Honda HR-V vs Renault Trafic

What's the difference?

The Honda HR-V e:HEV L offers a respectable driving experience in the city but compared to its rivals, it’s features list and safety don’t always stack up. It sort of straddles the fence between basic and lux at times, which is an odd place for a top-model to be but its sharper styling will win hearts and the cabin is still practical.

The Renault Trafic is a practical and capable workhorse, but then so are some other mid-sized van rivals which sell in greater numbers and come standard with five-star safety credentials. Therefore, a potential buyer must be prepared to accept the Trafic’s inferior standard safety menu (or pay extra to enhance it) to exploit its numerous strengths in a working role.

The small SUV segment can often be littered with odd-looking cars that highlight pillowy or severely angular body-shapes (lookin' at you C-HR) but the HR-V offers something stylish and modern instead.

The 2025 HR-V has a sharper design that accentuates the coupe styling, slim LED headlights and crisp-looking grille. A feature highlight is the eye-catching full-length tail-light treatment which makes the design pop at the back. 

The interior is gorgeous with a streamlined dashboard that features just the right number of buttons and dials for those who want more tactility in a world where screens rule.

While the technology screens are on the smaller end, they look great against the synthetic leather trims and soft touchpoints that are liberally splashed throughout the cabin.

The cockpit is driver-orientated with everything within reach and easy to use while on the go. The steering wheel looks sporty and feels wonderful.

Everything looks well-built and feels solid; it's a cabin you’ll be pleased to spend time in.

Our LWB example rides on a sizeable 3498mm wheelbase with four-wheel disc brakes, rack and pinion steering and MacPherson strut front suspension.

The rear suspension uses torsion bar primary springing, supplemented by a pair of secondary coil springs for carrying heavy loads.

Its 1967mm height ensures access to height-limited areas like multi-storey car parks and underground loading zones, but its lengthy wheelbase and front wheel-drive configuration combine to produce a relatively large 13.8-metre turning circle.

The Pro’s no-frills work focus results in extensive use of unpainted dark grey plastic in external areas where bumps and scrapes usually occur in hard-working vans, including the door mirror shells, wheel hubcaps, front/rear bumpers (including the rear pillars from top to bottom) and along the sides.

As a result, the Trafic has a robust and purposeful appearance, combined with a neat and practical cabin design with seating for three on a tasteful blend of contrasting grey fabrics. Hard surfaces are enhanced with satin chrome highlights.

The minimalist dash design (thankfully) provides physical ‘piano key’ buttons for numerous functions, plus there’s a trio of large manual dials to control fan speed, air-flow and cabin temperature in preference to distracting touchscreen prompts.

For a small SUV, the cabin is large. Both seating rows feature excellent access with the 195mm ground clearance not eliciting one grunt from my occupants (even the oldies).

Head- and legroom is decent in both rows but taller passengers might brush the ceiling on bumps when seated in the back.

The only area that lacks this feeling of space is the boot, as it only has 304L of capacity available when all seats are in use and that's on the tiny side compared to its rivals. The Kia Niro has 425L which rivals some sedans!

Seat comfort is best in the front where thick padding and a longer cushion offer more comfort on a longer journey, despite lacking lumbar support.

The rear seats are harder and shorter and you should expect some big stretches from adults after a road trip. However, the directional air vents and other amenities keep it from feeling too basic on comfort.

There are lots of storage options with a glove box that's large enough to fit a manual with room to spare, a small middle console, two large 'stacked' shelves in front of the gearshift, four cupholders, four drink-bottle holders and two map pockets that also feature a device holder large enough to fit my iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The HR-V has 'Magic' seats in the rear which means the base can fold up or the backs can be folded flat. It’s a cool feature that opens up extra storage options.

The technology is simple to use and responsive. The touchscreen multimedia system has built-in satellite navigation, the Honda Connect app, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. The CarPlay is easy to set up and maintains a steady connection.

Charging options are good with a single USB-A and three USB-C ports, as well as, a 12-volt socket but you miss out on a wireless charging pad despite the L being the top grade.

With its relatively light 1816kg kerb weight and 3070kg GVM, our test vehicle has a substantial 1254kg payload rating which is almost 200kg higher than Toyota’s HiAce LWB (1055kg).

