Louth Motoring: Bigger, greener, yet still a practical powerhouse

The sixth-generation Honda CR-V SUV has arrived. Standing for Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, it epitomises that exactly.

There is no easier to use/drive competitor in its class and the trusty, reliable, unfussed way it simply goes about doing this has a lot of charm and comfort. Debuting for the first time is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version that should appeal to company car users as well as the eco-conscious buyers.

Already a very practical vehicle, the new CR-V adds more rear legroom and a flexible boot. It is still a 5-seater and probably a safe position to maintain as 7-seaters, which were once the must have, are not in vogue these days.

The new model’s looks are much better. Not radical, but they make the car look a lot sleeker and upmarket which should retain existing owners and attract new ones.

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The C pillar has been thinned and the front gets a bigger and deeper grille. The overall look is much more harmonious as the last one looked like it went working out at the gym and had disconcerting bulges.

It is now 80mm longer enabling that better rear legroom and the fitting of reclining rear seats. Boot space has grown from from 497 litres to 596 litres.

The dynamics have not been radically altered and the moderate changes Honda has made makes the CR-V a very pleasant vehicle to drive. As the car will probably not be bought for its intended use, the all-electric range of 82 kms will be appreciated by those who garage/park it in their urban driveway.

Plug-in just doesn't work if you don't have off-street parking for a number or regulatory and logistic issues. On the road it is super quiet and smooth. The handling is very secure with a flash of responsiveness thrown in.

Power is delivered by a CVT transmission that keeps that revvy noise usually associated with them well at bay and seems the ideal gearbox for this car. The suspension setting brief I reckon of being firm without ruining passenger comfort has been aced.

In the speed bump test no heads were knocked against the rear ceiling. Honda’s expert knowledge of handling, epitomised by the wondrous Type R Civic, means the CR-V is very predictable and stable in corners with roll and lean kept to a tolerable minimum and would be top of the class in the sector.

The interior is in no way jarring, supporting its widespread appeal. I’d say few would be dissatisfied with the look & layout with just a small minority wishing Honda was a bit more daring.

They know their customers though and won’t alienate them. Thankfully they are still providing proper controls for frequently used items and won't have to re-introduce them with the impending EU legislation.

The standout interior feature is the car-width honeycomb band that covers the air vents for an uninterrupted look.

However, the automatic controls are now push buttons in the central area. I wish there was some standardisation on how to do this by manufacturers in the same way that first gear on a manual gearbox is to the left and up. On more than one occasion when I thought I'd selected R I hadn't.

Granted I jump around cars a lot and this could be seen as a rookie mistake but I just don’t think car companies need to experiment with drive selection and concentrate on other design flair/improvements.

Now, pricing. I can't trace the historical pricing of cars or indeed the individual path some models have followed. All I know is that the entry price of Honda CR-V motoring in Ireland is €67,995 for the 2WD PHEV model in Advance trim. For the equivalent 4WD version trim, (which is a hybrid and not a PHEV) you pay €74,995.

I’ve discussed this with Honda representatives here in Ireland and they say that it is in line with the price movement/creep of their competitors. Still the entry Toyota RAV-4 in PHEV format starts at €44,995 and in any man’s language that's a sizable chunk of change.

Honda makes no apologies for that as the quality, specification and image are what the buyers are buying and that just costs extra. Nevertheless, Honda could work on this without compromising their ethos to be more competitive.

This latest Honda CR-V offers a refined, upmarket, family-friendly SUV with a practical, adaptable interior, widespread driving appeal and, with the addition of a PHEV, desirable & eco-friendly cred.