Honda CR-V hybrid – A gentle giant
As the CR-V name is soon to reach its 15th birthday, it is no wonder why the first generation was so successful. A car that fitted the need of the people and over time has evolved into a big, comfortable all-rounder. The perfect SUV in that case? Well, as the era of electricity is as present as the sun in your eyes, the CR-V was bound to be treated with the hybrid technology, and here it is. A whopping 300 hp of combined electric and petrol power. That sounds a lot because it is. Let’s take a deep dive and review the new Honda CR-V hybrid.
The exterior is a huge step up. Much more muscular and bold compared to the older generation. I particularly like the rear taillights which are like an upside down L. The car feels big, and the massive front just adds to the size. The black plastic underneath breaks up the white paint in order to give a more “rugged” feel. However, the lower part of the front seems unnecessarily big which destroys some proportions of the car.
Inside you are met with fake wood and aluminum. I have to say that because it is true, but for me it doesn’t matter one bit. Throwback to the older Mercedes and BMW luxury cars. With a big exterior comes a big interior, and it is all so true in the CR-V.
The quality and especially the design is up there. The middle console has been completely reshaped in order to have all of the gear controls connected to the middle dashboard. It almost looks like a tongue sticking out from the mouth of the middle center console. This has created heaps of space with a storage space that can fit almost all my camera gear. Great, though the entire execution is a bit lackluster. The design of the infotainments system is minimized but works very well. One thing that decided to stop working halfway into my week with the car, was the lane assist, which worked the way you could imagine. Helps to keep you within the lines and gets sour when you remove your hands. After a day or two, the system stopped working completely and the lines on the road were as clear as day. I tried using it several times during the same drive but eventually lost faith in the system and stopped using it. Sad since it worked so well in the first place.
When you start the car, the petrol engine starts, and eventually dies. Strange since it is a hybrid and I should be able to creep away quietly on my way to church on an early Sunday morning. The DCT gearbox is annoying but works well since the exhaust noise has a nice tone once you start to accelerate. The combined output is just under 300 hp and that makes for an impressive acceleration. Something I was not expecting, but is glad that Honda has been keeping under taps and not used it as a selling point.
The car feels big but at the same time manageable. Typical modern driving characteristics. Safe, but distant. The car is built for hauling kids, groceries, well everything you can think of, which the car handles with ease.
User friendly, big space and relatively low consumption is the mantra for this car. A huge step up in design as well as a relatively simple but modern interior keeps me happy. The console with the new buttons to control the gearbox is a thumbs down for me however. During the time that I had the car I really liked it. It felt like something different in the hybrid market for some reason. Mostly because I haven’t driven such a big hybrid earlier. Back to the car. Even though it has some quirks, especially the lane assist glitch, it was an enjoyable experience, especially to use. The base CR-V is at 25 thousand euros here in Sweden, and that is a good deal.
