Ergonomics are the HR-V’s strong suit: visibility and the positioning of all the various controls are better than average in this class, and with the ‘Magic Seats’ fitted, second-row space is exceptional in terms of leg room, if not quite so impressive for head room.
Even the air vents simulate the effect of a gentle breeze, rather than targeting a stream of air into one specific area of the cockpit.
Aesthetically, the cabin is a nice place to be. For example, seats are clad in cloth and leatherette, with touchpoints around the centre console and dashboard finished in the same materials. It feels fresh and modern but Honda has nevertheless decided to retain physical buttons, switches and dials for most of the major controls, which is helpful.
Perceived quality is also strong, although we could do without the tall and distinctly old-fashioned gearlever, which clutters up the centre console unnecessarily and feels quite cheap to the touch. Look further about the cabin, and cheaper plastics can be found, but that’s quite normal at this price point.
Overall, the Honda probably betters the Qashqai in the respect of quality but falls short of what Mazda has achieved with the elegant Mazda CX-30.
As for the Magic Seats, you might be wondering what exactly they are. By moving the car’s fuel tank to the front portion of the chassis, and finding an extra 30mm of room between the rows of seats, Honda has freed up a large amount of space in the floor of the second row. It means that the rear seatbacks can be folded perfectly flat, as the bases can slip right down to the floor.
Equally, the bases can flip upwards, cinema-style, to create an unusually tall load space that will accommodate a bicycle or large television. It gives the HR-V class-leading versatility in this respect, although outright boot space with the second-row seatbacks in place is relatively poor at just 319 litres. (Even this drops to 304 litres in Advance Style trim, because of the additional sound system speakers.)
All HR-Vs use the same 9.0in central infotainment touchscreen, which sits on the dashboard but doesn’t in any way impinge on the driver’s view forward. The graphics are passably sharp and the arrangement of menus straightforward, but this infotainment feels outdated, and you can’t access safety systems – such as the partially unreliable speed limit warning – unless you’re at a stop. Physical controls for climate functions are great to have and easy to use. Only Apple CarPlay is offered wirelessly, with Android Auto requiring a cable.
Honda owners will also benefit from the physical rotary volume controller to the side of the screen, although the volume can also be adjusted via the multifunction steering wheel.
The provision of USB-C ports is also good, so long as you take a trim level above the basic Elegance. For Advance and Advance Style, the two ports in the front are joined by two more in the back.