The earlier era of Honda CR-V, very like the rival Nissan X-Path, was supplied with a hybrid powertrain abroad. Alas, neither the CR-V hybrid nor its electrified X-Path rival have been supplied right here.
However then Toyota got here together with its RAV4 Hybrid – additionally belatedly, given we missed two generations in Australia – and was a direct smash hit.
The hybrid possibility has helped maintain the RAV4 atop the gross sales charts, whereas wait occasions have blown out. Now, each Honda and Nissan need to money in on rampant demand.
Honda hasn’t jumped in with each ft simply but. The place Nissan affords three X-Path e-Energy variants in Australia, and Toyota enables you to select from 9 variations of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, there’s only one CR-V e:HEV on supply in native showrooms.
It’s not supplied with all-wheel drive, and relies on the most costly RS trim degree – which suggests it has a sticker worth near $60,000 drive-away.
Is the one Honda CR-V hybrid you should buy in Australia one?
How does the Honda CR-V fare vs its rivals?
View an in depth breakdown of the Honda CR-V in opposition to equally sized automobiles.
Honda
CR-V
How a lot does the Honda CR-V value?
2024 Honda CR-V pricing:
2024 Honda CR-V VTi X: $44,5002024 Honda CR-V VTi X7: $46,8002024 Honda CR-V VTi L: $48,8002024 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD: $51,3002024 Honda CR-V VTi L7: $53,0002024 Honda CR-V VTi LX AWD: $57,0002024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS: $59,900
All costs are drive-away
To see how the CR-V compares with its rivals, use our device to construct your individual comparability.
What’s the Honda CR-V like on the within?
There’s a top quality really feel with the CR-V, which you’ll discover even upon merely opening the driving force’s door.
It doesn’t really feel tinny, and the door playing cards are completed in a mixture of soft-touch plastic and leatherette.
The driving force’s seat strikes again as you get in, after which as you agree into the comfy, virtually European-looking leather-appointed seats and prepare to maneuver, it slides nearer to the steering wheel.
There’s additionally two-person reminiscence for the driving force’s seat, and heating for each entrance seats.
Forward of you is a ten.2-inch digital instrument cluster, flanked by a few easy bar shows for battery and gasoline ranges. It’s vastly extra fashionable in look than the previous CR-V’s instrument cluster display, and there are numerous show choices.
You possibly can have easy analogue-style gauges flanking a cute show of the car, which exhibits whether or not the lights are on, the place the car is positioned inside its lane, and even when there are different automobiles or vehicles close by.
You possibly can select to have widgets throughout the analogue gauges, too – I selected to have my Android Auto observe information on the left gauge, and gasoline financial system on the fitting. Flip-by-turn navigation directions, even for Google Maps, additionally seem within the cluster.
You may as well select to have a bar-style readout (I’m personally not a fan), and even have the gauges hidden when cruise management is on.
Shifting over to the infotainment system, the brand new CR-V as soon as once more places its predecessor within the shade. The menu construction will probably be acquainted to present Honda homeowners, however the graphics seem extra polished and the display is bigger (9.0 inches vs 7.0 inches).
Not solely is the brand new CR-V’s inside extra modern-looking than that of its predecessor, it’s a bit extra standard in look.
The shifter has been moved additional down for a much less minivan-like look, and the wi-fi charging pad sits behind it which suggests your telephone is much less prone to go flying off at a quick flip.
The previous CR-V had an infinite pit throughout the centre console with a sliding tray. The brand new CR-V’s centre console storage isn’t fairly as voluminous, however there’s nonetheless a reasonably deep bin with a padded lid, forward of which sits a small rubberised shelf and a pair of cupholders.
The bottle holders within the doorways can match 1.5L water bottles.
There’s a cleaner, much less plasticky look to the inside than the previous CR-V. There’s not the sort of leather-wrapped look to the sprint high a Kia Sportage has, or the leatherette-padded centre console sides of a Mazda CX-5 or Mitsubishi Outlander.
Within the CR-V’s favour, nonetheless, is Honda’s funky honeycomb-style trim stretching throughout the dashboard and concealing the air vents. The vents even have neat twisty toggles.
There’s a welcome financial institution of bodily switches for the local weather management, although in contrast to the HR-V and ZR-V the backlighting doesn’t glow blue or purple whenever you regulate the temperature.
