2026 Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX review

The Honda ZR-V is a premium-pitched mid-size SUV alternative to the prolific Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage, with its high-end tilt seeing it match up roughly on price to the much older Mazda CX-5.

As Honda’s newest nameplate, the five-door, five-seat ZR-V was introduced here in 2023, with the flagship LX variant we’re testing here being the only model grade to offer a hybrid powertrain until a planned update later in 2026.

It’s also offered with a range of petrol engines, but the hybrid ZR-V blends the best fuel economy in the lineup with the most comprehensive equipment list to make it a convincing on-paper proposition.

The ZR-V was the second most popular Honda in the Australian range in 2024 after the CR-V, and the Japanese brand’s third most popular model in 2025 behind its other two SUVs – the smaller HR-V and larger CR-V – so should Honda’s number-three best-seller be your number one?

How much does the Honda ZR-V cost?

The ZR-V e:HEV – meaning ‘electric’ Hybrid Electric Vehicle – is offered solely in this LX flagship, priced at $54,900 before on-road costs but including pearlescent paint.

That’s $5900 more than the list price of the purely petrol-powered LX but over $2000 less than the top-spec front-wheel drive version of the new RAV4 Cruiser – with a 2.5-litre HEV setup – at $56,990 before on-roads.

While almost $55k isn’t what you’d call cheap for a smallish front-drive mid-size SUV, the new RAV4 Cruiser all-wheel drive (something no ZR-V is available with) is even pricier at $60,340 plus on-roads.

Our test car is finished in Nordic Forest, which was added to the colour palette in 2025, with the bright Premium Crystal Blue Metallic paintwork offered for the MY24 ZR-V e:HEV LX no longer available.

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Honda ZR-V like on the inside?

The Honda ZR-V LX’s premium, well thought-out interior comes with soft yet supportive leather-upholstered seats, with a design shaped by organic, soft curves rather than straight lines, adding some welcome style.

The dark cabin colour of our test car – the only interior available – comprises subtle grey stitching on the doors, dash and centre console, where there’s a ‘floating’ section providing stowage beneath it, adding to the generously deep, conventionally placed central storage bin.

The gear selector – which has integrated push-buttons instead of a physical shift mechanism – is metal, not plastic, and there are physical textured buttons for the air-conditioning.

Further elevating the interior design are thick, steering column-mounted stalks for the headlights, indicators and windscreen wipers, which are sturdy yet have a soft-edged, premium action.

The steering wheel rim has a fantastic leather wrap and is of perfect thickness, making it feel solid yet not like you’re driving with mitts on, and it’s perfectly sized and positioned with plenty of rake and reach adjustment.

It hosts audio and cruise control buttons, among others, including a naff placement of the steering wheel heating button on the lower part of the central spoke.

The front driver’s seat has two memory settings for its electric adjustment – including height, which is missing from the front passenger’s power seat.

The 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster is crisp and shows the basics, as per other ZR-V grades, including advanced driver assist system (ADAS) functions such as lane-centring, but this hybrid also displays when electric power is being used.

The display changes colour, too, to indicate which of the three driving modes you’re in, but the ZR-V’s instruments don’t have the level of customisation to match some rivals – and there’s no head-up display.

On the plus side, there’s another physical knob for audio volume below the central touchscreen – in addition to the steering wheel controls – and it’s even on the driver’s side.

The multimedia screen is 9.0-inch and noticeably smaller than the touchscreens in some of the ZR-V’s rivals, including the RAV4 (at least 10.5-inch) and CX-5 (10.2-inch), and features a dedicated power source meter displaying powertrain range and efficiency.

While simple to use, the graphics of the touchscreen are perhaps a little basic compared to the sophistication of the rest of the cabin, and the ZR-V’s otherwise understated elegance and confidence overall.

There’s also wireless smartphone connectivity, plus wireless charging – which worked every time – for a single phone beneath the dash.

There’s loads of front headroom, and while the ZR-V’s cabin isn’t the widest, it’s far from cramped. The second row has a tad less headroom – and again, three adults would be a squeeze – but two adults are easily accommodated in the back.

There are also rear air vents on the back of the centre console – and two USB-C ports – plus a centre armrest with cupholders, and four speakers.

There are also three top-tether points and a pair of ISOFIX anchors in the second row for child seats, while the cargo area has a two-tier floor – but no spare wheel.

The hybrid loses 10 litres of boot space compared with petrol-only ZR-Vs, making it 370L, which is expandable to 1302L with the second-row seatbacks folded down. That’s less than in the RAV4 (580L/1690L), CX-5 (506L/1620L) and Nissan Qashqai (452L/1518L).

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The ZR-V e:HEV is both the most potent and fuel-efficient member of the ZR-V lineup, with a hybrid system comprising a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electronic continuously variable automatic transmission (eCVT) containing a pair of electric motors to produce total outputs of 135kW of power and 315Nm of torque.

The petrol-electric powertrain makes this the heaviest ZR-V, too, weighing 76kg more than the similarly equipped non-hybrid ZR-V VTi LX, with a kerb weight of 1586kg.

Combined fuel consumption is 5.0L/100km, which is slightly more than the RAV4’s 4.7L/100km but significantly less than petrol-only ZR-V variants, which consume between 7.0 and 7.2L/100km depending on model grade.

It also gives the ZR-V e:HEV a theoretical range of 1140km from its 57-litre petrol tank.

In the real world, we left the ZR-V mostly in Normal mode around town, allowing the vehicle to figure out whether petrol or electric power was best for any given application, and saw 5.4L/100km during our time with it.

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Honda ZR-V drive?

