It used to be a stalwart of the compact SUV class, but its new edition looks a class higher. However, the size is not the only change, the sixth CR-V in the ranking will also surprise with a better hybrid drive.
In the 90s of the last century, the Japanese Honda had an extraordinary feeling for new trends, its “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle”, abbreviated CR-V, became the best-selling SUV in the world for many years. At the same time, he celebrated extraordinary success especially in the United States. It was therefore logical that the car manufacturer also tried to satisfy the local taste in the following generations.
And motorists in the USA, but also in China, where Honda is now produced, apparently longed for a significantly larger CR-V. However, the intergenerational jump that we are witnessing in the new generation makes the family Honda a slightly less versatile vehicle than it was before. It has grown by almost 11 centimeters in length, and it is already a bit tight in European cities with a length of 4706 millimeters.
Also, the current edition of the CR-V is only sold in Europe in a hybrid version, but it is now also available in a plug-in variant that also handles purely electric operation.
However, the hybrid in the tested specimen recharges the traction battery exclusively by driving itself. And if the charging does not cover the braking energy when going down a long hill, the battery will take it from the generator, for example during a quiet drive on the highway. The priority is that the electric motor always has enough energy for its work. When driving, it plays a more important role than is usual with hybrid cars.
Up to a speed of 80 km/h, the four-cylinder gasoline engine is used only for the production of electricity, because during quiet driving, only the electric motor turns the wheels. Only above this limit or during sharper acceleration do both units work hand in hand on the drive. And they don’t seem to have much to do with a car weighing eighteen meters.
It wasn’t always like that, with the previous generation, the internal combustion engine and the electric engine often “argued” during acceleration. While the former whined at high revs, the latter gasped for breath as the small battery was unable to supply it with enough power.
Among other things, Honda solved this discrepancy by increasing the capacity of the traction battery. With acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds, the CR-V cannot be called a sports car, but it clearly has no such ambitions.
This can already be seen on the relatively small 18″ wheels with high sidewalls, which, although they do not have the ability to quickly weave through serpentines, nevertheless provide enough damping material for a comfortable ride. And it is nicely smooth in the CR-V, whether the car is driving on the highway, or along the Prague pavement.
Driving comfort is one of Honda’s strong points, and the interior space that the automaker managed to conjure up from the angular bodywork is no less impressive. The trunk, legroom, headroom, all of this is more than enough in the CR-V, while the car also offers adjustable and heated rear seats beyond the usual.
At the same time, Honda does not look opulent at all inside, the interior is dominated by dark plastics at first glance. The crew reveals the qualities of the car rather gradually. For example, when he discovers that the skylight can be opened and shaded with honest blinds that do not let the light through. Or that the twelve-speaker Bose car radio really does play as well as you would expect from a well-known brand.
However, there are also things that didn’t quite work out. The on-board system software is hopelessly slow by today’s standards, taking several seconds for each instruction. And the CVT gearbox selector, which consists of buttons and a sliding lever, is somewhat overcombined – one can easily imagine that it will take a long time for the driver to get used to its operation.
Honda CR-V Advance 2.0i-MMD (AWD)
Engine: gasoline four-cylinder, 1993 cm3
Power: 109 kW / 148 hp at 6100 rpm
Torque: 189 Nm at 4500 rpm
Electric motor power: 135 kW / 184 hp
Electric motor torque: 335 Nm
Top speed: 187 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 9.5 s
Combined consumption: 6.7 l/100 km (WLTP)
Volume of the luggage compartment: 588 – 1643 l
Price: from 1,099,900 CZK
But things deserving of criticism are eventually overpowered by a certain old-fashioned honesty with which Honda approaches not only the details in the car, but also the creation of the log book. The attentive reader will find here, for example, the consumption in different driving modes, for example on a first-class road or on the highway. It is a nice tradition for Honda, moreover, the indicated appetite always agrees with reality or is even slightly higher than in practice.
At 100 km/h on the highway, the hybrid Honda CR-V consumes around eight liters, while in the city and outside it can claim about six liters of petrol. A full 57-liter tank can cover up to nine hundred kilometers.
2024-03-02 05:05:01
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