Euro NCAP has just published its latest round of test results, which includes the all-new Honda HR-V that was launched in Europe late last year. Available solely with the e:HEV hybrid powertrain in Europe, the all-new HR-V managed to score four stars out of five in the extensive safety tests.
Breaking the scores down to its individual components, the Honda HR-V hybrid scored 82% in adult protection, 75% in child occupant protection, 72% in vulnerable road users protection, and 78% in safety assist, for a total score of 31.3 points.
The Honda HR-V performed decently throughout the crash tests, however the restraint performance, in particular for children seated in the rear, was less than ideal, resulting in a drop in score that moved the compact crossover into the four-star band.
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That being said, the Honda Sensing advanced driver assist features performed admirably in the tests, scoring 5.7/6 points for the AEB Car-to-Car test, 3.5/4 points for Lane Support tests, and 2.5/3 points for the Speed Assistance tests; points were mostly dropped in the Occupant Status Monitoring category, due to the system’s lack of a driver monitoring feature.
The Honda HR-V is widely believed to be making its way into the Malaysian market sometime this year, rumoured to also feature the same e:HEV hybrid powertrain as the Europe-spec car. Powered by an Atkinson cycle 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine and two electric motors, the hybrid system sends 131 hp and 253 Nm of torque to the front wheels via an e-CVT gearbox.
However, if Honda Malaysia’s recent product strategy is anything to go by, the e:HEV hybrid powertrain will only be reserved for the range-topping RS variant; the other lower variants will instead adopt the more traditional 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated VTEC engine making 121 hp and 145 Nm of torque.
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Honda also recently unveiled the non-hybrid RS variant in Indonesia, which features a 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine underneath its bonnet, packing 177 hp and 240 Nm of torque. However, we believe that it’s quite unlikely that we’ll see this particular configuration here in Malaysia.
While the ASEAN NCAP might arguably be more relevant in our parts of the world, the (more stringent) Euro NCAP tests should still give us a good idea on how these cars will perform under emergency situations.
GALLERY