Its 1630kg braked tow rating is also higher than the HiAce’s 1500kg limit and with its 4700kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) the Trafic (like the HiAce) can haul its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Standard cargo bay access is through a single kerbside-sliding door or glazed swing-up tailgate, but a right-side sliding door and glazed symmetrical rear barn-doors with forklift-friendly 180-degree opening (the latter as fitted to our test vehicle) are available as options. The cargo bay walls and doors are lined to mid-height.

The load floor is 2937mm long and 1662mm wide, with 1268mm between the rear-wheel housings. So, it can carry up to two standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallets or up to three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, secured by a choice of eight load-anchorage points.

The cargo bay offers a competitive 6.55 cubic metres of load volume. Our example is fitted with a 12mm-ply non-slip floor kit and cube shelving kit provided by local industry supplier Autosafe. According to Renault, this tradie-focused set-up retails for $5254 including freight and installation.

The fixed two-passenger bench seat has a lap-sash belt for the central passenger and even someone my height (186cm) can get reasonably comfortable in the middle of a crew of three, albeit with knees competing for space with the prominent dash protrusion that houses the gearshift. By contrast, the outer passenger has ample knee and foot room.

The cabin is equally generous with headroom and displays optimum use of storage space. This includes a large bin in each door which can fit large bottles, with a smaller bin above.

There’s also small-bottle/cupholders on each side of the dash-pad plus a clamshell-lid compartment ahead of the driver, a large open tray in the centre (with two USB-C ports), small closable bins in the lower dash on either side of the driver and a single glove box.

If you choose the glazed bulkhead option, the centre-seat backrest folds forward to reveal an elaborate three-tier workstation, starting with a clipboard on top that can also be detached to use outside the vehicle or mounted vertically in the workstation to face the driver or passenger.

Beneath the clipboard is a hinged work desk, which when raised reveals a shallow felt-lined compartment that’s ideal for hidden storage of phones, tablets, lap-tops etc.

Folding the bench seat’s front-hinged base cushions forward also reveals a cavernous hidden storage compartment underneath.

Our Pro LWB (Long Wheelbase) L2H1 test vehicle, in 'Glacier White' and ‘Pro’ model grade, comes with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine and optional six-speed dual-clutch automatic for a list price of $53,000.

In comparison to the major players, that's in the same ballpark as the Toyota HiAce, lower than Ford's Transit Custom and higher than Hyundai's Staria Load and LDV's G10+.

Our example has a couple of extra-cost options including a glazed cabin bulkhead ($400) and glazed rear barn-doors ($400). The cabin is also equipped with a set of carpet mats ($138) from Renault’s genuine accessories range.

Its work-focused standard equipment list includes no-frills 16-inch steel wheels with 205/65R16 tyres and a full-size spare, plus an eight-way-adjustable driver’s bucket seat, 4.2-inch colour driver’s display including digital speedo, two-passenger bench with under-seat storage, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, LED headlights and LED daytime running lights.

Multimedia is provided by an 8.0-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple and Android smartphone mirroring and Bluetooth audio streaming.

Renault also offers numerous individual options, plus option packs including the 'Comfort Pack', 'Peace of Mind Pack' and 'Trade Pack'.

The L is a hybrid which combines a 1.5L four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and together they produce up to 96kW of power and 253Nm of torque.

Which is plenty to make the L feel like a zippy city car but on the open road, the engine has a tendency to over-rev and can get whiny going up a hill, which may be a by-product of the continuously variable auto transmission.

The Euro 5-compliant 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel produces 125kW at 3500rpm and peak torque of 380Nm at 1500rpm.

The six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting using the shift-lever (no steering wheel paddles) and offers three drive modes comprising 'Normal' (default setting), 'Eco' and 'Performance'.

The HR-V L has a low combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure of just 4.3L/100km which is not far off the 4.0L/100km claims of its rivals. Combined with the 40L fuel tank, you have a theoretical driving range of up to 930km, which is pretty darn good!

After doing a lot of urban driving, with a couple of longer trips thrown in, my real-world usage came out at 5.1L, which is isn't too far off the claimed figure, is still a good result overall and computes to a range in excess of 780km.

Renault claims official combined (urban/extra-urban) average consumption of 6.5L/100km but the Trafic’s dash display was showing 7.9 when we stopped to refuel at the end of our 359km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling a one-tonne-plus payload.

