This new 2022 Honda HR-VÂ Vi X has the looks of an EV but don't be fooled as this is the bottom-spec petrol engine model (the top-spec e:HEV L version is a hybrid) and it's a four-seater small SUV.
Yes, you read that right, it's a four-seater SUV!? Honda omitted to install a top tether anchorage for the central seat so they are not allowed to put a seatbelt there, making the Honda HR-V only a four-seater SUV. Let's take a look at how that affects it as a BabyDrive…
The rear seats are split 60:40 and both have ISOFix points that are lovely and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the back of both seatbacks that are easy to connect to as well.
Two Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the back with a lot of space around the seats. I installed the Infasecure Attain More rear-facing and the Achieve More forward-facing.
Legroom is FANTASTIC in the 2022 Honda HR-V and we could easily fit a 186cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat. Having only two seats in the back does make it nice and spacious but you do lose the flexibility of being able to give a third passenger a lift.
The rear seats of the Honda HR-V have another trick up their sleeves! Named ‘Magic Seats' the rear seat bases can be raised up to give great storage if you need to carry a plant from Bunnings or you do an Ikea trip!
This bottom-spec Vi X model HR-V doesn't have rear air vents or USB sockets for rear passenger comfort, however the top spec e:HEV L hybrid model does have both. Instead, this Vi X model has two little storage areas in the back of the central console box.
Rear passengers do get other handy storage too, there's a fold-down armrest between the two rear seats that has two cup holders.
The rear doors do not have door bins but a cup holder instead, which is in a great position for passengers to easily access their coffee cup or water bottle. The handle doubles as a little storage well too.
A single map pocket on the back of the front passenger seat has a clever slot in the top right to store your phone and the larger section will hold and conceal an iPad.
In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console. They will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
The central console box behind them is quite small.
In front of the gear lever are two phone storage shelves and USB sockets.
The glove box will hold an iPad and wallet with the manual and the front passengers do get door bins, which will hold a refillable water bottle and wallet and there are little storage handle wells too.
The bottom-spec Vi X, model I tested did not have a powered tailgate but the top-spec hybrid model does get that too.
The boot of the Honda HR-V is a surprising size and will hold ten shopping bags when empty, which is comparable to the Peugeot 2008 and Mazda CX-30 which both also hold ten shopping bags. The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid holds nine shopping bags and the Kia Seltos just pips them all holding eleven shopping bags.
It was a tight fit for a twin side-by-side pram and this had to go on its side to fit in the boot space of the HR-V.
A double modular pram fits the floor in the boot of the 2022 Honda HR-V with a couple of shopping bags too.
You could comfortably transport a small or medium size pet dog in the boot of the 2022 Honda HR-V and the boot floor is flat and carpeted, making it ideal for those emergency nappy changes.
When it comes to driving the 2022 Honda HR-V, I really didn't like the feeling of the steering wheel in my hands as the hard surface reminded me of elephant skin, making it feel basic and although it seems a minor cosmetic thing it affected my enjoyment of driving. Driving gloves might make a comeback for HR-V owners! If you test-drove an HR-V (or own one) and think the same, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
The steering is light and the turning circle is tiny for this little car which of course makes driving in town and manoeuvring in car parks nice and easy.
The 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X is a revvy little car though, and the engine seems a bit gruff (I remember Hondas being so silky smooth) so if you live in a hilly place it's a consideration. The hybrid might give a smoother experience!
Visibility is great out of the back of the Honda HR-V and with a maximum of two passengers in the back, you have a great line of vision out of the rear window. Also, being so spacious inside, you can see well out of the rear side windows too.
The media system in the 2022 Honda HR-V has Apple CarPlay which is great for being able to access your phone's navigation, listening and messaging apps etc while driving along.
But the Honda media system feels a little old-fashioned to use…
…although it has built-in sat-nav which is good…
…and DAB+ digital radio which is great.
The reversing camera image fills the whole screen but it is a little pixelated. There are a few camera angles you can choose from in the bottom left of the screen and you can turn the parking sensors off with a button by the driver's right knee.
The 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X makes a VERY spacious little four-seater family car with amazing legroom.
There are some great features in there, like the ‘Magic Seats' in the back…
…easily reached rear door cup holders…
…and phone storage in the rear map pocket.
The revvy engine and the uncomfortable steering wheel ruined the experience for me but the top-spec e:HEV L hybrid model has a nicer and more tactile steering wheel and a less revvy engine as well as the rear air vents to make rear passengers more comfortable (and so it should for an extra $10,000, yes you read that right).
The 2022 Honda HR-V has six airbags as standard and is yet to be given an ANCAP crash test score.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X?
