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By Jonathan Crouch

Honda's eleventh generation Civic family hatch embraces full-Hybrid tech. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 67

Honda at last has a really serious entry in the volume part of the mid-sized family SUV segment with this car, the ZR-V. This Civic-based crossover only comes as a self-charging full-Hybrid and claims sporty drive dynamics and premium quality. If you like the looks, need efficiency, don't really want to plug in and aren't hung up on a posh brand, it could be worth a look.

Backgroundword count: 167

It's about time that Honda had a properly market-focused C-segment 'Qashqai'-class family SUV. Original turn-of-the-century versions of the company's CR-V were targeted in that way, but later CR-Vs were sized and targeted at the upper mid-sized crossover class above; and the latest sixth generation design in the CR-V model line has been pushed even further up-market. But that's left space in the range for a Civic-based SUV to slot in above the brand's compact HR-V. And this is it, the ZR-V. It's basically a crossover version of the eleventh generation Civic hatch. The dashboard is much the same, as is the full-Hybrid e:HEV petrol engine, the only powertrain on offer. This car is called the 'HR-V' in the US, but it's quite a lot bigger than the supermini-based HR-V model we know here. Honda says it wants to target younger family customers, folk who'll approve of the ZR-V's role in the company's ambitious electrification strategy which aims to see the brand become completely carbon neutral by 2050.

Driving Experienceword count: 256

Honda wants the ZR-V to be seen as 'sporty' by family SUV standards. Which would make it fairly unusual in the Qashqai class. And unusual too for a full-Hybrid, a 2.0-litre non-plug-in four cylinder normally aspirated petrol engine that sort being the only one available, powered in this case by a 181hp electric motor. Still, 'sportiness' is a trick the Civic e:HEV somehow manages to pull off and the ZR-V e:HEV has all the same underpinnings and engineering. Which means that, like that Civic model, this crossover is a curious confection: an EV - but not an EV. The main role of the engine we mentioned isn't to drive the wheels but to generate energy for a little 1.05kWh lithium-ion battery that drives two electric motors. Unlike Toyota or Hyundai full-Hybrids, this one has no gearbox between the powertrain and the wheels. Instead, the e:HEV system itself shifts seamlessly between 'EV', 'Hybrid' and 'Engine' drive phases as you move along. 'EV' drive propels you from start off and at low speeds and 'Hybrid' drive cuts in when extra acceleration is called for. Only at steady high speeds does 'Engine' drive kick in, but that happens only briefly because as you approach top speed and the required drive energy becomes higher again, the system switches back into the 'Hybrid' phase to re-unleash the full output of the electric motors. All of this happens without driver input but, as in the Civic, the e:HEV system does also offers various selectable driving modes - 'Eco', 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Snow'.

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