Honda's HR-V compact SUV is to go on sale in the UK late this summer.

The new HR-V will be available with a choice of 120ps 1.6 litre diesel or 130ps 1.5 litre petrol engines, with a six speed manual available in both. A CVT automatic gearbox is an option for petrol powered vehicles.

The 120ps diesel engine offers fuel economy of 74.3mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 104 g/km.

The car includes Honda 'magic seat' system, which allows each of the 60:40 split second-row seats to adopt numerous configurations. The Magic Seat system can adopt one of three ‘modes’ from the standard seating position.

• Utility mode – the rear seat back folds forward as the seat base itself lowers into the rear passenger footwell, creating a maximum 1,845 mm-long flat floor.
• Tall mode – the front of the rear seat base rises up and back and is locked in a vertical position to leave a cargo height of 1,240 mm from floor to ceiling, allowing tall objects to be placed behind the front seats.
• Long mode – the front passenger seat back folds back to a horizontal position, while the rear seat back folds forward, forming a ‘tunnel’ to accommodate items up to 2,445 mm long.

The boot offers 453 litres capacity with the rear seats upright, increasing to 1,026 litres with the rear seats folded.

The base-grade S model starts from £17,995 and includes climate control, cruise control and dusk-sensing automatic headlamps fitted as standard.

The mid-grade SE model, priced from £19,745, adds rain sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors and a six-speaker audio upgrade. 

The top-grade EX model (from £23,195) adds full leather interior, smart entry and start, and a rear-view camera. Also on offer is tilt-and-slide opening panoramic glass sunroof, along with 17-inch alloy wheels.

The HR-V includes the Honda Connect in-car infotainment system, fitted as standard on the mid and upper grade HR-V, and available as an option on the base model.

The system has an app-based user interface with ‘pinch, swipe and tap’ functionality, and runs on Android.

Every new HR-V sold in Europe will be equipped with city brake active system. The system uses laser radar technology to scan the road ahead, automatically applying the brakes if an imminent risk of collision is detected. The system is designed to operate at speeds below 20 mph. If the system identifies a risk of collision then pre-braking as well as audible and visual warning will occur, eventually followed by full autonomous braking to bring the car to a stop.

Mid and upper grade models will feature advanced driver assist system, which uses radar sensors, plus forward and rear facing cameras, as standard. This comprehensive suite of active safety technologies includes: forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed limiter, lane departure warning and high-beam support system.