CHARLES DARWIN ONCE PROPOSED THAT MAN AND APE originated from a common ancestor. His so-called ‘Theory of Evolution’ was, at best, accepted with skepticism and ridicule. And yet, a hundred years or so later, it has become the universally accepted principle of development. Computer programmers may call it ‘Moore’s Law’ and Ralph Lauren may dub it as ‘fashion’, but in any case, the underlying principle is the same. Development takes on small increments—taking each step carefully as not to jolt the norm. In fact, any sudden giant leap ends up as a huge risk, financial or otherwise, and may eventually lead to extinction.
The same can be said about the automobile. In the almost 120 years of its existence, it has managed to remain mechanically the same: an internal combustion engine connected to a drive shaft driving four wheels. So whether it is a sports car, pick-up or family saloon—development is fairly cosmetic with just a few improvements to the same mechanical ingredients. Sometimes though, a milestone comes along. It may not be a huge leap forward, but this glimpse of eureka is enough to redevelop an entire industry. In the case of the first-generation Honda CR-V, it has managed to bring the concept of the compact SUV to the masses. No longer was the ride bone-jarring and the driving experience awful. It presented itself as a raised sedan-based wagon—perfect for families who needed the practicality and space without the image of driving around in hearses.
Be that as it may, after this gigantic leap, Honda engineers then took minuscule steps, albeit in the right direction. The CR-V got a horsepower hike, a more responsive transmission and better specifications—but it still managed to carry on the same basic recipe. Competitors soon followed in the CR-V’s mold, and Honda soon came out with their second-generation compact SUV. As Darwinian Theory suggested, this was a mere careful evolution of the first. Honda maintained the same raised sedan-based wagon formula with slight improvements to the underpinnings and specifications. The body was new, but the look was from the old. The platform was radical, but still based on a sedan. The engine may now have an aluminum block and variable-valve timing, but it’s still a four-banger with two liters of displacement. Save for the ‘ten-cheater’ version, the CR-V remained an unimaginative, safe choice—if you needed the practicality without the looks. And people didn’t care: they liked it, fell in love with it and bought it.
With this in mind, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find out what’s in store for the 2005 Honda CR-V. Again, not wanting to mess with its formula for success, it’s a careful evolution of the second-generation model. It doesn’t have any crisscrossing angry eyes or roof mounted fog lights. Of course, it should be remembered that design wasn’t the CR-V’s forte. It never won any daring design awards, and with this new one, it still won’t. However, what’s more important is that it works. The new-four eyed headlamp cluster may look a tad nerdy, but it gives this CR-V better nighttime visibility. And so does the round fog lamps that throw a wider beam, preventing accidental collision with highway crossing mutts. The new horizontally slatted grille may add some ‘bling-bling’ factor, but it takes careful eye to notice. The same is true for the new alloys, which don’t just change design, but add an inch in overall diameter (16-inch versus 15-inch).
Inside, it’s pretty much the same banana: bland and dreary, but ergonomic and efficient. The gauges may be new (and they’re nice) and so are the Civic 2.0 front seats, but that’s about it. Space is still best in class despite what its rivals say, and the controls are perfectly sound. Speaking of sound, the new Alpine 6-disc in-dash is superb. It features CD-RW support and MP3—so 700mb roughly per disc multiplied by 6 and you have more hours of music than a jukebox!
The list goes on and on, but the drift should be well taken at this point: you don’t buy the CR-V for its looks (whether inside or out). So, besides the awesome stereo, why on God’s good earth would you consider it against the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape / Mazda Tribute (which don’t really lag that far behind in space and features)? A clue lies under the hood.
As with the first-generation CR-V, engineers have given this refreshed second-generation model more muscle courtesy of 2.4-liters of i-VTEC power. On paper, the additional 20 percent of displacement didn’t do much: 10 more horses and 28 Nm more torque. However, like its looks, the CR-V isn’t about ‘in-your-face’ performance, it’s about refinement.
Like Leonardo Da Vinci vis-à-vis other renaissance painters, turn the key and the electric starter kicks this smooth engine to life. There’s no rough idling, no unevenness—no wonder it’s the same engine found underneath the hood of the Accord and even the Acura TSX. It’s that bloody good. What’s more, this engine is made available with a manual ‘box—something that can be said with the Accord. A typical Honda transmission, the gates are well defined and the shift strokes short and sweet.
Unfortunately, whether it’s based on the Civic or not, the linkage is on the rubbery side though never frustrating. What’s irritating though is the jerky clutch pedal which can rob the CR-V some good acceleration figures. That said enough practice can make it a joy to operate in traffic. In addition, the short gearing makes this compact SUV a fuel sipper—just consuming 8.28 km/L despite the increased displacement. The only thing lacking on the CR-V to make it a perfect weekend adventurer is a larger fuel tank. In city driving, the range is a miserable 350 kilometers between fill ups.
On the road (or off it), you can’t fault the CR-V’s performance. It’s still no sedan, but it is easily the best in its class. There’s a degree of understeer and body roll, but it’s manageable and safe. The ride is equally hard to beat as this SUV rides all sorts of bumps quite well without being too wallowy. If needed, the CR-V can engage its rear wheels for added traction. Dubbed by Honda as “Real-Time All-Wheel Drive”, it manages to remain transparent in its operation. There’s no switch or anything—this time Honda lets the computer do its thing.
And that pretty much summarizes this new CR-V—competent and capable, but distant and cold. It’s like a good PC or mobile phone: it does what it’s told to do, but you don’t feel any sort of attachment to it. It’s a Dell when you could have gotten an i-Book or a Casio instead of a Rolex. It works, and it works extremely well. However, Honda’s cautiousness in this market segment may soon work against them. With so many choices, the people are more than ready for just a mere evolution. They are ready for a leap of faith. But, don’t get it wrong, the CR-V is an excellent SUV. However, its continued success hinges on something more than mere improvement.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang
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