Honda's new CR-V breaks cover with electrified engines

Honda's new CR-V breaks cover with electrified engines

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Honda has been quite busy of late, from introducing its all-new HR-V to letting the potent Type R loose around the Nurburgring as it finally applies final touches to the model. 

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Now, Honda has debuted its sixth-generation CR-V, which isn't just a subtle update over the outgoing model but is longer, and bigger than its forebear. The CR-V's overall length has been stretched by 2.7" and the wheelbase has also been increased by 1.6" for improved space. 

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On looks alone, the Honda CR-V boasts a complete departure from its predecessor, thanks to a large, upright grille, a long bonnet and standard LED headlights. It features a body-coloured roof spoiler and a new, all-LED interpretation of signature vertical taillights. 

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Model dependent, the CR-V can be had with standard 18" 10-spoke alloy wheels or 19" split 5-spoke alloys. 

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Honda South Africa is yet to confirm local derivatives; however, overseas markets are getting the EX, EX-L, Sport and Sport Touring, each with distinctive styling cues. 

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Moving on inside, the new CR-V gets a 7" digital instrument display and a larger 7" or 9" touchscreen that comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone pairing. A 15 Watt mobile wireless charging pad has been thrown into the mix for certain variants in the range. 

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The CR-V EX is fitted with grey or black cloth upholstery with an eight-way power driver's seat and black trim on the dash. The EX-L further adds grey or black leather seating surfaces, a four-way power passenger seat and piano black dash trim.

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The Sport features exclusive black cloth upholstery and black dash trim, while the Sport Touring comes with either black or grey leather seating surfaces and piano-black dash trim. The range-topping duo are further bolstered with a black headliner and orange contrast stitching on the seats, console, steering wheel and shifter as standard. 

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As for the powertrains, the EX and EX-L kick off the range with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 142 kW and 242 Nm. The Sport and Touring models pack an updated 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid powerplant with 152 kW and 335 Nm of torque. 

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The EX and EX-L wield an updated CVT transmission, while the Sport and Touring employ what Honda calls a two-motor hybrid system. For the first time, the CR-V features hill-descent control. 

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The new CR-V is equipped with the latest version of Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) architecture. This has been enhanced for even better compatibility with larger vehicles. 

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For safety sakes, there is a full house of airbags including a standard knee, and rear-passenger side-impact airbag for the first time. Other safety features include a new Honda Sensing, blind spot information, traffic jam assist, low-speed braking control and traffic sign recognition, plus adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, and lane-keeping assist.

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Honda SA hasn't given out the local introduction timing of the new CR-V, but we expect it to land here sometime before the end of the year or early 2023. Local specifications will be communicated prior. 

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