What are the running costs?

Honda’s e:HEV self-charging hybrid system runs on its electric motors most of the time which means it’s very economical. In official WLTP tests, Honda says the ZR-V achieved between 48.7 and 49.6mpg – but we reckon you could beat those figures in the real world if you drive efficiently.

During our time with the car, we averaged around 45mpg. However, we weren’t driving particularly frugally, as we were testing the ZR-V’s acceleration, braking and handling at the same time. Under less stressful conditions, we’d expect to see average fuel economy figures in the 50mpg range.

CO2 emissions are equally impressive. They range between 130 and 132g/km depending on specification, which is admirable considering the ZR-V’s hybrid system doesn’t have a plug on it. Those figures place the ZR-V on level-footing with the Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4 hybrids, but more than 10g/km of CO2 behind the Nissan Qashqai e-Power.

No matter how impressive these figures are, though, the ZR-V’s hybrid system won’t suit every driver. If you want to dodge the London congestion charge zone or are looking for the best possible deal on a company car, you might want to consider a plug-in hybrid SUV or a pure-electric SUV.

Servicing and warranty

Honda recommends you service the ZR-V every year or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first. The firm offers a choice of service plans ranging from one to four years long – and you can pay for your cover in one lump sum or a series of monthly instalments.

Honda sells all its new cars with a three-year/90,000-mile manufacturer warranty. This is reasonable, but it can’t match the seven-year deal offered with the Kia Sportage or the 10-year package offered with the Toyota RAV4. However, once your standard warranty has expired, Honda will sell you an extended warranty if you want it.

Reliability

• The ZR-V is a brand-new car…
• … so it’s still too early to tell
• Honda Civic is solid, though

We can’t yet make a call on the Honda ZR-V’s reliability because the car only went on sale in the UK in July – and the first customer cars haven’t even arrived yet. However, the ZR-V’s chassis sibling, the Honda Civic has proved itself to be a reliable car, which stands it in good stead.

Honda also has a good reputation for reliability as a manufacturer. The previous generation Civic, the current CR-V and the latest Jazz all score well for reliability in our owner reviews section – and we expect the ZR-V will continue this trend.