The ZR-V is a star performer from the driver’s seat – and lives up to traditional Honda expectations by feeling like a thoroughly engineered premium SUV.

The leather-trimmed driver’s seat has plenty of electric adjustment – and two memory settings – and plenty of steering column adjustment means you’ll easily find the perfect position for the leather-wrapped steering wheel, which is of ideal size, thickness and feel.

Fuller-bodied ZR-V drivers may find the seats a tad narrow – we were sitting partly on the side bolsters – but they’re not uncomfortable and could even do with more bolstering.

Aside from the dash-mounted starter button, you’ll find push-buttons on the centre console to select Drive – with a green light band surround showing it’s ready – plus an odd switch to select Reverse, and more buttons for Neutral and Park.

The hybrid powertrain is smooth, kicking off in EV mode and presenting a responsive throttle – which is great in traffic, yet its sharpness is balanced well enough to allow small movements when parking.

The switch between EV mode – indicated by a green ‘EV’ light on the crisp digital instrument cluster – and petrol engine propulsion is near-seamless, and the 2.0-litre engine’s whir is quiet and unobtrusive, before growing to a characterful yet raspy note when you stab the accelerator pedal.

The metal paddles on the steering wheel alter brake regeneration levels to top up the battery, and you can also swap out the default Normal drive mode for either Eco or Sport – though neither offers drastic changes to the driving experience.

That’s not a bad thing, because the ZR-V absolutely excels from behind the wheel. The smooth powertrain – delivering plenty of power, which it puts through the front wheels mostly without fuss – is teamed with crisp, accurate steering.

The suspension – which includes an independent rear-end thanks to underpinnings shared with the excellent Civic – delivers a comfortable ride on the 18-inch alloys, isolating bumps superbly without feeling soggy or overly soft.

The same is true for body control, with a superb chassis package that settles quickly around corners and delivers plenty of lateral grip from its Bridgestone tyres.

Push the ZR-V outside its comfort zone and it remains shockingly good. Its cornering prowess, again inherited from the Civic, hasn’t been diluted by the step up in ride height, delivering class-leading poise and road holding.

Apart from occasional wheelspin if you trounce it off the line, it’s unflappable and simply great to drive, which is something you can’t say of too many SUVs.

On the freeway, its smoothness and refinement come to the fore, with easy-to-use adaptive cruise control, good all-round vision, and a driver assistance suite that’s generally not too intrusive.

We found the lane-centring system didn’t actually position the ZR-V in the middle of its lane, instead sitting it slightly to one side – not a major issue, but it did cause us to check if the system was on.

The ZR-V is a highly polished, satisfyingly poised and very well-engineered SUV – there’s not an ounce of sloppiness or vagueness in its ride/handling package – that displays refreshingly good balance and behaviour in a wide variety of road conditions.

In fact, the ZR-V is a revelation for a relatively compact SUV – it drives like the premium product it’s pitched as.

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The e:HEV LX sits at the top of a four-grade ZR-V lineup in 2026, with a suitably generous equipment list.

2026 Honda ZR-V VTi X highlights:

• Adaptive LED headlights
• Active cornering lights
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Hill descent control
• 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
• 8-speaker sound system
• Black fabric upholstery
• Dual-zone climate control
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter
• Upholstered centre console with French stitching
• Front USB ports (1 x USB-A and 1 x USB-C)
• Rear USB ports (2 x USB-C)
• Rear air vents
• Space-saver spare wheel
• 60/40-split, folding rear seats

ZR-V VTi L adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Heated exterior mirrors
• Hands-free power tailgate with walk-away closing
• Rear privacy glass
• Combination LED tail-lights
• Black leatherette upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Metal paddle shifters
• LED ambient lighting (roof)

ZR-V VTi LX adds:

• 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels
• Body-coloured lower bumpers and wheel arches
• Selectable drive modes (Sport, Normal, Economy)
• 12-speaker Bose sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• Satellite navigation
• Black leather upholstery
• Eight-way power driver’s seat with memory
• Four-way power front passenger seat
• Heated rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Sports pedals
• ‘Door Line Illumination’
• Auto-tilting mirrors in reverse
• Plasmacluster air purification system

ZR-V e:HEV LX adds:

• Smart key card
• Shift-by-wire gear selector
• Tyre repair kit (in lieu of a space-saver spare)
• Humidity sensor

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Honda ZR-V safe?

The Honda ZR-V received a four-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) safety rating in 2023, which is valid until 2029.

The ZR-V lost points by not having rear cross-traffic alert available in any model grade, preventing a five-star rating.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• AEB incl. pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow
• Driver attention monitoring
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Lane keep assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• 11 airbags
  • Dual front, knee airbags
  • Centre airbag
  • Front and rear side airbags
  • Full-length curtain airbags

All ZR-Vs have side and curtain airbags for both rows, plus dual front airbags, a front-centre airbag, and a driver’s knee airbag.

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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

Honda offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle and battery warranty, and five years of roadside assistance.

To see how the Honda ZR-V lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s take on the Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX

The Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX is an excellent overall package, combining quality fit and finish and a strong list of standard equipment with a super-efficient, well-mannered hybrid powertrain and class-leading driving dynamics.

There are only a few foibles, including the exterior design which attracts mixed reactions, a slightly small boot, a relatively compact touchscreen, and a four-star ANCAP safety rating, which may limit its appeal for some.

But get into the driver’s seat and it handles so well it’s like using a surgeon’s scalpel to eat a steak, while many of its competitors proffer blunt plastic cutlery.

There are cheaper options, of course, but they also feel cheaper. There’s clear value in stepping up to the ZR-V e:HEV – especially if you want a polished driving experience in an SUV that’s efficient, well considered and brilliantly executed.

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