The all-new Honda Hi-Rider Revolutionary-Vehicle (HR-V) has been launched into the Nigerian market by the local assemblers of Honda vehicles in Nigeria, Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited (HAWA), in partnership with The Honda Place (THP).
The unveiling of the 1.8 litre made-in-Nigeria entry level SUV on Friday at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, was in line with the auto makers’ objective of becoming Africa’s leading manufacturing hub.
The 2019 HR-V delivers a multi-dimensional driving experience, blends the beautiful lines of a coupé with the practical space and toughness of an SUV and offers a new standard in style, comfort and versatility.
Coming on the heels of the Accord which was earlier rolled out from the HAWA plant in Lagos, in July 2015, this latest accomplishment, dovetails into the Federal Government’s National Automotive Industry Development Plan.
That explains why auto industry chieftains, including the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Director General, Jelani Aliyu, heads corporate organisations, businessmen, and lovers of the popular Japanese brand, who witnessed the presentation, hailed HAWA for the initiative.
Uniquely styled for individual driving comfort, the new Honda HR-V will cater to the growing demand for functional and affordably priced entry level SUV, while also closing the gap between upscale Honda variants, including 3.5 liter Pilot and 2.4 liter CR-V.
Corroborating the foregoing, Managing Director HAWA, Akihiro Daido, said the presence of the new Honda HR-V marked the arrival of entry level SUV from the Honda stable.
“Now, Nigerian customers can experience the power of our three SUVs: Honda Pilot 3.5litre, CR-V 2.4Litre and all new HR-V 1.8Litre,” he said. “The HR-V is a five-seater vehicle, proudly assembled in Nigeria with adherence to the Honda global production standards.”
Exterior styling
The all-new HR-V receives exterior styling that enhances its appeal. The grille is enhanced by a new interpretation of the “flying wing” rendered in dark chrome and extending over the new projector-style headlights. Under the chrome band, the grille opening has been restyled to emphasise a wide look, and the fog light housings that have been enlarged to give HR-V a more aggressive stance.
Also in the front is a sporty front bumper that gives an elegant yet rugged look combined with LED headlights and fog lights, while in the rear, taillights with integrated LED light bars give the HR-V a distinctive, sporty look. New to the SUV-B segment is the panoramic sunroof, in the leather grade, making the HR-V deliver the feel of a larger sporty SUV ready for the next adventure.
Above all, the tyres on the fabric grade of the all-new Honda HR-V wear 16” alloy wheels, while the leather grade tyres wear 17” alloy wheels.
Interior structure
The intuitively designed HR-V cockpit ensures that everything is where you need it especially the elegant dashboard that incorporates the very latest technology and unique styling touches.
This is in addition to the black aesthetic combination (Fabric & Leather Grade) which gives the interior of the HR-V premium comfort feel beyond its class when compared to vehicle above its segment.
A centrally-mounted fuel tank however ensures ample boot space and a novel second row Magic Seat, which are further evidence of smart thinking that is configured to increase its cargo capacity.
It is now easier than ever to access HR-V’s cargo space of 1456 liters – thanks to the new stay-spring mechanism for the hatch HR-V which offers up to 100.1 cubic feet of passenger space and abundant rear seat head and legroom.
Other notable features include 6.8-inch Display Audio with Touchscreen, USB and HDMI ports that allow you to connect your smart phone and use its features to play favorite music while using the phone book to make calls to your contacts.
A Multifunction steering wheel puts the audio and cruise controls at your fingertips, making it a driver friendly interface.
The HR-V EX Grade features comes equipped with automatic climate control that allows you to adjust the temperature of the cabin with the touch of a button.
Standard on both grades is the Smart Entry and Push-Button Start, and with a touch of the door handle, the door opens without the key, same way a push on-the button which is strategically located for easy sighting will ignite the engine either ON/OFF as required.
Features like the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) provide easy braking in a full stop park position just as the Automatic Brake Hold (ABH) is useful during ‘Stop and Go’ traffic situation in busy cities.
And with the push of ABH button, the vehicle brake holds even after disengaging the foot brake and the vehicle moves only when the driver accelerates without necessarily disengaging the ABH. This happens throughout the drive time until ABH is disengaged or engine turned off.
Powertrain
The HR-V is powered by a spirited low running cost engine, and a front-wheel drive system that features a six-speed fully automatic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).
At full throttle, the CVT features revised shift mapping and at hard acceleration, it resembles the stepped gear changes of a conventional fixed-gear transmission. This “stepped” feel gives HR-V a more familiar feel during acceleration, while also helping to reduce interior noise levels. The HR-V’s CVT uses a more refined and natural feeling engagement, staying at lower revs more often.
Safety, Driver Assist Technologies
The 2019 HR-V benefits from a standard list of active and passive safety features such as Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control, standard driver and passenger front airbags on all grades, side airbags and side curtain airbags on the EX Grade only. Couple with these are Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Honda’s next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure. The EX Grade features a multi-angle rearview camera with wide view feature.
Grade, Colour
The all-new HR-V is available in two grades LX (with fabric seats) and EX (leather seats) and one interior colour – black combination with various exterior colour options, including lunar silver metallic, modern steel metallic, crystalb Pearl and passion red pearl.