YOUR WEEKLY MOTORING SECTION CR-V is a space king
New version of Honda’s SUV arrives with a lot more room and technology
THE FIFTH-generation Honda CR-V, launched in South Africa last week, is in many ways a triumph of packaging.
It’s actually 10mm shorter overall than its predecessor, on a 40mm longer wheelbase – but it’s also wider across the body, particularly at the shoulders, as well as both front and rear track.
Honda quotes a 90mm increase in rear legroom, as well as more shoulder room front and rear, and a significantly bigger luggage compartment, up to 522 litres with the 60:40 split rear seat backs in place, and 1084 litres with them folded flat.
And we do mean flat – unlike the previous CR-V, with the seats down the floor of the luggage compartment is completely flat from the tailgate sill to the backs of the front seats. It’s also long enough, says Honda, to sleep on.
But even without recourse to a tape measure, the new CR-V is noticeably more spacious.
The cabin is also well packaged in terms of fit and finish; a neat mix of glossy trim and soft-touch surfaces gives a quality feel, and the dashboard displays are up to date without going over the top. The instrument binnacle houses a colour TFT display in place of the previous model’s analogue dials.
Standing a little proud of the centre stack is either a 12.5 or 17.5 centimetre colour touchscreen that works exactly like a tablet. Immediately below it is a highmounted selector for the CVT transmission that’s standard across the range, leaving space in the centre console for a deep storage box with an adjustable floor, a 12 volt outlet, and auxiliary and USB ports, under the centre armrest.
The new CR-V is offered in South Africa with a choice of two engines, each with its own drivetrain and two trim specifications, for a four-strong line-up.
The base engine is the bigger of the two (not unusual these days), a refined version of the twolitre iV-Tec petrol four, familiar from the previous CR-V, driving the front wheels only. In this application it’s rated for 113kW and 189Nm.
The upscale prime mover is a 1.5-litre, direct-injection turbopetrol four borrowed from the new Civic, but tweaked for more power – in this case 140kW and 240Nm. Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is available, depending on model.
The turbo engine is undoubtedly the smoother, quieter and more efficient of the two, but I wasn’t alone in preferring the rougher, gruffer two-litre mill for its noticeably more instant response and (measured strictly by the seat of the pants) stronger mid-mid-range response. Be it noted, however, that the launch drive was at sea level; the situation may well be reversed in the rarefied atmosphere of Gauteng or the Northern Cape.