Gloss black trim has been used solely as an accent, as an alternative of there being huge plains of the stuff, whereas engaging metal-look trim is used extra prominently for distinction.
The metal-look trim operating alongside the doorways is subtly backlit by white ambient lighting, whereas the cupholders and base of the centre stack even have a refined glow at evening.
The steering wheel feels good, although the switchgear on it’s a bit plasticky – however nonetheless nicer than that of the final CR-V.
The rear doorways proceed to open 90 levels, which makes loading and unloading issues like little one seats that a lot simpler.
There’s a spacious and comfy backseat, with loads of headroom regardless of the panoramic sunroof. Legroom is great, and the ground is sort of utterly flat – welcome information for the centre-seat occupant. If the centre seat is unoccupied, you’ll be able to pull down a centre armrest.
Different backseat facilities embody a pair of USB-C retailers plus air vents. There are ISOFIX anchor factors for little one seats on the outboard seats, plus top-tether factors for all three seats.
You possibly can take pleasure in a greater take a look at what your backseat passengers are doing by flattening the sun shades holder on the roof, revealing a dialog mirror.
You may as well luckily toggle off Honda’s stroll away locking operate, which is an acquired style.
There’s an influence tailgate, which opens to disclose a aggressive 581L cargo area. The rear seats cut up and fold 60/40, although there are not any levers within the boot to drop them. There’s, nonetheless, a 12V energy outlet again right here.
Petrol-powered CR-Vs have a full-sized spare and seven-seat fashions have an area saver. Nevertheless, the hybrid mannequin attracts the quick straw and has solely a tyre restore package.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
The CR-V e:HEV RS mates a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with two electrical motors.
System outputs are rated at 135kW of energy (5000-8000rpm) and 335Nm of torque (0-2000rpm).
Over a loop consisting of a mixture of inner-city, suburban and freeway driving, we averaged 5.2L/100km. This solely elevated to five.5L/100km over the course of per week and greater than 600km of driving.
The official mixed cycle declare is 5.5L/100km, which proved remarkably correct. The CR-V additionally requires solely 91 RON common unleaded gasoline.
How does the Honda CR-V drive?
The CR-V is the image of refinement.
The transitions between petrol and electrical energy are seamless. Not solely will the car run on electrical energy at low speeds, we additionally noticed the it going into EV mode whereas cruising alongside the freeway at greater than 80km/h.
You possibly can see an vitality circulate readout in each the infotainment touchscreen and within the digital instrument cluster.
What makes the CR-V particularly nice is the absence of rev flaring when the petrol engine kicks in. You as an alternative really feel shift factors, whereas the engine has a extra aurally pleasing, sportier engine observe than a RAV4.
Physique management is nice, and the CR-V feels planted – hit a bump or rise within the street and it recovers rapidly.
That additionally makes the CR-V a keen companion on a winding street. The steering mightn’t be the final phrase in street really feel, but it surely has good weighting, whereas the dealing with is balanced and safe. You possibly can hustle this alongside at a gradual clip.
The CR-V’s hybrid powertrain is responsive, too. We truly left it in Eco mode, and it by no means felt missing in energy – even on steeper grades, or when overtaking.
We didn’t observe any wheel spin or torque steer. Would it not be good if an all-wheel drive hybrid mannequin was supplied right here, as is the case in Thailand (the place our CR-V is constructed)? Completely. However this front-driver is totally nice to drive.
The cabin is effectively insulated from exterior noise, and the engine – whereas nice to hearken to – is subdued when it fires up. There’s a bit little bit of tyre roar on the coarse chip street surfaces frequent in rural Australia, but it surely’s hardly objectionable.
Journey high quality is sort of good. Not as soon as did we really feel the CR-V crash over a bump, and it ate up patchwork pavement with aplomb. Solely not often did it really feel a tad fidgety, which might in all probability be chalked as much as its 19-inch alloys.
The driving force assists are well-calibrated. Neither the lane-keep help nor lane centring are overly obtrusive, and but they do what they’re speculated to.
We additionally just like the animation within the instrument cluster that exhibits the place the car is inside its lane, which additionally exhibits different automobiles and vehicles. Certain, this isn’t terribly helpful, but it surely’s a slick-looking show.
