2021 Honda HR-V hybrid SUV arrives

• Sleeker design and redesigned interior
• Only available with a dual-motor e:HEV hybrid powertrain
• Will go on sale later this year

The all-new 2021 Honda HR-V has been revealed with a sleek new exterior design and a redesigned interior. It’ll only be available with a dual-motor e:HEV hybrid powertrain.

We expect the new car to go on sale later this year with an estimated starting price of around £25,000. When it arrives, the new HR-V will go head-to-head with small SUV models including the Ford Puma, Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq.

2021 Honda HR-V hybrid: design

The new HR-V has a rakish design thanks to a coupe-inspired swooping roofline and a longer bonnet. Despite the sporty profile, Honda claims the new HR-V can accommodate four adults in comfort thanks to improved packaging of the hybrid powertrain.

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The front features a new integrated grille and slim LED headlights joined together by a narrow piece of chrome trim. The sides feature black plastic body cladding around the arches and sills, together with a high indent line along the length of the car and a flush-fitting rear door handle. Five-spoke two-tone alloy wheels also feature.

The rearmost C-pillar is more sharply angled than before, leading to a new tailgate that houses a slim rear tail light cluster that wraps round from the rear quarter panel across the width of the car.

Interior and technology

Inside, the dashboard has been redesigned with a new minimalist look. A central infotainment touchscreen is mounted to the top of the dashboard, which appears to be running similar software to the system used in the Honda e, which includes sat nav and smartphone connectivity.

Honda has retained physical rotary dials for the climate controls in a wrap-around centre console with a refreshed gear stick design. Air vents run across the top of the dashboard, ending in L-shaped vents.

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Full details of the new car’s interior tech and trim levels are expected to be announced later this year.

The brand’s versatile Magic Seats storage system also features, offering the option to fold the rear seats flat or to flip up the rear seat bases depending on the storage space required.

Engine, gearbox and performance

Honda hasn’t announced exact details and specs of the new HR-V’s powertrain, only confirming that it will get a two-motor hybrid system.

This is likely to be the e:HEV hybrid powertrain featured in the current Honda Jazz, which consists of a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to two electric motors with a CVT automatic gearbox. In the Jazz, this setup produces 108bhp, but we’d expect the larger HR-V to get a higher power output.

The way the e:HEV hybrid powertrain operates is unique, with one electric motor powering the car along with the petrol engine. The second motor is connected to the engine but is used as a generator to charge the car’s onboard battery.

Honda discontinued its 1.6-litre diesel engine in 2020 amid freefalling diesel sales. The new HR-V is part of the brand’s ‘Electric Vision’ strategy, which aims to introduce hybrid or electric power to all of its mainstream models by 2022.

Read our guide to the best small SUVs you can buy today.