I have said it before on these pages and will say it again, colour is so important when choosing a new or second hand car. When a prospective buyer decides on the model of car they want, colour is the next decision. It’s probably not as important when buying a second hand car, but I think it does still play a part.
I’m saying this as the Honda ZR-V I drove last week came in very impressive Still Night Pearl colour. It’s a colour that you cannot ignore and it would really brighten up these dark winter mornings.
Honda are making a comeback, since they have moved under the Gowan Group umbrella. They always made good cars, but didn’t seem to have the budget to properly promote the Japanese brand in Ireland.
Since Ryan Tubridy left RTE Radio 1 haven’t heard much talk about Millennials and Gen Z, but apparently the name ZR-V stands for Z Runabout Vehicle, a reference to the Gen Z generation and unrelated to Honda Z microcars.
The car is positioned between the HR-V and CR-V and shares its platform with the 11th generation Honda Civic. Honda has also recently launched a new version of the HR-V in Ireland where prices start at €41,750. The ZR-V is a bit more expensive with prices starting at €54,595.
The ZR-V and the HR-V are hybrid electric cars and expanding Honda’s line-up as it moves towards its goal of electrifying all of its European mainstream models. No hurry with fully electric for me, hybrid is fine.
At the front, the vertically slatted piano-black grille gives the car an aggressive look, while the high-gloss apron, side cladding and diffuser adds a touch of sportiness.
There is plenty of power from the 2.0-litre engine with a 135kW motor and a lithium-ion battery producing 184 horse power. But it’s speed you are after it’s not the fastest around, officially zero to 100km/h will take you eight seconds. But I reckon this is more of a family car than a boy racer.
Pearl on the outside but mainly dark inside. However the seats have white trims and a white roofline also brightens the interior décor.
The infotainment screen is not a big as some I have seen in other new cars, but all I needed to find was the radio stations and thankfully that was easy. I also liked the old-fashioned button on the dash to adjust the volume of the radio. And there are also manual controls underneath for the air conditioning.
The boot space is average for an SUV. Officially the space is 370 litres and the back seat folds down perfectly flat so that you can easily carry bulky items if required.
There are a lot of new SUV’s on the market right now and this Honda is certainly not the cheapest out there. However, Honda has loyal band of owners in Ireland and this car and their new HR-V should provide a better selection for that loyal group and possibly some newcomers to the brand also.
As mentioned above prices start at €54,595 for the Elegance model. Also available in Sport and Advance trim. As with most manufacturers the higher the spec, the higher the price. The official fuel consumption figure is 5.8 litres per 100km.
In addition to the attractive Still Night Pearl colour car that I drove, the ZR-V is also available in Black, Radiant Red and Platinum White. Road tax is €210. Toyota are the hybrid kings right now, but the Honda Insight was the first hybrid in this part of the world back in 1999.
I think you are going to hear a lot more about Honda in 2025 as they are now part of the powerful Gowan Group, who have the marketing expertise to promote the brand.
