We’re finding out whether the latest iteration of Honda’s largest SUV ticks all the boxes in daily use
Lawrence Cheung lawrence.cheung@haymarket.com
IN 1997 (COINCIDENTALLY, around this time of year), when I was still in primary school, one of the group tests I was reading in What Car? was quite an important one in the SUV world. You see, the original Land Rover Freelander had just arrived on the scene, becoming the smallest and most affordable model in the brand’s range.
It was pitted against the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and while the Freelander (unsurprisingly) felt the most rugged of the three, the CR-V was recognised as having the best engine, and its Honda Civic-style controls made it the most car-like to drive. Twenty-six years later, I reckon there are some parallels between that original CR-V and the sixth-generation version currently parked on my driveway.
The petrol engine may now be bolstered by electric motors, but this only makes it more appealing – at least on paper. I’ve previously been impressed by the punchy performance and fuel-sipping ability the same hybrid set-up provides in the latest Civic family hatchback, and I’m hopeful that it will offer similar strengths in the CR-V – despite the fact that the latter is a bigger, heavier car.
The two electric motors propel you along in town, with the petrol engine acting only as a generator to keep the battery topped up; I’ve already noticed how quiet this makes the car in stop-start traffic. As you head up to motorway speeds, meanwhile, the engine starts to drive the wheels directly so that you can keep up with traffic more easily.
Then there’s the interior. The dashboard looks similar to the latest Civic’s; therefore, it has a healthy balance of digital screens (one for the instruments and another for the touchscreen infotainment system) and physical controls (including for the climate control). It’s been very easy to get to grips with, and the only slight oddity I’ve noticed so far is that you have to set the temperature a few degrees higher than in most other cars to get any hot air through the vents.
I’ve gone for Advance trim, which is the highest available for the regular hybrid CR-V (as opposed to the plug-in hybrid version). If you want, you can add a bodykit (called the Aero Pack) for £2650, and a couple of alternative designs for the 18in wheels are available, but I left those boxes unticked.
