Unasked for, but by no means unwelcome, the CR-V gets the Accord’s 2.4-litre engine, a new auto, and best of all, a manual ’box as well. Do we really need more?

“The new CR-V is more car-like in every way.”

NEW HONDA CR-V 2.4
List price (ex-showroom, Mumbai) Rs 14.80 lakh
Top speed 183kph
0-60kph 4.13sec
0-100kph 9.83sec
Kpl 8.45 (overall)
For Performance, user-friendly
Against No third-row seating, no diesel option

Few, including Honda, could have predicted the popularity the CR-V, would enjoy when it was launched in India in 2003. Launched almost simultaneously with the Accord, it was expected to be a niche player. But its popularity exceeded all expectations, and soon became the envy of the industry. Competitors were barely able to get their Completely Built Units (CBUs) off the showroom floor, and here was Honda waving a waiting list in their face! And it’s not that the CR-V was perfect. Expensive for a Civic-based car, it had a petrol engine instead of a diesel and no manual option, which bumped efficiency down further.
The new CR-V has been improved in a number of areas, sorting out some customer quibbles along the way. For starters, the car’s looks have been upgraded. Customers black-listed the low-rent unpainted bumpers. That has been addressed with standard body-coloured units, which look far more classy.
This mild facelift also includes a larger-looking chrome grille and headlamps with twin circular elements instead of a single lamp. Also new are larger, 16-inch rims and wider 215 tyres.
There are changes to the interiors too. Customers didn’t like the all-black cabin, and so the insides are now a plush blend of brown, beige and tan. The cabin is brighter and quality is more apparent now. Since the basic design and dimensions of the interiors are the same, the stubby gearlever, with its baseball-like finish, sticks out.
Other differences exist between the old and new too. The instrument cluster has a large central speedo with a real-time electronic bar to indicate fuel consumption. Another positive development is the addition of electro-luminescent dials, which light up when the car is switched on, like in the Grand Vitara.
The CR-V now gets a double, DIN-sized music system that combines a tape deck, in-dash CD player and tuner. A new feature in the loading bay is the presence of a foldaway picnic table that forms the bottom of the luggage area. In the area below, wet objects can be stored in a basin-shaped plastic enclosure.
This apart, the cabin is the same. There’s still the beautifully finished four-spoke steering, a neat central console with among the best-looking HVAC dials, a chilled storage box that also stores CDs and the unique handbrake design, which is cool and a bit impractical. Comfort on both front and rear seats is best in class, and they are spacious and supportive. A minor niggle is the springy seatback on the rear seat, tiring on long drives. Twin airbags, ABS, rear seats that recline, split and fold, a powerful air-con and massive luggage space are other strong points that have been carried over. We missed powered seats, however, which you expect at this price, and the option of a third row of seats, which is odd, because the CR-V actually has the space for more passengers.
The biggest changes, however, are under the hood. The two-litre i-VTEC motor has been replaced by a larger, more powerful 2.4-litre one, the same that powers the Accord. In the CR-V, this motor actually makes 11bhp more, due to the higher compression and a different ECU, taking the total up to an impressive 152bhp.
One of the finest four-cylinder engines in existence, this motor uses variable valve-timing, variable valve lift, Variable Timing Control (VTC) as well as an electronic throttle that severs the link between the driver’s foot and the throttle plate. This allows the ECU greater control over the engine, and because it is mated to a manual box, you can feel all 152 horses. Squeeze the throttle and the CR-V leaps forward energetically with a considerable amount of torque steer (felt at the steering wheel), the smooth motor eager to wind up to its red line.
Performance is very strong, especially after 4000rpm, where the pulling power is tremendous. Despite weighing a ton and a half, the CR-V shoots past 100kph in 9.83 seconds, making it only 0.5 seconds slower than the new Suzuki Grand Vitara with the 166bhp motor. Both have similar power-to-weight ratios, and that’s what makes it so close head-to-head.
The Honda doesn’t have the mid-range grunt of the Vitara’s 2.7 V6, but this motor’s flexibility is unparalleled. It pulls cleanly from as low as 20kph in third gear and is so driveable from 2000rpm upwards, you don’t need to shift up when in traffic. Smooth, well-balanced and responsive, with a strong bottom, mid and top-end, the motor is pretty much fault-free. You rarely need to use the slick, five-speed shifter in the city, unless you need to overtake someone in a hurry. The ’box is not as light or as direct as the Accord’s, which is among the best manual gearboxes. Period.
With wider rubber and taller 16-inch rims, the CR-V has better grip too. Despite the (unchanged) supple suspension, it is more eager to change direction. The high centre of gravity means it does roll, but the monocoque chassis and car-based suspension mean the CR-V steers and corners better than most SUVs — except the phenomenal Chevy Forester.
Also improved is straight-line stability, the new CR-V feeling more planted even at 150kph. It also does not pitch or bob when driven hard over poor roads. The supple suspension and wider tyres also mean that ride quality is excellent, despite taller rims. The CR-V takes the worst of craters in its stride and effectively cuts out any sharp intrusions.
Honda has also improved the ‘on demand’ four-wheel-drive system of the CR-V, something that was sorely needed. A mechanical coupling now helps the 4WD system engage more quickly, and low-grip performance is marginally improved.
The 2.4 CR-V proved more able in soft sand, the ease and swift engagement of the 4WD system providing instant torque and thrust. But, remember that both the Forester and Vitara are more adept off-road and that ramp-over is still a problem, due to the low running boards.
Now with a larger engine but a more efficient manual gearbox, the CR-V has better fuel economy. The 2.4 CR-V travelled 7.4kpl in the city, with consumption on the highway climbing a bit higher to 9.5kpl. Would customers have preferred it with a more efficient 2.0-litre engine mated to a manual gearbox ? Possibly.
The new CR-V looks better, is faster, more grippy, has a better cabin and a choice of transmission — meaning either better fuel economy and performance, or the convenience of an auto.
You have to fork out Rs 88,000 more for the new CR-V auto, but you could easily go for the manual, more efficient and better than the 2.0-litre auto.
The CR-V is now more capable and generally improved where required, better-equipped to compete with luxury cars, like Honda’s own Accord. It can only take five passengers, but it’s still top-dog in its class.
Now, if only Honda slots the incredible 2.2-litre common rail diesel, the CDTi, into the CR-V. Wouldn’t that be a humdinger?