Honda CR-V: Once (and future?) king

Keeping the top slot as an automotive bestseller is a tough job. Even in a particular category, preferences can change rapidly.

When it was introduced in 1997, the Honda CR-V was an instant hit. It looked different, carrying the styling cues of an offroader in a petite package. There was only one main rival back then, the Toyota RAV4.

The compact crossover lost its traction gradually in the new millennium, finally relenting its position to the pickup-based SUVs sometime around 2005, when the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest started becoming popular.

Now, the Honda CR-V is poised to make a comeback by carrying the most-desired features of the leading competition, while leaning on its own strengths.

First off is the diesel powerplant. The Chinese and European governments may already be marking the end of the road for the internal-combustion engine, especially the potentially worse-polluting diesel engine, but in other parts of the world and for many applications, the diesel will likely be a workhorse for at least a decade or two.

Enter Honda’s new engine, its first ever automotive diesel in the Philippines. The new engine is a 1.6-liter turbodiesel, with a modest 120 ps power output, and a robust 300 Nm of torque starting at 2000 rpm.

The expected benefit here is acceleration and fuel efficiency, with a claimed double-digit km/liter figure even in dense city traffic.

The engine is paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission. The abundance of gears is expected to maximize the performance, and keep the engine at peak revs to produce the needed acceleration. Diesel-engined CR-Vs are equipped with all-wheel drive, the better to manage the high torque level.

The second main selling point of pickup-based SUVs is their larger interior, equipped with seven seats. The Honda matches this, with the largest cabin ever in a CR-V. There’s a genuine third row of seats, finally making the CR-V a proper seven-seat vehicle.

The second row of seats slides and reclines, in a 60-40 split, while the third row can split-fold in a 50-50 ratio.

As for strengths that the pickup-based SUVs can’t match, the primary advantage of the CR-V is its monocoque construction, and car-based platform.

Comfortable is the CR-V’s first name, and it has always been one of the softest of the soft-roaders, while still maintaining decent, if not quite enthusiastic handling.

The wheelbase has a length of 2660 mm, with a higher ground clearance of 208 mm.

Inside the CR-V are several features that would appeal to millennial owners, such as a digital display screen in place of conventional gauges.

The display integrates functions such as a trip computer, navigation, and torque indicator. The gear selection is done via buttons instead of a conventional gear lever. This saves on cockpit space.

The audio system and secondary features are controlled by a touchscreen panel. It can also mirror cellphone displays via HDMI connection.

Safety is, of course, the primary consideration when choosing family transport. The CR-V boasts of a complete suite of available safety features.

The Honda Sensing technology includes active safety features like vehicle stability assist, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and road departure mitigation, as well as the convenience of adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow of the vehicle ahead.

There hasn’t been this much interest in the CR-V in many years, a good sign that Honda is responding to consumer demand for a better family vehicle that can still carry everyone and everything needed, while having a bit of power reserve and rough-road capabilty, just in case they’re needed.