Well-rounded driving

With much fanfare, Honda says its new CR-V is all about “dreaming bigger”. Ben Selby reports.

From a design point of view, the dream comes true for the sixth generation. It’s 80mm longer, 10mm wider, and sports a 40mm longer wheelbase thanks to all-new underpinnings. It’s a good-looking SUV, with a new honeycomb grill, rear spoiler, and either 18-inch or blacked out 19-inch alloys.

Spec wise, the entry level Sport AWD starts at $53,000, the seven seat Sport 7 at $57,000 and my test car, the flagship RS e:HEV is $67,000. My RS e:HEV’s 2.0L petrol engine produces 109kW/183Nm, and the addition of two-motor electric drive gives 135kW/335Nm. The new CR-V mimics the Civic and ZR-Vs interior surroundings by giving a high-quality feeling cabin, with durable switchgear. There are plenty of new features, and oodles of kit now coming as standard.

The RS e:HEV combo of petrol and battery power not only feels meatier low down in the rev range, compared with the previous generation, the new CR-V is a far more refined in terms of the way it puts the power down. That’s thanks to a 50:50 or 60:40 depending on where the AWD is needed most. You can corner flatter than before, and harder should you want to.

This is by far the most accomplished and well-rounded CR-V yet. Not just the most intuitive, it’s also the nicest to drive. It will be hard for Honda to top this one.

FACT FILE

2024 Honda CR-V RS E:HEV

Price: $67,000
Engine: 2.0L Four Cylinder Petrol/2-motor Electric Drive
Drivetrain: AWD
Transmission: 7-speed CVT automatic
C02 Emissions: 146g/km
Combined Fuel Consumption: 5.5L/100Km