Practicality has been a time period lengthy related to the Honda CR-V, with its house and value main the way in which in for a lot of patrons. In newer occasions, know-how has been added to the repertoire, however in an age the place packaging is essential, these playing cards will solely get you up to now.
Visible attraction has by no means actually been the SUV’s forte. In its adolescence, performance preceded type, and it wasn’t till the third-gen RE that efforts to refine it happened, curvy because the course was. The fourth outing, the RM, seemed misplaced. The fifth iteration, the outgoing RW, clawed its approach again into the sport, but it surely wasn’t actually due to its form.
The factor is, the RW wasn’t an exceptional leap from the fourth-gen RM by way of styling, regardless of trying edgier. Introducing turbocharging in addition to driver-assist tech into the equation made for a robust pitch, one which patrons fortunately lapped up, this family included, making the swap from a 2011 third-gen to the fifth-gen in 2018.
In fact, when all this turns into anticipated and the norm, a contemporary card to attract in new patrons has to come back from someplace else. Fortunately for the CR-V, it does, within the type of a snazzy new go well with and a considerably extra polished inside.
With the components below the pores and skin having been retained, is there sufficient to entice the phase crowd? Forward of its arrival into our market later this month, we drive the sixth-gen in Thailand to seek out out. The highway check concerned each the turbo and the hybrid, the latter being a primary for the mannequin right here, however this outing will discover the turbo, with the line-leading e:HEV set to get its personal report very quickly.
Greater, and bolder
At 4,694 mm lengthy and 1,865 mm large, the brand new CR-V is 71 mm longer and 10 mm wider than its predecessor, whereas wheelbase has grown by 40 mm to 2,700 mm. The elevated dimensions don’t actually come throughout visually at first look once you examine each previous and new instantly side-by-side, particularly when the older automotive has extra perceived quantity in its form, particularly useless on from the entrance and rear, but it surely’s there if you happen to look nearer.
The curves seen on the fifth-gen have been ditched for a sharper, extra rugged look. On the entrance, you’ll discover a longer bonnet line, which presents a flatter-looking nostril just like the HR-V, whereas a robust shoulder line actually tightens up the facet profile. Narrower mild assemblies entrance and rear add to that tauter projection.
You might argue that the depiction has change into extra standard, even generic, however that’s probably not a foul factor as a result of the chosen parts work, as they’ve elsewhere. There’s fairly a little bit of Continental really feel to it, with styling parts you will have seen someplace else. For instance, the rear has a Volvo-esque tone, with the inside tail lights giving the tail a little bit of a BMW-ish resemblance when seen dead-on centre, particularly when the outside is introduced in darker tones.
The online impact is that it’s fairly a change from the fifth-gen styling-wise, with the CR-V having a more experienced, good-looking look, the shift a lot in the identical vein as that performed for the present Civic. It appears to be like nice within the steel, and I’m a fan.
If there’s something to nitpick in regards to the exterior, then the wheels are it. The 18-inch 5 double-spoke unit – which is shod with the identical 235/60 Toyo Proxes R45 from the earlier gen – isn’t essentially the most eye-catching design, however you would say it stays consistent with the shift within the automotive’s exterior design philosophy. Nevertheless, it appears to be like decidedly smaller than its measurement in comparison with the fifth-gen’s wheelstyles, be it on the pre-facelift and facelift. Makes you marvel how the 17-inch unit that may equip the native base S will form up.
Identical mill, identical really feel
Because it was when the fifth-gen made its debut right here in 2017, the brand new CR-V will arrive in 4 variant kinds. Nevertheless, like in Thailand, the naturally-aspirated R20 2.0 litre is has been dropped from the powertrain line-up, and so the start line is now a 1.5 litre turbocharged mannequin.
