Advantages and Disadvantages of Honda HR-V 1.5L SE

 Honda HR-V is sold in four variants, S, E, SE and RS. All are sold in CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) automatic transmissions. The price starts from IDR 362.9 million to IDR 513.9 million

The only RS variant with a turbo engine. This type is the most expensive and differs very far from the regular gasoline engine variant. Honda HR-V is the most expensive naturally aspirated petrol engine, Type SE. The Honda HR-V SE is sold for IDR 403.1 million or the difference is IDR 110 million more. That much difference is it worth it? Or maybe the SE variant is more than enough?

It must be admitted, the performance of the Honda HR-V RS turbo engine is far superior to other versions with non-turbo engines. However, even though using an engine without the help of turbo induction, the difference in the price of Rp. 100 million is clear and cannot be ignored. Moreover, the difference in features and completeness is not so far away.

Incidentally, we had the opportunity to try both the Honda HR-V RS and Honda HR-V SE a while back. I took the Honda HR-V RS with a turbo engine to dance on the smooth asphalt track of the Mandalika circuit in Lombok on May 23, 2022. While I took the Honda HR-V SE with a gasoline engine with me around the island of Bali.

Driving experience trying both turned out to answer my question above. But in this article, I don't want to compare the Honda HR-V with a turbo engine with a non-turbo engine. But to look for the advantages and disadvantages of the Honda HR-V 1.5L SE CVT.

Advantages of Honda HR-V 1.5L SE

1. Performance

The Honda HR-V turbo engine successfully made me happy when taming the circuit that successfully held the 2022 MotoGP race. The performance of the 1.5 liter turbo engine that produces 177 PS with peak torque of 240 Nm far exceeds the performance of the Honda HR-V with the 1.8 liter engine from its first generation .

Indeed, when sitting in front of the wheel of the Honda HR-V 1.5L SE, you can really feel the difference. For comparison, the 1.5 liter naturally aspirated engine produces 121 PS of power with a peak torque of 145 Nm. The difference is pretty good isn't it? Of course the turbo engine produces far superior performance.

But when traveling around the island of Bali, never once did a Honda HR-V engine without a turbo disappoint me. Uphill roads in the Melasti Unggasan beach area can be conquered easily. Likewise when you want to maneuver on the Bali Mandara toll road. Remember, if you buy a Honda HR-V, you will use it on public roads, not on the race track or circuit. So, the performance provided by the Honda HR-V 1.5L SE is more than enough.

As an illustration, the performance of the Honda HR-V engine with a non-turbo engine is also quite good on paper when compared to its competitors. For example, the Hyundai Creta uses the same engine capacity of 1.5 liters. Its power is only 115 PS with peak torque of 145 Nm. In short, even among competitors, the Honda HR-V remains superior even though it is not the type of gasoline engine you choose.

In my opinion, more or less this performance is assisted by the latest EarthDream technology CVT (Continuous Variable Transmssion) transmission. The negative characteristics of a conventional CVT transmission usually make the engine forced to roar at high speed continuously when accelerating. The HR-V intelligent CVT transmission solves this problem by incorporating a torque converter function.

That's why, when you accelerate you will feel like you're driving a conventional automatic transmission car. Feels like there is a gear shift when the rpm needle has touched the red line. Moreover, there is a paddle shift that you can operate to seem to shift gears manually like a conventional automatic transmission car. This way, the driver does not have to worry about facing various driving situations or challenging steep roads.

One other interesting thing, Honda only embeds the 3-Mode Drive System only for the HR-V RS. That's why the driving mode switch is not available in this car. But actually, even if you don't use a special switch, you can still operate the three modes!

The eCON driving mode can be operated on the Honda HR-V 1.5L SE by pressing the button available on the center console. This mode provides moderate driving performance for optimal fuel efficiency.

If the Sport mode how to activate it? Easy, slide the shift lever to the 'S' position. Then the gas pedal response will feel more instant, just like you get when you activate the Sport driving mode on the Honda HR-V Turbo. Move the shift lever back to the 'D' position then you are driving in Normal mode.

