Honda CR-V Hybrid: Winners are grinners

 What is it?

Honda has electrified its most popular vehicle. And who would know?

One of the world’s biggest makers of internal combustion engines has been very quiet about the coming of the CR-V e:HEV RS.

The Honda CR-V has long been an SUV staple for families around the world.

Some 13.5 million units have been sold globally since the nameplate launched back in 1997.

Two decades on, in its sixth generation, it is still the brand’s top-selling model in Australia.  

What’s it cost?

Although it’s a key step in Honda’s electrification strategy to become carbon neutral, the hybrid system is limited to the flagship (and most expensive model).

In compensation the RS is well equipped compared to the rest of the range.

Talking of cost, Honda Australia has adopted an agency sales model with fixed pricing.

This eliminates purchase-price haggling and shopping around, something Honda says it has received positive customer feedback. 

The 2024 Honda CR-V range straddles $44,500 to $59,900 driveaway.

The latter – the flagship Honda CR-V e:HEV RS hybrid – was our test vehicle.

A more powerful, sporty silhouette has been achieved by pulling back the front pillars, while increasing both the nose length and the wheelbase and adding to the overall length.

The ‘nose job’, however, seems a bit over the top but the maker says it provides functional contributions including visibility and aerodynamic performance.

VTi LX and e:HEV RS sport Honda’s hallmark Berlina Black 19-inch five-circle spoke alloys for added sporty flair, over the standard 17 or 18s.

Focus is on a digital instrument display,with a 9.0-inch touchscreen audio system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, plus front and rear illuminated USB charging ports for the driver and passengers.

All-new CR-V maintains its position as a leader in active and passive safety technology, including improved Honda Sensing driver-assistance technology with a new front camera and radar system.

An updated Honda Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure is designed to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front, side, and rear of the vehicle.

CR-V gets 11 airbags all up, including a centre airbag to prevent the heads of front seat occupants from making contact in a crash.

The SUV comes under Honda’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with 24/7 roadside assist.

Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km and capped. 

What’s it go like?

Honda says the interior of the all-new CR-V has more cabin and cargo space, with seating to suit ‘a broader range of customer lifestyles’ (fatter folk).

Lateral support is the loss here, together with flatter and firmer seating.  

On the upside, all CR-V models now come with rear seat sliders, allowing 190mm of movement backwards or forwards.

This makes children easier to manoeuvre into position, or fit longer items in the cargo area.

Rear seats that recline offers 16 positions with an additional reclining angle of 10.5 degrees, helping to prevent rear passengers from getting fatigued on long drives.

Access to the 589 litres of boot space comes via a power tailgate operated from an external switch.

Fold the 60:40 seat backs and it frees up 1636 litres.

All-new CR-V features a new more powerful two-motor hybrid system, mated with Honda’s 2.0-litre direct injection Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine.

The motors are now mounted side-by-side rather than in-line with the engine crankshaft as in previous generations.

The all-new E-CVT motor spins at 14,500 rpm and produces 135kW peak power with 335Nm of torque.

The generator motor, which spins at 17,000 rpm, puts out 120kW, and is dedicated to charging the battery pack.

The system’s combined output is 152kW.

e:HEV is equipped with a toggle Drive Mode selector, which switches between Economy, through Normal to Sport, the last chipping in with Active Sound Control to match the sporty characteristics.

The driver is the focal point when it comes to getting behind the wheel of the CR-V e:HEV RS.

The front of the cabin has been designed with the driver front and centre, by improving the range of vision and adjusting how objects are viewed in the driver’s frame.

Bonnet character lines run along the top of the inner sides of the front tyres, to enable the driver easily discover the tyre positions.

The A-pillar inner surfaces have been designed to run parallel to the direction of travel so the driver’s line of sight is drawn to this. 

To further improve forward vision when turning, side mirrors have been moved to create a wider gap between the mirror and the front side corner garnish.

Under way, the car is no ‘bitumen burner’ but is programmed to get the best out of the petrol/electric hybrid combination.

There is little obvious switch in systems, which includes the CVT.

Cabin noise is far from intrusive and a 12-speaker Bose sound system makes the best of cabin architecture.

Honda claims the hybrid CR-V uses 5.5L/100km of fuel, which turned out to be spot on for the test car in real time.

As a bonus it runs on standard 91 RON petrol.

What we like?

• Quiet achiever
• No haggle pricing
• Wheels add flair
• Centre airbag
• Uses standard unleaded

What we don’t like?

• Hybrid restricted to flagship model
• Long in the nose
• Short service interval
• Seats lack support
• Rear seats slide and recline

The bottom line?

Honda has produced a winner with the CR-V e:HEV RS, taking out the Car of the year award of a prominent Australian print and online media member for 2023, so it has the hand of experts at its back.

 

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