On almost every day of the last week, some kind of news has broken in the compact SUV segment. From the Peugeot 2008 and Ford Puma, to Kia's new pair — the Seltos and the XCeed.
The tidal wave of little crossovers is good for those shopping in the segment, but it's also a slight concern for cars like the Honda HR-V.
The current second-gen HR-V has been on the market for almost four years now. And while it's aged reasonably well, the game is getting more competitive at a rapid rate of knots. Perfect timing then for Honda NZ to push out a value-laden new trim-level then.
The model in question is the new Limited, priced at a $35,500 start — slotting between the $32,990 Active and $35,990 AWD.
For the record, the range starts at the $29,990 HR-V S and goes all the way to the $39,990 HR-V Sport NT (... yes, 40 grand for an HR-V).
Read more: Honda HR-V RS road test
Honda claims that the Limited offers "outstanding value for money" via a "touch of extra luxury". It's a 'touch' that covers a variety of bases, from luxury-orientated features to outright tech features.
The Limited gains a few lashings of piano black finish, plus leather-appointed seats that in the front can be heated. LED (automatic) headlights, taillights, and front fog lights also factor, as do rear parking sensors.
There's also a Limited badge, with which to woo your friends.
The Limited model looks to bring a decent level of kit and value. It's a couple of grand cheaper than a similar spec'd Holden Trax LTZ (although automatic LTZ's just had a huge price chop), and also a few grand cheaper than an equivalent Mazda CX-3 GSX.
The Trax and CX-3 both pack their own counter-punches, but neither can match the HR-V for practicality (thanks largely Honda's 'magic seat' system).