2. Driving Comfort

The experience of driving a Honda HR-V with a turbo engine at the Mandalika circuit some time ago revealed a more sporty driving character than before. Well, the non-turbo variant turns out to use the same legs. The MacPherson Strut front suspension at the front and the H-Shape Torsion Beam at the rear are tuned identically.

That's why, at first I suspected that his sporty driving character gave an uncomfortable effect when used on public roads. But it turns out that the suspension slams tend to be comfortable. Although this car is fun to bend in corners, but the rebound of the suspension is good not to the point of causing back pain when running over an uneven road surface.

In addition, the Honda HR-V also has a very good level of NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). Not only the cabin is tight, the vibration is minimal, but there are no strange sounds that can be heard when driving. More than that, the dimensions of length 4,330 mm, width 1,790 mm and height 1,590 mm provide a spacious cabin space for every cabin occupant.

3. Safety Features

Honda HR-V comes with an integrated safety feature, Honda Sensing. Starting from Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed ​​Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM), Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN) to Auto High Beam .

Usually complete safety features are only available on the top or the most expensive variants. Amazingly, Honda provides Honda Sensing and all these features in all variants. Not only the SE variant, even the cheapest 1.5L S HR-V has all the safety features available in the RS variant.

In addition to all these features, standard safety features such as Hill Start Assist (HSA), Hill Decent Control (HDC), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Brake Override System (BOS), ABS brakes, EBD and BA , ISOFIX and Tether seats to Parking sensors are available on the SE variant. The difference from the RS variant, the SE type only has 4 airbags instead of 6 airbags. 

Disadvantages of Honda HR-V 1.5L SE

1. Panoramic Roof

It's no longer a secret that the latest Honda HR-V has a panoramic roof that is much larger than before. Yoshitomo Ihashi, Large Project Leader of the All-new Honda HR-V Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Automobile Operations, Monozukuri Center virtually to the media crew during the Honda HR-V Media Test Drive activity at the Mandalika Circuit (23/5) said "The reason is because we want to provide a different driving experience, namely with a larger panoramic roof. This unique roof allows the driver and front passenger to enjoy an even more pleasant view up."

Furthermore, he said if using the panoramic sunroof model as before, then there must be a frame and components of the sunroof opening and closing mechanism. So that the panoramic roof cannot possibly be sized like the current Honda HR-V.

The problem is not only that it cannot be opened, but that the cover or sun shade of the panoramic roof must be dismantled and assembled manually. Indeed, how to open or install it is quite easy, it's just not as easy as using an electric cover. For example, if you are driving alone and forget to close the panoramic roof when driving. If you want to close it you have to pull over first and put the cover on. Not to mention the cover must be stored in the trunk if you don't want to use the space. Different from the previous Honda HR-V electric panoramic sunroof. Even though it's smaller in size, if you want to open or close the sun shade, just press the button.

2. Multimedia System

The Honda HR-V RS and SE are equipped with an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen multimedia system with Weblink connectivity capabilities. You can operate several applications from smartphones on the multimedia system such as Google Maps using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Adequate.

But if there are several competitors, it turns out that what Honda has provided is still inferior. For example, the Hyundai Creta, a mid SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) from South Korea, presents its customers with the Bluelink feature. The features belonging to the Hyundai Creta have SOS or Emergency Assistance services, Stolen Vehicle Notification, Stolen Vehicle Tracking to Stolen Vehicle immobilization, Remote Climate Control, Remote Door Lock/Unlock to Remote Horn & Light Control. All that is not available on the Honda HR-V.

So in conclusion, for daily use in urban areas, the Honda HR-V 1.5L SE is sufficient. The RS variant's turbo engine performance is tempting, but make sure you choose that type if you have extra money. Because in addition to making up for performance, the RS variant has a number of differentiators on the exterior that make it look more exclusive than other variants. But almost all of the features it has are also owned by the SE variant which costs more than Rp. 100 million cheaper. It's not wrong why this variant is the most ordered by Indonesian consumers