A rather exhaustive Road Test of the Honda CR-V has been featured in the January 2007 of Autocar India. A great feat for an SUV would be to feel like a luxury car. Ironically, the Honda CR-V feels pretty much the same with its superior handling.

Is this SUV really Honda’s answer to the meagre SUV market in India?

PROS:

1. Anyone stealing a look at the Honda CR-V will undeniably vouch for its beauty. The SUV has been designed such that, men and the ladies both will utter a guaranteed ‘Oh!’ of appreciation. It is definitely bigger and an upgraded version of the earlier Honda CR-V, and is all set to hog the teensy market for SUVs.
2. It is difficult to get over the CR-V’s styling. Considering the front, the headlights are simply stunning. But full marks are awarded to the black-moulded plastic cladding reaching out from the bumper right upto rear, via the sides. The side elevation of this Honda is brilliant as well.
3. There are some subtle, but much appreciated changes in this SUV. The first welcome change is absence of a spare tire attached to the rear tailgate. Also, Honda hasn’t made the use of side-rail and a chunky tyre thread to make it awe inspiring. And the good news is, that it isn’t too heavy either inspite of being larger and stiffer than the previous CR-V.
4. The interiors of this Honda babe are enchanting. Everything feels nice to the touch and spells classy. The dashboard, the music system, the controls on the steering, everything seems just right.
5. Storage space is also abundant, with 556 litre space willing to go upto 955 (when the rear seats are folded forwards). There are cubbyholes above and inside the glove box and even below the doorpads. So stacking away stuff has been taken care of.
6. Honda has provided abundant seating in the CR-V, that also provide great support. These can be adjusted to suit your needs in eight different ways! Funnily enough, the seating feels like that of a luxury car. Also, the lower stance means its easier to move in and out of the car.
7. Coming to the 2.4 litre engine, it is hugely powerful and equally impressive. As you accelerate, it keeps getting smoother and better, which is why you cant get enough of it.
8. It is generally believed that petrol engines and SUVs are not the best combination around, because of petrol prices and the engines’ capacity to gobble up petrol. But the CR-V is doing a good job to trash these myths. With a fuel efficiency of 7.1 kpl on city roads, it goes down almost as well as luxury saloons.

1. The steering wheel has controls for music, but it would be nice if the rear passengers too had their share of the controls. For now, they have no option but to let the driver choose the music.
2. Some accessories provided in the car are cool, but surely needed some more thinking. Like for instance, consider the huge boxes between the front seats. They do fulfill worthwhile purposes like the auxiliary port (to charge your iPod), and storing upto 12 CDs. But the third passenger in the rear will not take to it kindly, because it restricts his leg room. Someone needs to do something about that. Another example for good features that tend to be annoying is the ‘conversation mirror’. This overtly convex mirror helps you see the rear passengers when you’re talking, but needs to be removed because it’s as distracting to the driver as can be.
3. It is a take-it-or-leave it situation with the CR-V. With zero options, you cannot even change the leather seats if you want to. Sticking with the original package seems to be the only option available.
4. At low engine speeds, you slightly begin to get frustrated. About that time, you start wondering whether the engine is even getting its share of petrol.
5. The steering may be better than those on most cars nowadays, but that certainly doesn’t say much for Honda. It’s too light, and certainly not the best there is.
6. The suspension protests with loud thumps over large bumps, and does nothing much to the passengers that an SUV of such a stature should do.
7. To sum up, the Honda CR-V isn’t the best off-roader. Give it simple unadventurous stuff to do, and it’ll keep you happy for a long time to come.