Honda CR-V review

A significant number of changes have improved the Honda CR-V and its breadth of ability. There’s a sharper driving experience, increased space for passengers and better interior quality, which have been added to the last car’s already impressive levels of practicality and reliability.

Honda’s commitment to hybrid powertrains means there’s no diesel, and only that version offers acceptable fuel consumption.

The lack of a diesel option will put off some buyers, as will the increased price tag the CR-V commands as Honda attempts to move the model upmarket as a rival to more premium compact SUVs. However, as a complete package, the CR-V is an impressive and highly capable car. It’s perfectly suited to family duties and is highly likely to be satisfying to own, too.

The Honda CR-V was one of the first compact SUVs for sale when the first generation arrived in 1995. Since then it has been a hugely popular model around the world, although in the UK it hasn’t quite had the level of success that it’s achieved in other markets.

The fifth generation model arrived in 2018. And while the CR-V looks relatively similar to the outgoing model, underneath the skin it has a number of significant changes, including a hybrid drive system and updates that push it into contention with more premium rivals.

A key difference with the new generation CR-V is that there is no longer a diesel engine available, just regular petrol and CR-V Hybrid options. The 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder VTEC petrol unit comes with 171bhp in entry-level guise and is matched to a six-speed manual gearbox with front-wheel-drive. This engine can also be had with 190bhp, and this comes with a CVT gearbox and four-wheel-drive as standard. The CR-V Hybrid combines a 143bhp 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with an electric motor and is available in two- or four-wheel-drive versions.

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The CR-V’s wheelbase has been increased over the last model. This provides greater interior space to the point where it can now be specified with seven seats rather than five. The extra row of seats are cramped, though and are only really suitable for children however, but these extra seats still give the CR-V an advantage over some rivals which are strictly five-seater only.The downside is that the boot in this fifth-generation model is actually smaller than before, although it still offers 536 litres with the seats in place and up to 1,786 litres with all the seats folded, making it one of the largest in the segment.

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Honda is seeking to push the CR-V upmarket, so there are higher-grade materials used in the cabin and high levels of standard equipment. Prices start from just under £27,000, and with the top-of-the-range EX models nudging around £38,000, the CR-V is now in competition with premium SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Volkswagen Tiguan, as well as cars like the Hyundai Tucson, Peugeot 3008 and SEAT Ateca.

In fact, the compact SUV class is so tough these days that the CR-V also faces opposition from the Skoda Karoq, Citroen C5 Aircross, Vauxhall Grandland X, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, Kia Sportage and the Renault Kadjar, too.

For an alternative review of the latest Honda CR-V SUV visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk