly but it is let down by a decided lack of feel from the steering. The steering may be well-weighted but it offers no guidance as to what’s happening or about to happen between the road and the tyres.
The brakes similarly lack feel and if you up the pace on your favourite twisty road you’ll notice them start to soften.This is a shame because the car is balanced rather well and there’s the right amount of body roll and control to give both good guidance about what the car’s doing without it feeling wallowy, thanks to upgraded suspension over the rest of the HRV range. It somewhat makes up for the poor steering feel.
Similarly, there’s a contradiction between the clutch action, which is particularly long with a strong spring action at the top of its travel and a sweet six-speed manual gearbox that feels accurate and positive.
Overall comfort levels are fine.The car isn’t stiff and jarring over less than smooth roads but it’s not that settled either and the result is that the heads of occupants will wobble over rougher surfaces and potholes.
The automatic version is in many ways a better car, given the lack of fun-factor or driver involvement.And for those doing more town and motorway work, the auto will definitely be the better bet.
Inside, all Sport models gain a black and red-themed interior and the latest upgrades across the HRV range provide higher quality materials in the main dashboard.The front seats are comfortable for everyday use but as with a few other aspects of the car they don’t quite convey a sporty nature.
Interior space is still as impressive as it has always been in the HRV, with some of the best in class rear seat legroom. Honda’s clever rear seat folding mechanism is also useful for carrying large loads if you don’t need the rear seats while the boot is a competitive 410 litres.
Where Honda may win sales is for those looking for a quicker SUV without having to resort to efficiency-sapping all-wheel drive.There are very few rivals that offer similar performance without having to go for a premium brand and the associated price hike. For this reason, Honda shouldn’t have any problems selling the HRV Sport.
Honda’s HRV may be called Sport in name but it doesn’t have a sporty character.
This doesn’t stop the HRV being a good car. It’s still very well built, looks smart, is supremely practical and priced well against its rivals.
It’s just that it’s missing the fun element that a car needs to deliver driver enjoyment.
LOGBOOK LOWDOWN
Price range: £27,840-£29,090
Engine: Turbo petrol – 1.5-litre, 182bhp
Power: 0 to 60mph in 7.8 seconds, 134mph top speed
Average fuel economy: 47.9mpg
CO2 emissions: 135-137g/km
Rivals: Ford Kuga, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008, Seat Ateca, Vauxhall Grandland X
Rating: 7/10 useful
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