THE HONDA CR-V is one of the world’s best-selling SUVs. The current Honda CR-V has cumulative sales since 1995 of more than 9 million units in 150 countries worldwide.
But what exactly makes it such a worldwide hit? We took it for a test drive to see.
CR-V stands for Comfortable Runabout Vehicle and it certainly does live up to its name, no matter what seat you have.
For those in the back, there is plenty of leg, knee, shoulder and headroom and three adults will fit across the rear seats comfortably. This is helped in part by a flat floor.
Up front, both occupants have loads of room. The seats are very comfortable and there are loads of useful storage spaces and large door bins, which go a long way in keeping the cabin neat, tidy and functional.
Space is also very good in the boot with a decent 589 litres on offer, expanding to 1,627 litres with the rear seats folded.
Those rear seats can be folded automatically via a switch in the boot. The boot isn’t just big though, it is very practical too with a low load lip (making sliding heavy items in and out easy) a flat load bay, storage nets, tethering hooks, a 12v socket and a temporary space saver spare wheel underneath the floor.
Practicality is also enhanced with the wide opening doors which make getting in and out and fitting child seats a breeze. This car is very accessible.
The CR-V is also a stylish looking car and the interior finish is of very good quality as well as being very well laid out. Being a Honda, it also feels very well screwed together and well built.
Behind the wheel, the visibility is great and the high driving position gives you a great commanding view of the road ahead. The steering is light making it nice and easy to manoeuvre around town and the soft suspension means speed bumps and potholes are taken care of drama free. However, that soft set-up does mean the car is a bit wallowy with body-roll and lean through the corners.
Under the bonnet is Honda’s great 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine mated to a slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox, which is a pleasure to use. My test car was powered by the 120hp version with 300Nm of torque from 2,000rpm. This engine is smooth and quiet and felt adequately punchy as the CR-V weighs a trim 1,545kg. However, you can opt for a 160hp version which also brings with it all-wheel drive and the option of a manual or automatic gearbox.
Apart from being smooth, the 120hp 1.6-litre engine is also quite economical with a claimed combined fuel economy figure of 4.4 litres/100km (64.2mpg) when fitted with 17-inch wheels. The Co2 figure is 115g/km meaning it is just €200 to tax a year.
The CR-V comes in SE, ES, ES Sport and EX trim and starts at €32,575. The entry-level models are very well equipped and come with 17-inch alloys, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, electric windows, front and rear armrests and safety features such as city-brake active system, ABS with EBD and EBA, Hill Start Assist, TSA Trailer Stability Assist. If you are going to tow the max braked trailer towing weight is 1,700kg or 2,000kg with the 160hp engine.
The secret to the Honda CR-V’s success seems to be its great mix of comfort, efficiency, functionality and reliability. It is a capable and accomplished SUV that also has style, quality and good levels of safety, too. No wonder Honda shifts so many each and every year, it is one of the most sensible, commodious SUVs you can buy and one that has mass appeal due to its versatility.
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