For Malaysia, that would be the 1.5L S, adopted by a 1.5L E, each being 2WD variants. An AWD model sits on the prime of the turbo vary, and the 1.5L AWD now will get a V grade identifier. All three function the acquainted 1.5L VTEC Turbo from the earlier outing, paired with the equally acquainted Earth Goals CVT.
The blown mill has been carried over just about unchanged, though there was point out of it in the course of the technical presentation that it was now quieter and having a smoother acceleration response. This may very well be a results of the outputs arriving at totally different engine speeds in comparison with earlier than.
Within the fifth-gen, the L15BE DOHC VTEC turbo four-pot affords 193 PS (190 hp) at 5,600 rpm and 243 Nm from 2,000 to five,000 rpm. The output numbers stay unchanged on the brand new CR-V, however peak horsepower now arrives 400 rpm later at 6,000 rpm, whereas peak torque now arrives 300 rpm earlier, from 1,700 to five,000 rpm. Apparently, the CVT has additionally been tweaked to cut back noise and vibration.
These outputs are a slight variation from that seen on the Thai-market CR-V, with the unit providing 190 hp at 6,000 rpm and 242 Nm of torque at 1,700 to five,000 rpm in that software, the distinction in numbers being put all the way down to the gasoline high quality.
A veneer of sophistication
Mirroring the brand new outlook of the outside is an inside with a dashboard styled alongside the traces of that of the Civic FE, lastly bringing the CR-V’s inside as much as par with choices from opponents akin to Mazda.
Like on the Civic, you get a clean-running sprint fascia, a three-spoke steering wheel, full-width mesh-covered air vents and a freestanding infotainment touchscreen, which on the Thai instance was a nine-inch unit. Excluding the bottom S (seven-inch unit), our automobiles will even function the identical show.
The gearshift lever is now extra horizontally-oriented and appears extra naturally positioned on the centre console, which can also be house to the digital parking brake swap, brake maintain and Econ buttons on the turbo. New to the automotive is hill descent management, with the button for that additionally positioned within the console switchgear array.
As for inside trim, the turbo variations proceed to run with fake dark-wood panel inserts on the dashboard and door playing cards, however the sample and end of the inserts look extra premium than those on the outgoing automotive. Elsewhere, you get black leather-based upholstery, with mild gray headliner, though we now know that the native base E variant will function cloth seats.
New to the CR-V are gadgets akin to Qi wi-fi charging, a 360-degree digicam and a Honda key card, and there’s now wi-fi Apple CarPlay along with Android Auto connectivity. As for the instrument cluster, relying on variant, it’s both a seven-inch semi-digital unit, with the speedometer being analogue (like on the Civic) or a ten.25-inch totally digital show.
Point out has been fabricated from the MY-spec automotive coming with a 12-speaker Bose audio system, however that can be solely be on the RS hybrid, as it’s in Thailand. I’m curious as to how that may sound, as a result of the generic sound system within the new one really sounds first rate, positively a step up from the previous automotive’s. Does the brand new HU have something to do with the improved sonics? Possibly.
Not like markets akin to Australia, the CR-V in Thailand – and Malaysia as properly – continues to function the automaker’s LaneWatch blind-spot facet digicam system, which is decidedly trying extra antiquated with every new mannequin introduction. One wonders how lengthy will probably be earlier than blind-spot monitoring turns into an ordinary situation merchandise.
As for Honda Sensing, Thailand fashions have it fitted as commonplace throughout the board, and barring any surprises, that also needs to be the case right here. Enhancements have come about to the suite of security and driver help programs, together with the introduction of a brand new 90-degree area of view digicam and 120-degree area of view millimetre-wave radar in addition to improved response to the adaptive cruise and lane protecting help programs.
A lot the identical poise, however a faster steer
Because it has been moved over just about unchanged, the behavioral features of the 1.5 litre blown mill feels the identical as earlier than, and I didn’t actually discover there to be any perceivable distinction in smoothness climbing up the rev vary to that on the resident pre-facelift RW, regardless of being very acquainted with the powertrain.
