Photo: Honda
They say that Honda sells great cars, just not in Europe. But for the first time since the debut of the turbo Type R, we want to disagree. Enter the HR-V Sport, going on sale with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that's not available anywhere else.
The American model was just updated, but it still only comes with a 1.8-liter making about 140 horsepower and not a lot of torque. Over in Asia, they just have a 1.5 and a hybrid version. But it seems the European hot hatch fanatics demanded something sporty, and they got a turbo.
The 1.5 VTEC Turbo is shared with many other Honda models, including the Civic and the CR-V. Even though it doesn't have the most stellar reputation right now, you can't say that systems from Ford or VW are problem-free.
Speaking of which, the HR-V sport is rated at 182 HP (134 kW) at 5,500rpm for 6MT and 6,000 rpm for CVT. It also makes 240 Nm with a stick, but you lose 20 Nm if you can't change your gears. Those specs are pretty much identical to the previous Ford Fiesta ST... minus the CVT part. Unfortunately, we don't have performance numbers but expect 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8 seconds or less and top speed between 210 and 220 km/h.
Small crossovers with that kind of power are pretty rare, most stopping around 140-150 HP. You can get up to 190 HP from the VW T-Roc, but we figure the HR-V Sport's main rivals are going to be of Korean make.
The engine isn't the only thing that you're getting. There's also a body kit which consists of a front splitter, side skirts, posher wheel arch trim, and a new rear bumper, all of which are done in gloss black, together with the 18-inch wheels. Two exhaust pipes let you know this is the sporty version of the HR-V.
The interior is garnished with black and red leather everywhere, including the dash, console, and armrests. We wouldn't call it pretty, but it's an improvement over the standard trim.
The 1.5 VTEC Turbo is shared with many other Honda models, including the Civic and the CR-V. Even though it doesn't have the most stellar reputation right now, you can't say that systems from Ford or VW are problem-free.
Speaking of which, the HR-V sport is rated at 182 HP (134 kW) at 5,500rpm for 6MT and 6,000 rpm for CVT. It also makes 240 Nm with a stick, but you lose 20 Nm if you can't change your gears. Those specs are pretty much identical to the previous Ford Fiesta ST... minus the CVT part. Unfortunately, we don't have performance numbers but expect 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8 seconds or less and top speed between 210 and 220 km/h.
Small crossovers with that kind of power are pretty rare, most stopping around 140-150 HP. You can get up to 190 HP from the VW T-Roc, but we figure the HR-V Sport's main rivals are going to be of Korean make.
The engine isn't the only thing that you're getting. There's also a body kit which consists of a front splitter, side skirts, posher wheel arch trim, and a new rear bumper, all of which are done in gloss black, together with the 18-inch wheels. Two exhaust pipes let you know this is the sporty version of the HR-V.
The interior is garnished with black and red leather everywhere, including the dash, console, and armrests. We wouldn't call it pretty, but it's an improvement over the standard trim.
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