2024 Honda ZR-V VTi X+ review

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2024 Honda ZR-V VTi X+

If you were shopping for a family car in Australia a little over a decade ago, you may recall Honda hedged its bets with two mid-size sedans, with one a little more compact than the other.

Fast-forward to the present day and Honda Australia has a similar line-up at play, only this time in the medium SUV category. There’s the CR-V for bigger families, and the ZR-V for those who might just be starting out – or families who have reached the downsizing stage.

It’s a smart play, though it can be a little confusing for buyers who don’t have a clear-cut idea of what suits them best.

After launching the ZR-V in mid-2023, the small-to-medium SUV has built a fast following. To the end of August, the CR-V has racked up 4407 sales, while the ZR-V is a little behind on 3290 units. Sure, it’s not as popular as its bigger sibling, but it’s winning over buyers just fine, and has pulled ahead of the smaller HR-V (with 2111 sales year to date).

Think of the ZR-V as a match for Mazda’s CX-5 range and you can see why the model was a must-have for Australia.

While the range-topping variant comes with a hybrid powertrain, lower-spec variants are petrol-powered, like the ZR-V VTi X+ we have here. It’s the entry point to the 2024 ZR-V range, and in line with recent updates, features an updated range of safety features with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert that were previously unavailable on the base model but now standard.

It’s only a small change, sure, but is it enough to alter our outlook on the ZR-V? We jump behind the wheel to find out.

How much does the Honda ZR-V cost in Australia?

In an attempt to be more straightforward, and easier to understand, Honda lists the price of all its cars as ‘drive-away’ rather than the usual practice of quoting a price before on-road costs that doesn’t end up being the final price you pay. This also means Honda has a no-negotiation price structure. The price you see is the price you pay.

As the cheapest model in the ZR-V range, the VTi X+ is priced from $39,900 drive-away, with no extra cost for premium paint – although your options are limited to Platinum White Pearl (shown here), Platinum Grey Metallic, and Premium Crystal Garnet (burgundy). As you move up the range, additional colours are also available.

At the top of the range, the ZR-V VTi LX is priced from $49,900 drive-away, while the ZR-V e:HEV LX hybrid is available for $55,400 drive-away.

All non-hybrid models are powered by the same turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, with a CVT automatic and front-wheel drive.

The VTi X+ comes with adaptive LED headlights, LED tail-lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and push-button start, premium fabric seat trim, leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a 10.2-inch digital instrument display, and 9.0-inch infotainment screen with five years’ access to Honda Connect services.

The sharp drive-away pricing is sure to be a lure, although the ZR-V isn’t alone here, with the MG HS range starting from a cheaper still $33,990 and topping out at $40,990 drive-away.

The Skoda Karoq kicks off from an evenly matched $39,990 drive-away, and a special offer on the Mitsubishi Outlander sees it priced from $41,930 drive-way at the time of writing with a $1500 prepaid Mastercard thrown in to sweeten the deal.

If you did decide that a larger car was a better fit for you, the Honda CR-V range kicks off from $44,700 drive-away.

How much space does the Honda ZR-V have inside?

There’s a strong family resemblance that runs through Honda’s current line-up, so the interior of the ZR-V feels familiar. Maybe even a touch more adventurous… but only a little.

The dash has a width-emphasising horizontal design, with a mesh strip that hides the air vents running from side-to-side. Below that are a row of neat climate controls, clearly labelled and easy to use.

Centre console storage is a strong suit with an open shelf ahead of the gear lever, then a pair of cupholders. A little unusually there’s a handle-like section between the front seats, but instead of being a pull-out section, it hides another semi-open storage space. Usually this kind of open storage lives further forward, but at least here between the seats, things can’t easily slide out.

The interior touchpoints are a masterclass in making an interior feel premium. Any surface you touch has a soft feel to it, and the knobs and buttons all offer a truly satisfying and precise click, letting you know from touch alone when you’ve made an input. It sounds silly, but in a world of often-ambiguous touch inputs, this approach makes a big difference.

The fabric-trimmed seats are quite comfortable. There’s no lumbar adjust, but between the seat height and steering tilt and reach adjustment, getting set behind the wheel is simple. The leather-wrapped steering wheel also disguises the base-model feel quite well.

Rear-seat space feels good for a car of this size, with no complaints when it comes to head room, knee room and foot room. Rear-seat passengers have vents through the console and a pair of USB-C charge ports, while up front there’s one USB-C and one USB-A.

The rear doors are a little more compact than those on the CR-V (or the Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander for that matter), so it might be worth factoring in the ease of entry for little ones that need help buckling into booster seats. Kids in the rear probably won’t mind, but adults in the back may find the floor is quite high, resulting in a knees-up stance that’s not ideal on longer trips.

The rear seats don’t offer recline adjustment either, although handily the rear seat base folds itself down as you fold the 60:40-split backrest for one-handed flat floor expansion. It’s not quite the Magic Seats from Hondas of old, but it’s a thoughtful touch nonetheless.

