This Honda beats the brains of BMW and Mazda

Looking for a mid-size SUV? Lots of choices! Also in driving concepts. The Mazda CX-5 has a large four-cylinder engine, the BMW X1 sDrive20i has a three-cylinder turbo engine. They are all weak hybrids. The Honda ZR-V e:HEV opts for a full hybrid powertrain. What are you going to do?

With its length of 4.50 meters, the BMW X1 is the smallest in this group on the outside, but reduction has also taken place in the engine compartment. It might say 20i on the back door, but the BMW engine has a capacity of just one and a half litres, split over just three cylinders. With the help of a turbocharger, the 1.5 produces a mature 156 hp. The 48V mild hybrid technology adds 19 hp under ideal conditions.

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A hint

Performance BMW X1

If the system power provides BMW 170 hp and that is more than enough to give smooth performance of the X1. The engine responds willingly to the accelerator and remains alert even at high speeds. He doesn’t turn his three-cylinder heart into a killing pit; you can clearly hear an odd number of pistons moving up and down. It remains completely silent in the petrol tank. We do not hear sloshing or splashing concerns and in fact the consumption is not too bad: 1.5 is limited to 7.0 liters per 100 km (1 in 14.3).

This Honda leaves BMW and Mazda with a look

Mazda’s big engine

Mazda CX-5 e-Skyactiv G 194 has a completely different type of equipment and that has an impact on its character. In addition to the extra cylinder, the Mazda engine also has a whole liter more displacement. The Skyactiv-G can whistle with turbo assistance. However, it has an unusually high compression ratio of 13.0:1. There is also a small hybrid system on board, with 24 instead of 48 volts. Basically, the excess in power compared to the BMW X1 is limited to 25 hp.

High speed requires more fuel

As we have seen many times, gasoline engines thrive Mazda better at higher speeds. We also see this reflected in the use of the CX-5. We don’t want to immediately sign him up with Petrol Anonymous, but he’s a smaller drinker than BMW. With the Mazda CX-5 we use 8.0 l/100 km (1 in 12.5). Without offering better performance for the premium. On the contrary: in a race of one hundred and at high speed, Mazda should realize its superiority over the BMW X1. Automatic transmission is not a miracle of improvement.

Use of hybrid Honda ZR-V

Our expectations that the new Honda ZR-V e:HEV is more fuel efficient than its competitors have not been disappointed. He sits at 5.8 l / 100 km (1 in 17.2). The 2.0 liter combustion engine in the hybrid car works according to Atkinson’s economic principle. In addition, the engine drives a generator, which provides power to a powerful electric motor. This synchronous motor is connected to the front wheels with a constant transmission. Meanwhile, the Honda ZR-V drives like a series hybrid.

Depending on the situation, two liter engines are connected to an electric motor and the car turns into a parallel hybrid. Thanks to the simulated shift parts, the hybrid drive feels like a regular combustion engine – and that’s a compliment.

Honda ZR-V: economical and fast

Sprint from standstill to 100 km / h takes Honda ZR-V 7.4 seconds; This makes it faster than both BMW X1 (7.8 s) and Mazda CX-5 (8.7 s). More than 130 km / h the hole disappears from the car Honda like a shot from an unfiltered coke bottle on a hot summer day. A top speed of 173 km/h is common. BMW reaches 216 km / h, Mazda 195 km / h. But that’s only worth it during that one trip a year on the autobahn.

The full test and all measurement data are included Auto Audit 3/2024.