This 2022 Honda HR-V will hold ten shopping bags in its boot, which is comparable to the Peugeot 2008 and Mazda CX-30 which both also hold ten shopping bags. The Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid holds nine shopping bags and the Kia Seltos just pips them all holding eleven shopping bags.
The twin stroller only fits in the boot of the Honda HR-V on its side but with it like this you can also fit five shopping bags.
A modular, tandem stroller fits in the boot of the Honda HR-V with two shopping bags beside it.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
A single pram fits in the boot of the Honda HR-V with two shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot of the Honda HR-V with seven shopping bags beside it.
You can fit a small or medium size dog in the boot of the Honda HR-V .
The boot floor of the Honda HR-V is flat and carpeted – perfect for an emergency nappy change!
It also has some great underfloor storage too.
How good is storage inside the 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X?
There are some good storage solutions inside the 2022 Honda HR-V that are practical for families. In the front there are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.
The central console storage box is quite small and there are no USB sockets in there…
…they are in front of the gear lever along with two shelves for phone charging and storage.
The glove box will hold my iPad and wallet with the manual.
The front door bins will hold a large refillable water bottle and wallet behind it, and the handles are little storage wells too.
In the second row, there are no door bins, there is a cup holder in the door that is easily reached by little rear passengers and the handle is a little storage well too, good for popping a snack or toy into.
There is a fold-down armrest in between the two rear seats with two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
There is a map pocket in the back of the front passenger seat with a separate little holder for a phone which is handy and the single map pocket will conceal an iPad. There are no USB sockets or air vents in the back of this bottom-spec Vi X model but the top-spec e:HEV L hybrid model has both. This Vi X model has two storage areas in the back of the central console box instead.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X?
The media system in the Honda HR-V feels a little bit old-fashioned to navigate and use.
It does have built-in sat-nav…
…and digital DAB+ radio…
… and also includes Apple CarPlay which is great for accessing your phone and all the messaging, navigating and listening apps etc you have on there while driving.
The camera image does fill the whole screen and there are different angles to view from too.
You can turn the parking sensors off with a button in the central console.
The doors and windows of the Honda HR-V close gently, so they are not baby waking.
The doors close quite easily with a gentle close, which was surprising for a car of this size. With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.
With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!Â
Road and wind noise are not too bad in the Honda HR-V and definitely don't disturb your journey.
You can lock the doors and windows separately from the driver's door control panel.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X?
There are only two top tether anchorages in the rear seats of the Honda HR-V and because of this, the Honda HR-V is only a four-seater car. Because Honda committed to put a central seat top tether anchorage they were not allowed to put a seatbelt in the central seat for the Australian market.
There are ISOFix points in the two rear seats of the Honda HR-V, that are within plastic guides and nice and easy to connect to.
Two Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the back with a lot of space around the seats. I installed the Infasecure Attain More rear-facing and the Achieve More forward-facing.
Posting Bub into their child seat was easy from outside the Honda HR-V and from inside the ceiling is quite high so it is easy to post them in from inside too.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back of the Honda HR-V if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2022 Honda HR-V? And How good is the 2022Â Honda HR-V to drive?
The front cabin of the 2022 Honda HR-V is minimal and clutter-free, which is enjoyable.
The seats are comfortable, however, the surface of the steering wheel feels horrible in my hands. I'd love to know if you tried one and thought the same, let me know in the comments!
I could not wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are comfortable and you have so much personal space and legroom!
For the first year of my Bub's life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
The cruise controls are on the right of the steering wheel and are easy to use.
Across the front dashboard, there are four air-conditioning vents that can be easily controlled using the three dials below the media screen.
In the second row, there are no air-conditioning vents or rear USB sockets in this bottom-spec Vi X model. They are both in the top-spec hybrid model.
Visibility in the Honda HR-V is good especially because it is so spacious internally and because it can only take two car seats or passengers in the back seats.
When maneuvering or parking, the good visibility out the windows make it nice and easy.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. The Honda HR-V, was easy to park in our tight apartment block carpark.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2022 Honda HR-V Vi X?
The 2022 Honda HR-V is yet to be given an ANCAP safety rating.
Six airbags come as standard in the Honda HR-V; Dual frontal, side chest, and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags for front and second rows.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
Share on
About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
Few people I’m sure would consider the Audi Q2 as their main family car, but how did it stack up when it was put through our tests and driven as our family car for a week? Read More
The Mitsubishi Outlander is available as a five and seven-seater, and we tested the five-seat LS version to see just how BabyDrive friendly this SUV really is! Our first impressions of this model were how seriously spacious it is both in the front and back, although we could only fit two child seats across the back row Read More
Be the first to comment