Boot space measures 380 litres, putting it at the smaller end of the medium SUV class. The Mazda CX-5 claims 438L, the new MG HS has a 507-litre capacity, while a Skoda Karoq Select offers 521L.

The boot is light on extra gimmicks and hidden features too. There are fold-away bag hooks, and smaller side pockets (which are pretty much expected these days) plus a 12-volt outlet, and a floor that can be folded into a pair of cargo dividers, but there’s no under-floor or wet-area storage, and no seat-fold levers in the boot.

Does the Honda ZR-V have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

Much like the interior design, the infotainment system is a common element across a range of Honda models. In the ZR-V, all grades come with a 9.0-inch touchscreen, which feels okay for this base model, though it does feel a little small in more expensive versions when rivals call in 10- to 12-inch displays.

The system comes with wireless and wired Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, Bluetooth, and AM, FM and DAB digital radio. Inbuilt navigation isn’t included until you get to the more expensive VTi LX version.

The screen is clear, with high-contrast displays and a simple layout structure that’s intuitive to use. There’s a safety warning that must be confirmed at each start-up, and if you miss it the screen goes into standby mode, which is a little frustrating.

All Honda ZR-Vs come with a five-year subscription to Honda Connect, a smartphone app that allows the car to be remotely locked and unlocked, its cabin remotely cooled, location tracked, fuel level checked, and other internet-connected features. Over-the-air software updates are also included.

The graphics of the 10.2-inch digital instrument display, like the infotainment system, are simple but clear and easy to read. Personalisation options are basic – you can change the information shown within the speedometer and tachometer dials, but not the layout or format of the instruments. There’s a detailed driver-assist screen in the middle of the screen too.

Audio is provided by an eight-speaker sound system, and while it didn’t win over everyone in the Drive office, I found the sound quality to be good. It’s not a premium or high-end system, but it’s pretty punchy with good clarity. You get some distortion at higher volumes, but I think most people will be happy enough with the sound reproduction on offer.

Is the Honda ZR-V a safe car?

The Honda ZR-V didn’t quite make the grade for a full five-star ANCAP result, with a four-star rating applied to cars sold in Australia, matching the four-star result granted by overseas affiliate Euro NCAP.

The ZR-V received a 79 per cent rating for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, an 81 per cent ranking for vulnerable road user protection, and a 68 per cent safety assist systems score. In order to be considered eligible for a five-star rating, a car must score 80 per cent or higher for adult and child protection and 70 per cent or higher for pedestrian protection and safety systems – if any one of these scores falls under the threshold, the car cannot qualify as a five-star car.

What safety technology does the Honda ZR-V have?

With the addition of the ‘plus’ grades, the ZR-V range addresses some earlier missing equipment.

Both the VTi X+ tested here and the next grade up, the VTi L+, add blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. When the ZR-V first launched, these features were only available on the more expensive VTi LX and e:HEV LX grades.

Other features previously available also continue, including emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, driver attention warning, automatic high beams, tyre pressure monitoring, and a rear-view camera.

There’s also a higher than average airbag count for the segment. All ZR-V models come with 11 airbags. This is comprised of dual front, front-side and head-protecting side curtains – plus a front-centre airbag to prevent front occupants' heads clashing in severe side impacts, knee airbags for both front occupants, and something less commonly seen, rear-side airbags on the outboard seats.

Systems like speed sign recognition, lane assist and lane centring work well, with a nice cooperative feel for the lane guidance that doesn’t fight the driver, though it can wobble and wiggle the wheel a little to position the car. I found the adaptive cruise-control system to be a bit too slow to react, often rushing up on a slowing lead vehicle and triggering the forward collision warning and slamming on the brakes if the driver didn’t manually intervene. Honda could do better here.

Previously we’ve called out some issues with the lane systems too, though on this occasion the system seemed to handle itself much more appropriately. This matches the experience we had in a subsequent review of the ZR-V hybrid, which matched our experience this time around.

How much does the Honda ZR-V cost to maintain?

Honda’s base warranty for Australian vehicles is a five-year, unlimited-kilometre policy; however, from time to time special offers may extend this. At the time of writing, Honda was offering runout 2023 stock with an eight-year warranty and eight years’ roadside assist. Your dealer can let you know if this applies to a car you’re purchasing, but the VTi X+ tested here is a 2024 model, not a 2023.

Honda’s servicing program is one of the cheapest in Australia with each of the first five scheduled visits priced at $199 each. Service intervals are set every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first, and down slightly on the 15,000km intervals offered by a number of rivals.

Over five years that’s a relatively light $995, if you’re within the distance cap. Over the same five services an MG HS asks $2354, while an MY24 Outlander would cost $1700.

As a snapshot of insurance cost, we were quoted $1570 by a leading insurer based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances. Running the same details for an entry-level Outlander netted the same $1570 premium, but an MG HS Excite was quoted at $1877 per year.

Is the Honda ZR-V fuel-efficient?

The ZR-V VTi X+ has the lowest fuel consumption claim of the non-hybrid range at 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres. The VTi L+ and VTi LX are 0.2L/100km higher, but the hybrid e:HEV LX is the outright consumption leader at 5.0L/100km.

