Should you buy one?

If you want a family SUV, the Honda ZR-V is a good choice. Sure, rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai are cheaper and more practical, but the ZR-V compensates for these shortcomings with its clever e:HEV powertrain, stellar build quality, spacious interior and high levels of standard equipment.

The ZR-V’s biggest threat is its sister car, the Honda Civic. The two cars share the same interior, engine and underpinnings, but the hatchback is more fuel efficient, more practical, faster and even sharper to drive because it’s lower to the tarmac and almost 150kg lighter.

20

The Civic also represents better value for money. The cheapest Civic is £3,000 less expensive than the most basic ZR-V, but the hatchback is trimmed in Honda’s middling Sport specification as standard which means you get more equipment. Can you see why we picked the Civic as our Car of the Year for 2023 yet?

The only reason you’d buy the ZR-V over the Civic is because you want an SUV. The ZR-V is a good SUV, but the Civic is a much better car – and we’re not sure we could justify spending the extra cash for simple the benefit of having the UK’s most fashionable body style.

What we like

The ZR-V’s hybrid powertrain is very efficient and it drives great for an SUV, offering an expertly judged mix of ride quality and body control. Its interior feels a cut above its main rivals too – the material and build quality are approaching that of premium marques such as BMW and Lexus.

What we don’t like

Honda somewhat overlooked the ZR-V’s boot capacity. It’s more than 200 litres smaller than the most practical Nissan Qashqai and around 100 litres smaller than the class average. That’s not really good enough. Interior storage could be better, too, and we’d have liked to see some greater flexibility in the rear seats.