Honda SIEL has launched the new model CR-V in India. There are small changes to the headlamp - the CRV now supports twin beam headlamps which definitely add to driving convenience at night - and to the tail lamps, definitely make the vehicle look more contemporary. The double chrome bars in the front grille gives ruggedness to the looks though as does the restyled bumper. Build quality remains as good as ever though there was a small problem with one of the rear doors - either the hatch or the fifth door - because the ‘door open’ light did flash on bad roads despite the doors being properly closed.

 

The engine is a 2354cc all aluminum 16-valve dohc engines producing maximum power of 154PS available at 6000 rpm and maximum torque of 215Nm available at 3600rpm but, that is not the important part, the power and torque figures are rather weighed down by the fact that this car weighs in at roughly 2 tons right. Honda has re-armed the CR-V with the Accord’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, an advanced VTEC unit with an impressive 152bhp on tap. The gearboxes are new as well, a five-speed manual and auto instead of only a four-speed slush-box. The engine is revvy, and performance is very strong after 4000rpm. Acceleration is superb, especially when mated to the manual. With an upgrade of the engine, the brakes get an upgrade as well and the CR-V now has 246mm ventilated discs upfront and 262mm solid discs at the rear. The gearbox by itself is good and the gear ratios are well matched, that make for a good driving experience in both the city as well as outdoors.

 

MacPherson struts up front and doubles wishbones at the rear. The only thing that has really changed is the aluminium alloy wheels which have moved to 6.5JJx16in from the 6JJx15in that it sported earlier. These wheels are still shod with Bridgestone Duelers which are wider and of a lower profile as well - moving from 205/70 R15 to 215/65 R16. The only difference has been the move to slightly bigger wheels and the employment of larger sized brake discs. These definitely increase the vehicle dynamics though the ride suffers that teeny bit. It is as close to a car as any SUV we have seen but do not expect body roll and the other characteristics of such vehicles to disappear completely.

 

The CR-V model now features an additional one-way ball cam and pilot clutch system which detects slippage and responds by transmitting drive to the rear wheels instantaneously. The revised design has been introduced to provide the CR-V with better acceleration and hill climbing performance on slippery surfaces, as well as smoother responses and improved performance when accelerating around corners or pulling away from road junctions where understeer has set in. It means the dual pump system matches the best electronically controlled 4WD systems.

 

There has been an engine upgrade and there has been a shift to a manual transmission both of which add to the performance. Consequently the CR-V is quicker in a straight line and has a higher top speed of 185.8kmph. The 100kmph from a standing start comes up in 10.76 seconds which is remarkable for a vehicle of its size and weight. The CR-V returns 8kmpl while driving in the city with the air-con switched on and 14.8kmpl while driving on the highway at 80kmph with the air-con switched off. With a 58-litre fuel tank and an overall fuel efficiency of 9.7kmpl the CR-V has a range of 563km.

 

The headrests have also been redesigned to offer better rear visibility. A new Kenwood system has been installed and although it utilises the double din space provided, my personal preference was the Alpine system. There is also a headlight level adjustment device now.

Filed under: Honda Cars in India