The allure of the newest miniature-crossover format is based on the junction of a tall seating position, simple-to-park footprint, and all-wheel-drive for year round grip. Yet the explosive income of the Frontdrive-only Kia Soul (over 145 145,000 located houses last year) suggest that perhaps the booster seat impact and bite-dimension measurements are more significant than four driven wheels. All this is to state the two wheel drive Honda HRV reviewed here is a totally wonderful example of the appearing cute-ute breed.

People that find use for large parkas and that have a carpe diem approach toward wintertime will purchase the all-wheel-push HRV; gently rebellious suburban kinds will snap-up the (front drive-only) stickshift version; this automated-outfitted, front drive HRV is for everyone. Among a fast ballooning public that now comprises the Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, Nissan Juke, Mazda CX3, as well as the Mini Cooper Countryman, the Honda espouses an inoffensive, most extensive-allure doctrine, looking for the world such as an Acura RDX as seen through beer goggles.

Internal Beauty

As our moms remind us, yet, it is what's to the inside that counts. The HRV's gooey innards beam, and that is mainly because they are neither shiny nor gooey. Muffled, soft touch substances are everywhere, as well as on our best-spec $25,470 ex l check auto, leather-lined the seats and stitched vinyl coated almost the totality of each door panel, the dash, and the middle arm-rest. Lower trim levels get fabric-wrapped doors which might be just good, and in the event that it is possible to do without leather seats, navigation, and automated climate-control, the front drive HRV begins at $20,795 with a CVT. The look is clean and contemporary, although there are not any bodily buttons or knobs to augment the contact-delicate automated-climate control panel and the info-tainment screen. Overall, the atmosphere is a noticeable step up over the relatively low-cost-looking Fit subcompact which the HRV is centered, with much less sound at freeway speeds and a usually more significant feeling.

Cleverness abounds through the HRV's layout. Consider, as an example, the curvy-showing roof-line; it is a visible trick concealing a almost flat roof. Turning and folding "Magic" back seats borrowed in the Fit are reconfigurable in a gazillion different methods and when completely flattened start 58.8 cubic-feet of cargo space (somewhat more than you get in the AWD HRV). And saliva