The Pakistani car market has experienced a major transition. We now finally have some other, actually a lot more, manufacturers to choose from. The arrival of automakers like Kia, Hyundai, MG and Haval has infused the crossover SUV trend in the local market. As a result, existing auto giants have no choice but to up their game and offer for the new category. Honda has the 3rd Generation HR-V for an answer. Today we make a side-by-side comparison of the Honda HR-V vs Kia Sportage.
Overview
In Pakistan, Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited launched the international second-generation as first gen Honda HRV. Honda HR-V is an international variant of the Japanese Honda Vezel, a compact crossover without Hybrid technology. 2nd generation HRV is identical to Honda Vezel Hybrid except for minor cosmetic differences like the different front grille and hybrid technology. HR-V stands for Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle.
The HR-V 3rd Generation is now locally assembled and is offered in 2 variants, VTI and VTI S. It is a subcompact crossover SUV, also known as Honda Vezel, in the Japanese market.
Honda HR-V’s price tag ranges from PKR 6,000,000 to PKR 6,200,000.
Kia Sportage is a compact SUV (classified as a compact crossover SUV since 2004) manufactured in 1993 by the South Korean automaker Kia. The fourth Generation KIA Sportage has become a hot-selling SUV in Pakistan. KIA Lucky Motors launched the Sportage in August 2019. Since then, the Korean car has taken over the SUV market.
KIA Pakistan launched the fourth generation Sportage in two variants: All Wheel Drive (AWD) and Front Wheel Drive (FWD). Later, in June 2020, the company added the Sportage Alpha as a third variant in the lineup.
The price tag of Sportage ranges from PKR 6,000,000 to PKR 7,150,000.
Honda HR-V vs Kia Sportage
Honda HR-V
Engine & Performance
The HR-V 2023 is launched with a 1500cc dual overhead cam 1.5-litre engine. It is a front-wheel drive car, and the engine is the same across both variants. It produces around 119hp and 145Nm of torque and is configured with a CVT transmission. The fuel economy of HR-V is 13km/l in-city and 15km/l on the highway with a 40-liter tank.
Exterior
The HR-V gets a bold and aggressive exterior with all LED headlights with sequential indicators in the top variant. The front grill is body coloured with a silver garnish at the bottom. The car also gets LED fog lights. The HR-V gets 17-inch grey alloy rims in the VTI S and chrome ones in the base variant. Coming to the rear, the taillights play a huge role, with running LEDs giving the car a modern look. A back wiper and a back camera is also present, along with the same piano black and mesh silver treatment at the bottom.
Interior & Features
The HR-V’s interior is pretty well laid out and visually appealing. The instrument cluster has two analogue dials with a 4.2-inch MID display. The VTI s variant is offered in 3 colour options: black, cherry red, grey, and leather. The VTI gets black fabric seats.
The HR-V comes with a push start, and intelligent entry on the door handles, a walk-away lock feature, steering multimedia controls, single-zone digital climate control, a 9-inch floating screen on the dash, wireless charging in the top variant, all auto windows, electronic parking brake, hill descent control, hill start assist, economy mode, curtain air-flow system with rear ac vents. With four airbags, ABS brakes, Vehicle stability control, Agile handle assist emergency stop signal and Hill descent & start to help.
However, the car misses out on a panoramic roof that most crossovers offer. The quality of the interior is premium, and the components feel hefty.
Kia Sportage
Engine & Performance
Kia Sportage 2023 comes with a 1999cc, 2.0-litre gasoline MPI engine that produces 115hp and 196Nm of torque. The engine is mated with a 6-speed automatic and spermatic transmission. It has three Normal drive modes: Normal, Eco, and Sport. The economy of Sportage is ten km/l in the city and 12 km/l on the highway with a 62 litre tank.
Exterior
KIA Sportage looks modern and stylish in design with its sleek strokes and signature tiger-nose grille. The car has a lot of chrome work at the front and a glassy finish, including fog lamps and roof rails. The outside mirrors are electrically adjustable, retractable, and heated. Housing bi-function projection halogen headlights in the Alpha variant, LED headlamps in the AWD and FWD variants, daytime running lights, and beautiful LED side indicators. The car handles have welcome lights which light up whenever the smart car fob is in range.
The rear profile looks stunning with LED brake lights, a shark fin antenna, and a roof spoiler with an integrated high-mounted stop lamp. An integrated roof rack for maximum luggage storage while additional accessory crossbars offer extra utility.
A rear camera is available in all variants. On top of that, the AWD variant has a power tailgate with a memory function, and its height can also be adjusted.
A few drawbacks of HR-V are no parking sensors the absence of basic features like cruise control. The build quality is not excellent, and the SUV is honestly underpowered.
Interior & Features
The front seats are manually adjusted in the Alpha FWD variant. AWD’s seats are 2-way powered. The AWD variant also features 2-way powered adjustable lumbar support in the front seats. All the variants support a 60:40 split in the rear seats.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel has tilt and telescope adjustment options in all variants. Steering switches provide access to audio controls, call, voice recognition, cruise control, and MID. a 3.5-inch LCD shows the TFT cluster with all the instrumental information regarding the speedometer, fuel average, total drive, and drive modes.
The centre fascia is at a perfect 7.2-degree angle, so audio and air conditioning systems are within easy reach. A 7-inch in the Alpha variant and an 8-inch infotainment multimedia system in the FWD and AWD variants areare compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and BlueTooth connectivity.
Six speakers in the car provide good quality audio experience. Kia Sportage also comes with front and rear USB ports. Automatic air conditioning comes with dual-zone climate control. All variants come with room lamps, personal lamps, overhead console lamps, and an illuminated vanity mirror and electrochromic inside rearview mirror.
Safety features include airbags and an anti-lock braking systems in all variants. At the same time, Electronic Stability Control, Downhill Brake Control, Hill-Start Assist Control, and Vehicle Stability Management are only available in the AWD and FWD variants.
Other standard features include power windows, Air purifiers, rain sensors, and automatic window defoggers that make driving easier in rainy/cold weather.
A couple of drawbacks of Sportage are the fuel economy and the fact that it’s 1 generation behind the world.
There you have a thoroughly dissected Honda HR-V vs Kia Sportage. Be sure to check out for more side-by-side comparisons. Which crossover SUV’s side are you on?