Our own figure, calculated from actual fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at 8.9 which falls comfortably within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between official and ‘real world’ consumption.

Fact is, any mid-sized van that can produce sub-10L economy in the real world gets a big thumbs-up from us. So, based on our numbers, you could expect an expansive driving range of around 900km from its 80-litre tank.

The HR-V L is an SUV perfectly suited to city life. Its power delivery is responsive around town, allowing for quick bursts when needed and the well of power feels deep until you get onto the open road. And as mentioned, that’s when it’s let down a bit.

The HR-V has a tendency towards mild understeer in quicker sweeping bends but is otherwise surefooted on the road. The suspension is firm, and you’ll notice the bumps here and there, but ride comfort still manages to be okay most of the time. Also road noise isn’t too high around town.

The visibility is great until you’re trying to look out of the back window and have a passenger to your left or a car seat installed. A digital rearview mirror would have been quite welcome in these scenarios. 

Like most small SUVs the HR-V is easy to park and it’s small enough to be your best friend in a tiny car park. However, the reversing camera doesn’t reflect the grade level as the quality of the feed isn’t the best.

The driver’s seat offers good comfort with its firm bolstering, fold-down inboard arm-rest and adjustable lumbar support. The only thing missing is a left footrest, just like the one residing in the outer passenger footwell which is of course the driver’s footwell in LHD models.

The synthetic leather-rimmed steering wheel feels nice in your hands and has a premium look. Eyelines to all mirrors are good and the large window in the optional cabin bulkhead allows a clear view through the rear barn-doors, but only if you remove the centre seat’s headrest when the middle seat is unoccupied.

Engine response is at its most energetic from 1500rpm where maximum torque is tapped and it continues to pull strongly all the way to maximum power at 3500rpm.

The decisive shifts of the dual-clutch automatic in Normal (default) drive mode feel well calibrated in terms of optimising the engine’s performance in all driving conditions, which is confirmed by only small differences in response when using the Eco and Performance modes.

Its gearing also ensures the Trafic is well-suited to highway work, requiring only 2000rpm to  maintain 110km/h. It’s even better with the optional bulkhead/cargo barrier as fitted to our test vehicle given it insulates the driver from most cargo bay noise, which can become intolerable in vans at these speeds without this item fitted.

To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay. Combined with the weight of the Autosafe fit-out and driver, it equalled a total payload of 1150kg which was only about 100kg less than its legal limit.

The rear suspension compressed about 50mm under this loading, yet still had ample travel to ensure there was no bottoming-out during our test drive. It hauled this one-tonne-plus payload with commendable ease in city, suburban and highway driving, with negligible effects on handling and braking.

It also impressed on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set-climb at 60km/h, quickly downshifting to third gear to easily haul this load to the top.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust, but in our experience typical of small displacement (sub-3.0L) turbo-diesels trying to restrain one-tonne-plus payloads on steep descents. Even so, the four-wheel disc brakes comfortably kept speeds under control without a hint of fade.

There’s no ANCAP star rating and the current range (September 2022 onwards) only earned a silver medal in ANCAP’s Commercial Van Safety Comparison, with its score of 45 per cent reflecting the absence of AEB for pedestrians/cyclists and lane-keeping assist.

Even so, its standard safety menu includes front and lateral-curtain airbags for driver and passengers plus driver’s thorax airbag, car-to-car AEB, lane departure warning, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and more.

However, with a huge blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder created by the solid cargo bay walls, a Trafic buyer should not have to pay extra to get essentials like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, given these active safety features are standard on the segment-leading Toyota HiAce.

Honda offers the HR-V with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and an eight-year battery warranty which is on the lower end considering it's rivals can get up to seven-years unlimited km warranty now.

The five years capped-priced servicing program offers excellent value, however, as services are a flat $199, which is great for the class.

Servicing intervals are at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first and that should be fine for the average city dweller. But it could get annoying if you put higher than average kays on your car every year.

The Trafic comes with a five year/200,000km warranty, which includes five years 24/7 roadside assist. Scheduled servicing is 12 months/30,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-pricing applies to the first five scheduled services up to five years/150,000km which totals $3555, or an annual average of $711.