In the real world that 7.0L/100km figure translated as 8.2L/100km for me, over a mix of Monday to Friday commuting in thick traffic, plus open-road runs. The ZR-V appears to be quite efficient on the highway, but it seems to struggle around town. It’s worth pointing out that this car arrived in the Drive garage with 23km on the odometer, so after a run-in period that could stabilise.

It’s still decent, but if your driving skew is purely urban, results may not be as good. At the claimed consumption a tank will cover just under 815km, but at the rate we recorded it’s more likely to be 695km, which is a handy amount of distance.

All Honda ZR-Vs can run on 91-octane regular unleaded fuel, meaning you can keep running costs a little lower.

What is the Honda ZR-V like to drive?

The ZR-V feels a lot like a car that’s designed to be unobtrusive and predictable, so that it’s not the thing at the front of your mind. For a car that’s likely to get pressed into family duty, that’s good. School projects, work deadlines, or holiday plans should be your priority.

As such, the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol under the bonnet delivers its 131kW and 240Nm without much fuss. The front wheels are driven via a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which works to keep power delivery smooth and unnecessary engine noise low.

In the rolling flow of daily traffic, the ZR-V can keep pace easily enough. It’s a little sluggish from a standstill if you aim for peak performance straight away, but once rolling it feels more spirited.

The CVT automatic rarely makes itself known. While this type of transmission isn’t renowned for its crispness, Honda has tried to make it feel a bit more natural, with a traditional kickdown feel and some stepped gear changes if you drive it hard. It can be a touch slow to react, but for most people it’ll simply go unnoticed and settle into a relaxed pace around town.

There’s an Eco mode button on the console, or a dedicated Sport mode via the transmission lever, but neither makes a dramatic difference to how the ZR-V drives in most situations. My one gripe is that it’s too easy to pull the gear selector into S, which sits just below D, so it’s easy to unintentionally select.

The suspension dealt well with the typical bumps and hollows of suburban streets, and feels like it could blot out spoon drains and driveway entries all day. It’s not as forgiving over smaller, sharper hits, though, so tarmac patch-ups and expansion joints in the road surface can be easily felt in the cabin.

The ZR-V VTi X+ is the only model in the range on 17-inch wheels with higher-profile tyres (215/60 R17), while higher grades use an 18-inch wheel (and 225/55 R18 tyres). While the difference is unlikely to be profound between the different wheel packages, rural tourers are sure to favour the slightly more forgiving 17s. The ZR-V VTI X+ comes on a set of quality Bridgestone Alenza tyres too, which is nice to see.

There is some road noise, and the cabin does tend to reverb cabin noise around. When loaded up with passengers and cargo you’ll notice it less, but with just the driver on board, noise can pick up.

On the other hand, wind noise is almost non-existent. Visibility out of the cabin is excellent too, with very slim windscreen pillars, and good visibility in all directions. The exterior mirrors are plus-sized too, making it easier to switch lanes and check your surroundings.

Steering is just a little heavier than you might expect. Not difficult to manoeuvre at slow speeds, but nicely settled at motorway speeds. Handling is decent, and for a car with no real performance aspirations, it’s satisfying, but above all settled and calm where you’d expect it to be.

Can a Honda ZR-V tow?

The Honda ZR-V has a decent 1500kg braked towing capacity, making it capable of light-duty work. The unbraked towing limit is 700kg.

The base-model ZR-V also has a 590kg payload, which is a decent amount, and allows it to safely carry five average adults plus some luggage without running over the maximum carrying capacity.

Should I buy a Honda ZR-V?

Honda’s clever positioning of the ZR-V means that anyone who’s had a CR-V before, but doesn’t need the bigger dimensions of the current model, can trade into a ZR-V. At the same time, the slightly smaller size puts it neck-and-neck with the popular CX-5. Meanwhile, the pricing kicks off with a strong value play.

This isn’t a benchmark car and it doesn’t redefine its category, but then not every car needs to. It is approachable and sensible, and while that sounds like faint praise, it’s actually a solid selling point.

The four-star safety rating is a bit of a miss, and even with the updated tech, the ZR-V remains a four-star proposition (and the adult occupant rating needs work before this can come up). Is it a deal-breaker? Perhaps not, but you can buy safer.

Ultimately, the ZR-V may not be the right fit for all, but as the popular medium SUV category encompasses buyers of all types, the ZR-V is sure to be the right fit for some.

How do I buy a Honda ZR-V – next steps?

As a starter kit into the range, the ZR-V VTi X+ comes well equipped and doesn’t really feel like it’s missing anything crucial. If you want more bells and whistles you can move up through the range, but this entry point might be worth a thorough look if the ZR-V appeals to you.

Stock is starting to filter into dealers now, but the 2024 ZR-V VTi X+ is outnumbered by the older VTi X model. It comes with added warranty and roadside assist, but misses out on the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert of this updated model.

To contact a Honda dealer for more information on cars in stock, click here to find your nearest showroom. You can also find Honda vehicles for sale at Drive Marketplace.

To read our latest news on the Honda ZR-V since this review was published, click here.

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