The adaptive cruise management works effectively and there’s a pace limiter operate as effectively, whereas the adaptive LED headlights present glorious illumination. We additionally love using cornering lights.
What do you get?
CR-V VTi X highlights:
LED headlights17-inch alloy wheelsFull-size alloy spare wheelHands-free energy tailgate90-degree rear doorsFabric upholstery8-way energy driver seatDual-zone local weather controlConversation Mirror7.0-inch driver display9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment systemHonda ConnectWireless Apple CarPlayWired Android Auto8-speaker audio systemWireless telephone charger
CR-V VTi X7 provides:
7 seatsBlind-spot monitoringRear cross-traffic alertSpace saver spare wheelTri-zone local weather management
CR-V VTi L provides (over VTi X):
18-inch alloy wheelsPrivacy glassRoof railsSatellite navigationSmart Key CardLeather-appointed seats, blackHeated entrance seatsDriver reminiscence operate (2 positions)4-way energy passenger seatLeather-wrapped steering wheelLeather-wrapped shifterAuto-dimming rear-view mirrori-Twin-zone local weather controlRain-sensing wipers
CR-V VTi L7 provides (over VTi X7):
Panoramic sunroof18-inch alloy wheelsPrivacy glassSatellite navigationSmart Key Cardi-Twin + tri-zone local weather controlLeather-appointed seats, blackHeated entrance seatsDriver reminiscence operate (2 positions)4-way energy passenger seatLeather-wrapped steering wheelLeather-wrapped shifterRain-sensing wipers
CR-V VTi LX provides (over VTi L):
19-inch alloy wheelsExhaust pipe finisherSport entrance, rear bumpersAuto reverse tilt aspect mirrorPanoramic sunroofAmbient lighting10.2-inch driver display12-speaker Bose premium audio
CR-V e:HEV RS provides:
19-inch darkish alloy wheelsTyre restore kitLED lively cornering lightsAdaptive Driving Beam (headlights)Black exterior accentsShark fin antennaSide mirrorsPillarsTailgate spoilerBody color wheel archesRed distinction stitchingSeatsSteering wheelShifterBlack headliner
Honda additionally consists of 5 years of Honda Join. This lets you use a smartphone app to do issues like lock or unlock the car, regulate the local weather management, and monitor the car’s location and pace.
Is the Honda CR-V protected?
The fifth-generation Honda CR-V has but to be examined by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
Commonplace security options embody:
11 airbagsHonda SensingForward collision warningCollision mitigation braking system (AEB)Lane departure warningLane-keep assistRoad Departure Mitigation SystemAdaptive cruise controlLow Pace FollowTraffic Jam AssistLow Pace Braking ControlTraffic signal recognitionAuto high-beamParking sensors entrance, rear
CR-V VTi X7 + VTi L add:
Blind-spot monitoringRear cross-traffic alert
How a lot does the Honda CR-V value to run?
The CR-V is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
Servicing intervals are on the shorter aspect at 12 months or 10,000km, nonetheless Honda caps the value of the primary 5 companies at $199 every.
That’s cheaper than even the RAV4 to service, with the Toyota’s first 5 companies capped at $260 every. The RAV4 does, nonetheless, have longer 12-month, 15,000km intervals.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Honda CR-V
The previous CR-V was a good factor, however this new era has vaulted in the direction of the highest of the category – and it’s arguably most spectacular in hybrid guise.
No, it’s not low cost, given you will get a front-wheel drive RAV4 Cruiser hybrid for a number of thousand much less. However the CR-V is extra satisfying to drive, whereas nonetheless providing supple experience high quality and a refined cabin.
Although we ran the CR-V in Eco mode, this hybrid SUV nonetheless proved punchy and we have been in a position to match its claimed mixed cycle gasoline financial system.
A gorgeous, sensible cabin, aggressive expertise and low cost servicing spherical out the CR-V’s record of attributes.
However Honda, we want extra CR-V hybrids. There mightn’t be a seven-seat one accessible globally, however there are all-wheel drive hybrid choices, plus extra inexpensive choices – deliver them right here.
Click on the pictures for the total gallery
BUY: Honda CR-VMORE: All the pieces Honda CR-V
