New Honda CR-V offers segment-first nine-speed AT in diesel as well as seven seats; comes loaded with several safety and convenience features
As part of enhancing its premium offering, Honda Cars India has officially launched the fifth generation CR-V today in the domestic market. It is priced from Rs. 28.15 lakh for the petrol 2WD and it goes all the way up to Rs. 32.75 lakh for the diesel AWD (both prices, ex-showroom pan India). The new CR-V can also be had in the 2WD diesel specification for Rs. 30.65 lakh.
Claims to have 52 percent lower maintenance, the 2018 Honda CR-V has standard warranty of 3 years/unlimited km and it can be extended to 5-yr/unlimited km. The full-size family SUV is offered in India with seven-seat option for improved practicality and has an appealing exterior with feature-loaded equipment package.
One of the global best-sellers for Honda across the world is offered in India with a new Earth Dreams 1.6-litre i-DTEC four-cylinder turbocharged DOHC diesel engine, which is good enough to produce a maximum power output of 120 PS at 4,000 rpm and 300 Nm of peak torque delivered from as low as 2,000 rpm. Instead of the twin-turbo unit Honda opted to go with single turbocharger for better fuel economy.
The two-wheel-drive version has best-in-class claimed mileage of 19.5 kmpl and the AWD is rated to deliver 18.3 kmpl. The engine is mated to a ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic ‘box with paddle shifters as standard and it’s another segment first feature.
The 2.0-litre i-VTEC SOHC petrol motor, on the other hand, can be bought with 154 PS at 6,500 rpm and 189 Nm at 4,300 rpm and is connected to a CVT automatic transmission with 14.4 kmpl fuel efficiency. If you are looking for manual transmission, you will be disappointed as it’s not offered in both powertrain options.
The 2018 Honda CR-V packs a myriad of features such as 7-inch full coloured MID, 7-inch touchscreen audio display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, eight-speaker audio, piano black and wooden finished centre console, electronic parking brake function, panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, 8-way power adjustable driver seat, push start/stop with smart entry, AC for second and third row seats, dual-zone auto AC and so on.
The seven-seat layout is only provided in the diesel variant and the CR-V runs on 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels. As for safety, the new CR-V comes equipped with ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body, six airbags, multi-angle rear view camera, ABS with EBD and BA, segment-first Honda LaneWatch for blind spot detection, Hill Start and Vehicle Stability Assists, Walk Away Door Lock, ISOFIX child mounts, etc.
The new generation model has to be the most practical CR-V ever sold in India in terms of safety, layout and equipment on offer but has it been overpriced against rivals? Have your say below!