If something, the unit on the comparatively well-used Honda Thailand AWD demonstrator generally felt rougher within the decrease band than it ought to have been, when pushed over the course of the journey from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai.
Like with the fifth-gen, maintain the throttle enter tidy and the engine does properly, offering appropriate quantities of pull to get the SUV as much as tempo in good trend with out fuss. Flooring it and it stays brisk into the mid finish, however don’t count on it to be a livewire past that, as a result of the scope, because it all the time has been, is geared for development. Likewise, the CVT, which prefers a gradual software of energy to all-out barnstorming.
No radical modifications to the way it drives too, regardless of the brand new go well with. The CR-V is comfortable to amble alongside, the suspension feeling a bit extra refined than on the previous automotive, with good poise up the pace vary. Push it a bit tougher on windier roads and its keen to oblige, within the case of the Actual Time AWD providing good ranges of predictable grip and manoeuvrability. Noise and wind insulation is improved from the fifth-gen, however the brand new CR-V nonetheless lets a good bit of tyre noise in.
A fast word in regards to the electrical energy steering, which now has gives improved suggestions and a quicker response in comparison with that on the previous automotive. Whereas turn-ins are faster and cleaner, the draw back of it’s that extra corrective micro enter was wanted in freeway driving, a little bit of a throwback to the third-gen on this regard.
Moreover, all 4 drivers assigned to the automotive famous that it additionally had a sensation of void within the first cm or so of flip, particularly when stationary. Whether or not that is an anomaly peculiar to the demonstrator or to the system will ultimately be answered after we get our palms on a neighborhood instance.
Elsewhere, switchgear ergonomics are excellent, and speak to factors really feel premium not simply to sight however contact as properly, from the AC adjustment dials to the steering wheel operate buttons, a particular enchancment from the earlier mannequin. As for the entrance seats, they supplied good help and luxury ranges, however the sixth-gen lastly introduces one thing that I personally have needed to see for an extended whereas.
New to the CR-V – on higher-end variants – is a driver’s seat reminiscence operate, which permits two seating positions to be saved. It’s a small however helpful factor to have, particularly when you’ve gotten multiple driver utilising the car, as is the case in our family.
Additionally new to the automotive is a sliding function for the rear seats in addition to seat again recline adjustment, one other welcome addition. A by-product of that for the seven-seater (which the Thai AWD unit was), the place the flexibility to shift the second-row ahead makes for a lot wanted leg house for the ultimate row occupants, its look on the five-seat mannequin provides dimensionality to rearmost house contained in the cabin, gaining you extra cargo space quantity if wanted.
The neat half is that even pushed to its most ahead place, the rear bench nonetheless gives ample knee room. The CR-V has all the time been ace by way of presenting house to rear seat occupants, and that doesn’t change on the sixth-gen, the rear part being as cavernous as ever, what extra so with an extra 15 mm of legroom in comparison with earlier than. The recline adjustment – with eight angles to choose from – additionally improves rear seat consolation considerably.
Finishing the image
The brand new sixth-gen Honda CR-V stays a extremely sensible providing, but it surely now has a degree of sophistication to match that technical competence. Whereas not the ultimate phrase in pleasure, the turbo continues to drive properly, performing ably to every thing requested of it.
Whereas all of the acquainted hallmarks are current beneath the steel, it’s evolution quite than revolution, with larger ranges of refinement throughout many areas making a superb automotive a fair higher one. The true progress, nevertheless, comes from how the CR-V is now styled, each inside and outside. Elegant isn’t one thing that you simply’d have known as the SUV beforehand, however right here it’s, lastly added to the vary of descriptors.
It does come at a price, after all. The brand new CR-V is anticipated to be pricier than the previous-gen, however we’ve been advised that the rise received’t be that phenomenal, at the least not for the turbo variants. The hybrid will push new worth boundaries, however as earlier than, many of the vote will go to the pressured induction variations.
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