Honda takes the wraps off its stylish new CR-V SUV
■ SUV features stretched Civic platform; in dealers late 2017
FOLLOWING the frenzy of the Paris Motor Show, Honda has seized the opportunity to reveal its all-new CR-V. The SUV will initially go on sale in North America later this year, before making the trip across the Atlantic and into UK showrooms. No official UK release date for the new model has been announced yet, but we can expect it to arrive towards the end of 2017, priced from around £24,000.
The introduction of the CR-V follows a similar path to the recent Civic, which first went on sale in North America – Honda’s most lucrative market – 18 months ago, before landing here in the coming months.
Like the Civic, the CR-V will make the switch to the UK virtually unchanged, so the car you see in these official images is the car we’ll get next year. Visual changes over the outgoing model are subtle, but the overall length of the SUV has increased. The revamped front end features a new headlamp design with LED daytime running lights and a reshaped bumper, while round the back new tail-lamps now stretch on to the tailgate. That itself can now be operated hands-free, by waving your foot under the rear bumper. Honda has also fitted a new Automatic Shutter Grille system, which is claimed to help lower aerodynamic drag and therefore improve fuel efficiency.
Inside, Honda claims the CR-V now boasts the best rear seat legroom in its class. There are upgraded materials, a new soft-touch instrument panel and a seveninch infotainment system, which features Garmin navigation and is compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
Beneath the new body, the CR-V is also based on a new chassis, likely to be
“The chassis is stiffer than the previous car’s, so should improve response and comfort”
a stretched version of the platform used on the new Civic. This is stiffer than the previous car’s running gear, so should improve response and comfort, but the SUV remains a five-seater. The suspension set-up comprises a Macpherson strut front and multi-link rear arrangement, which features low-friction dampers.
The only engines that Honda has confirmed are Us-specific. They include a 187bhp 1.5-litre turbo along with a naturally aspirated 182bhp 2.4-litre petrol – both come paired with a CVT auto. When the SUV arrives in the UK we can expect the engine line-up to mirror that of the Civic, which means the 1.5-litre turbo should be offered along with a revised 1.6-litre diesel further down the line.
It’s unclear whether the 1.0-litre threecylinder turbo will make an appearance, but given the size and weight of the CR-V, it’s unlikely. Front and all-wheel-drive versions of the CR-V will be offered, though.