New Delhi: Honda has been known more in India for its City and Amaze than its bigger offerings. And the CR-V has been its biggest here for years although sales numbers had begun a downward spiral. Hoping to create ruffles in the large SUV segment – one dominated by Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour, the company launched the all-new CR-V at a starting price of Rs 28.15 lakh (ex showroom, pan India) on Tuesday.
With the new car, Honda appears to have filled in some glaring gaps that kept the CR-V trailing in its segment. In its fifth generation, the two biggest highlights of the car are in a seven-seat layout and a diesel motor. And while the third-row seats are not much to write home about, that the option exists while not tweaking the overall exterior layout of the car by much is quite commendable.
What is also commendable is the arrival of a 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel unit that churns out 120 bhp of max power and 300 Nm of torque. That it is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission box makes the long wait and anticipation of a diesel offering from Honda quite worth it. And then there is also the option of a 2-litre petrol unit that belts out 154 hp of max power and 192 Nm of max torque.
While the all-wheel drive option is given on the diesel (fuel efficiency - 2WD 19.5kmpl, AWD 18.3kmpl), the petrol only gets a front-wheel drive (fuel efficiency of 14.4kmpl).
In a market that is driven as much by cost and engineering as by the aesthetics and comfort features, the CR-V seeks to stand out from its former self in a number of ways. While the CR-V gets a thick chrome bar up front – coupled with LED head lights and LED fog lamps on either side, the tail too features LED lights and generous additions of chrome. The tyre size has also been increased. The overall design philosophy has been about making the car look sharper rather than bulkier and this is what could also make the CR-V stand out.
On the inside, the quality of the interiors get an upgrade while a seven-inch TFT screen – developed by Garmin – helps the CR-V stay true to what rivals offer as standard.
On the safety front, the new CR-V gets six airbags, Hill Start Assist, Rear Camera with dynamic guidelines, Vehicle Stability Assist, Agile Handling Assist, ABS with EBD, Electronic Parking Brake and – in a first – a Lane Watch which would help in reducing blind spots.
Honda hopes that with all these offerings, the CR-V can once again hold its own against its more established rivals.
Dimensions:
Overall length: 4592mm
Overall width: 1855mm
Overall height: 1679mm (1689mm in diesel AWD)
Wheelbase: 2660mm
Prices (ex showroom, pan India):
Petrol 2WD: Rs 28.15 lakh
Diesel 2WD: Rs 30.65 lakh
Diesel AWD: Rs 32.75 lakh
