Hybrid with what it takes to go all the way
Asthedebatesrumbleonabout the practicality of all-electric cars, their woefully inadequate ranges and the availability of charging ports, hybrid cars make far more sense in just about every way.
TaketheHondaCR-V,forexample,theJapanesecompany’s flagship SUV which entered its sixth generation in 2023.
It is available in two versions, both powered by the same two-litre four cylinder engine and electric motor together delivering 181bhp. The difference between the two is in the battery and the way it is charged.
The e:PHEV front-wheel drive plug-in hybrid gets a bigger battery than the e:HEV and can travel up to 50 miles in allelectric mode only – a real bonus if you only have a short commute and available chargingfacilitiesatbothendsofyour journey.
The e:HEV, as tested here, is an allwheel drive, full hybridandisselfchargingsothere is no need to plug in: it draws powerfromregenerative braking. The benefits are selfevident, no need forachargingport and a combined range of around 596 miles.
There are three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Econ.
Accelerationfrom0-62mph isanimpressive9.5secondsgoing on to a top speed of 116mph. The engine is super quiet even under fierce acceleration whichissmoothandcontrolled with the CVT automatic transgears mission gliding through the seamlessly.
Although performance has been increased compared to the previous model, emissions have reduced to 151g/km and fuel consumption is now officially 42.8mpg.
Changes for the 2023 model include a more sophisticated raft of driver and connectivity aids, higher-end materithroughout als the cabin and Honda’s Sensing 360 which alerts the driver to potential collisions in all directions – a step towards Honglobal da’s aim of zero road fatalities involving its vehicles. There are 11 airbagsinthisnew model. Although the design cues of the new CR-V arebroadlysimilartothepreviousmodel,thefrontendofboth optionshaveamoreaggressive look with an updated LED light cluster at the rear. It’s also longer and wider whichtranslatestoloadsoflegroom for rear seat passengers (16mm more) and 579 litres of bootspacewithallseatsinplace andamaximumfloortoroofcapacity of 1643 litres.
Therearseatsslideforward by up to 190mm to make the boot even more practical. The electric tailgate seems more responsive than others I’ve used and the hands-free operation worked every time.
Cabin controls are easy to navigate with the most oftenused physical buttons rather than menu options.
The dash has a centrally mounted nine-inch infotainment screen which is clear but it could have been angled towards the driver a touch.
There’s plenty of storage space with a useful cubby hole between the seats which adjusts electronically.
Front seats are heated and as our test was during a particularly cold spell it was most welcome, as was the heated steering wheel.
Head-up display is a feature of more and more cars and one I welcome – the less time with the driver’s eyes away from the road the better.