Honda CR-V

The Malaysian-spec version of the Honda CR-V features an all-black layout for the cabin, with it getting leather upholstery in the E, V and RS variants. This all black cabin looks even more premium with the contrast silver accents in the door panels and steering wheel and gloss black trim finishes on the steering wheel and dashboard. 

Like other modern Honda offerings, the CR-V now also gets a full-TFT instrument console and a free-standing touchscreen infotainment system at the top of the centre console. The middle layer of the dashboard, which houses the AC vents on the corners and centre, has a unique-looking mesh design, with switches of the dual-zone climate control placed below the central AC vents. The CR-V also gets powered front seats (not in S) and sliding rear seats (standard in all variants) for more convenience. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Premium-looking black upholstery for the cabin

Con: The dashboard layout could have had more flair 

Features and Technology

The standard comfort and convenience features on offer in all the four variants of the Honda CR-V are a remote engine start, walk away auto lock, push start-stop button, cruise control, ECON button, full-TFT instrument console (7-inch screen in S, E and V variants and 10.2-inch screen in RS variant), dual-zone automatic climate control with rear AC vents and two USB chargers. 

From the second-base E variant, the Honda CR-V further gets paddle shifters, 8-way powered driver’s seat, 4-way powered co-driver’s seat, memory function for the driver’s seat, rain sensing wipers and a wireless charger. The V and RS variants also get ambient lighting, while the RS variant exclusively has key card, head up display, deceleration selector paddle shifters, SPORT button and sport pedals.

Coming to the infotainment system, the Honda CR-V gets a 7-inch screen for it in the S variant and a larger 9-inch screen for the same in the other three variants. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are being offered in all the variants, with the S variant missing out on wireless functionality for them. While the RS variant has a 12-speaker BOSE audio system, the rest of the three variants have an 8-speaker audio system. The CR-V also gets USB ports at the front and a multi-functional steering wheel as standard.

Pros and cons:

Pro: Equipment levels in V and RS variants

Con: No ventilated front seats and sunroof

Boot Space and Storage

With a massive boot space of 587 litres, which is expandable up to 1687 litres after folding down the rear seats, the Honda CR-V has tons of space to ferry your luggage as and when required. The cabin has immense levels of practicality too, with lots of space for both front and rear seat occupants and usable small storage spaces, including a deep glovebox, cupholders in the front centre console and rear centre armrest, map pockets in front door panels, bottle holders in all four doors, centre console armrest storage compartment and sunglass holder. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Humongous boot space

Con: Nothing much actually

With this sixth-generation version, the Honda CR-V has become sharper and more elegant to look at, especially at the front and rear. While it is positioned as an SUV crossover, the Honda CR-V inches further into the SUV territory with its more heightened stance and tallish profile. 

The front profile of the Honda CR-V now looks aggressive with a bold-looking hexagonal grille, which has sleek triangular headlamps placed adjacent to its upper edges. Featuring all-LED treatment with sequential LED turn indicators as standard, these headlamps make the front of the CR-V look wide. The RS variant looks even bolder with its gloss black treatment, bigger hexagonal mesh design and active shutter design. 

The Honda CR-V also gets small rounded LED fog lamps (not in the S variant) nestled within the C-shaped slim housings in the front bumper corners. Moving to the side, the Honda CR-V gets 17-inch silver alloy wheels in the S variant, 18-inch alloys in the E and V variants and gloss black 18-inch alloys in the RS variant. In addition to the alloys, the rearview mirrors and shark fin antenna also have a gloss black finish in the RS variant. 

At the back, the Honda CR-V looks premium with its trademark Christmas tree-inspired vertically-aligned tail lamps with LED inserts, with the lower half having combination lamps extending to the inner edges of the tailgate. The exhaust ports get chrome treatment in the V and RS variants. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Bold design elements, especially in the RS variant

Cons: Could have had a higher ground clearance for a more imposing stance

The Honda CR-V claims a maximum fuel efficiency of 14.28 kmpl for the S and E variants and 13.33 kmpl for the V variant. The e:HEV hybrid powertrain in the RS variant further raises the bar with an excellent fuel efficiency of 20 kmpl.

Pros and cons:

Pro: Good fuel efficiency of the e:HEV RS variant

Con: Turbocharged petrol variants could have been more efficient

Known for its reputation for car-like driving dynamics with the tallish profile of an SUV, the Honda CR-V continues to impress with its fine ride and handling balance in this sixth-generation version, courtesy the fantastically-tuned suspension combination of Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear. The 18-inch wheels further contribute to this balance. However, the turning radius of 6 metres is too large for an SUV crossover of its size. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Very comfortable ride quality

Con: Large turning radius 

There are two powertrain options on offer in the Honda CR-V. The S, E and V variants of the Honda CR-V are available with a new-generation 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is paired with a CV gearbox and produces a maximum power output of 193 PS and a maximum torque output of 243 Nm. With this powertrain, the Honda CR-V claims a top speed of 200 kmph and 0-100 kmph sprint timings of 9.7 seconds in the S, 9.8 seconds in the E and 10.4 seconds in the V variant. 

The range-topping RS variant of the Honda CR-V comes exclusively with a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, which is a combination of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, that claims 148 PS of power and 190 Nm of torque, and an electric motor that churns out 184 PS of power and 335 Nm of torque. This powertrain is paired with an e-CVT gearbox and claims 187 kmph top speed and 9.0 seconds for the 0-100 kmph run. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Smooth and reliable powertrain options

Con: The hybrid powertrain could have been more energetic at lower RPMs

Honda has equipped the CR-V extensively with a host of conventional and advanced safety features. The standard safety equipment in all the four variants of the CR-V are eight airbags, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, vehicle stability assist, agile handling assist, ABS with EBD, auto brake hold, hill start assist, hill descent control, reverse parking sensors and a multi-angle reverse camera.

All four variants also get more advanced safety features like forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking system, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, low speed follow, auto high beam, lead car departure notification system, Honda Connect telematics system, driver attention monitor and active noise control.

From the E variant, the CR-V also gets front parking sensors and Honda Lanewatch camera, while a 360-degree parking camera and reverse auto-tilt mirror are there in the V and RS variants. The exclusive safety feature in the RS variant is active sound control. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Standard safety features list

Con: No 360-degree parking camera in S and E variants

Competitor Comparison

Belonging to the premium compact SUV crossover category, the Honda CR-V takes on a few other popular offerings in the segment, such as Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace Life, Subaru Forester, Peugeot 3008, Jaecoo Omoda C9, Haval H9, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, and Toyota Corolla Cross.

Conclusion and Final Verdict

With this sixth-generation version, the Honda CR-V has become a bit more luxurious, elegant, and tech-savvy than before. The sharp lines of the exterior and the understated elegance of the interior make this sixth-gen model feel more mature than all of its predecessor. At the same time, the equipment (barring a couple of misses) and comfort levels make the CR-V feel luxurious while on the go.