Medium model coming in May; followed by new CR-V toward year-end

SPREAD of Honda’s petrol-fed yet electric prioritised e:HEV drivetrain tech is set to continue, with the next candidate being a medium sports utility here in May.

That timing for ZR-V, which slots between the HR-V and CR-V, likely makes New Zealand one of the first export markets for the Mazda CX-5-sized five seater.

The car has only just gone into serious production, after plans to start build in September were hit by delays. It was announced in Japan last July.

Based on a platform also used by the Civic, ZR-V is also set to be joined by a brand-new CR-V toward the end of the year. The latter seems likely to also have the 2.0-litre petrol-based drivetrain seemingly set for ZR-V.

Filling out the e:HEV trifecta is a new Jazz RS derivative that returns that badge to the city hatchback after a five year absence.

Honda NZ chief operating officer Peter Ashley, confirmed the timelines for the SUVs today at an event introducing the Jazz RS, which stands as a sportier-themed alternate to the elevated $30,700 Crosstar and the $37k Luxe Sport that have been in circulation since 2021.

In confirming ZR-V, Ashley has also enforced the smallest crossover Honda delivers, the Jazz-derived HR-V, will be retained.

Confusingly, ZR-V represents for marketing purpose as a HR-V in North America. Elsewhere, including in NZ, they are very different cars.

ZR-V is 4567mm long, 1829mm wide, stands 1610mm tall and has a 2654mm wheelbase – that makes it 200mm longer and 50mm wider than our HR-V. As the photos show, it also has a much bolder, more outdoorsy styling.

The e:HEV technology is Honda at its Greenest here – until, at least, it gets a fully battery car.

It’s basically an ‘almost electric’ drivetrain which uses a petrol engine, but primarily acting as a generator to feed batteries, from which an electric motor driving the wheels is replenished.

E:HEV is so efficient (3.8 litres per 100km) and clean (91 grams per kilometre) in the RS and Luxe it achieves a $3930 Clean Car rebate. Crosstar maintains a conventional 1.5 and is fee neutral.

There are only two cars in Honda NZ’s line-up now that aren’t at least carbon neutral – the Civic Type R, which is specialist and low volume, and the Odyssey people carrier, which is now on runout as Honda Japan has ceased production. There are just 10 of those left to sell in NZ and, once they are gone, it seems the nameplate will retire.

In likelihood, Jazz will be the strongest-selling e:HEV car this year. Ashley says the mission is to sell at least 2000 – a cinch given how well Jazz Luxe has done since Government provisioned its incentive.

However, he also sees SUVs and crossovers as being even more important in current market conditions, hence why there’s a lot of excitement about ZR-V.

The e:HEV powertrain in the SUV is the same general format as in Jazz, but operates with a larger petrol motor – whereas the hatch has a 1.5-litre, the SUV goes with a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre.

Output is cited at 135kW and 315Nm. It promises around 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres economy and CO2 count is 105 grams per kilometre. So, only slightly less thrifty than a 1.5-litre HR-V, but cleaner.

The engine is a detuned version of one used by the Honda Accord; in the latter it has 23kW more. Zero to 100kmh for a Civic sold in Europe with the same engine in ZR-V takes 7.8 seconds for the Civic and top speed is 180kmh.

While petrol still obviously involves, Honda’s arrangement nonetheless delivers an electric drive.

One motor directly powers the front wheels (with or without the engine), the second motor is coupled to the engine and acts as a ‘generator’, charging a lithium-ion battery.

Though the cars feature an e-CVT gearbox, this actually has no gears at all; the electric motors provide drive. Drive selection is taken care of by a push-button control.

Honda Japan has made clear hybridisation will be the maximum amount of electrification in the ZR-V. It believes hybrid still has a part to play in reducing CO2 emissions and helping customers transition to zero-emissions driving.

ZR-V outfits as a front-wheel drive with e:HEV. The domestic market in Japan also achieves a 131kW/240Nm turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol all-wheel drive version for customers who might have to drive snowy roads. Will that edition also come here? Ashley says no decisions have been made.

The ZR-V’s interior largely mimics that seen in the latest Civic, with a honeycomb vent stretching across three quarters of the dashboard, and a tablet-style 9.0-inch infotainment screen fitted atop. There’s also a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.

It fits with leather seats, LED headlights, 18-inch wheels, 12-speaker Bose stereo, power tailgate, and a suite of advanced safety features under the Honda Sensing safety suite mantle. These include autonomous emergency braking, a pop-up bonnet to protect pedestrians in an impact, a traffic-jam crawling setting for the adaptive cruise control, improved lane-keeping steering and a blind-spot monitor.

Honda is not alone is using a drive system that involves a petrol engine to generate electricity to run electric drive motors. The Nissan X-Trail and Qashqai also apply that approach, in an e-Power format.