MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?

Honda is aiming at the big-selling Nissan Qashqai with its new ZR-V. We find out if it's got what it takes

THE family sports utility vehicle is such big business in Europe that many manufacturers feel the need for a couple of entries in the segment.

Honda, however, thinks that three is the magic number: this is the new ZR-V, and it joins the firm's range with greater weight on its shoulders than its HR-V or CR-V rangemates, because it's pitched directly against the Nissan Qashqai. The car that kicked this class into overdrive 17 years ago is still going strong, with the Mk3 model currently third overall in the UK new-car sales charts for 2023. Can Honda steal some of its limelight?

Honda ZR-V

MODEL TESTED: ZR-V e:HEV Advance PRICE: £42,895 POWERTRAIN: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 181bhp

HONDA has been on a roll recently, and AE Civic one of our hatchbacks. Can the ZR-V live up to the standards set by its little brother? Here we're testing the SUV in top-spec Advance trim, which costs £42,895.

Tech highlights

HONDA believes the lines between B-segment and C-segment SUVS are blurred to the point where the Japanese brand can shoehorn an extra sub-category between its existing HR-V and CR-V models. It's a part of the class which contains the most popular family crossover of them all, the Nissan Qashqai, and one which Honda felt it needed to have a crack at.