There’s a nice, twisty narrow road that climbs up the hillside in a series of hairpin bends to Nahargarh Fort, near Jaipur. As the day gets older, carloads of tourists and daytrippers descend on the fort. But till that happens, the stretch is almost empty. That’s how it was when we whipped the fifth-generation Honda CR-V sport ute around the bends earlier this week. The SUV will be launched in India in October. 

THE PETROL

We were driving the petrol version, in which Honda has put a 2-litre i-VTEC engine similar to the one they had in the previous version. (It has done away with the 2.4-litre engine option.) But unlike the earlier one that had a traditional automatic, the new one has a CVT (constantly variable transmission) automatic gearbox.

This one sprang a surprise or two. Once slotted in the Drive or Sport mode, there is no way to manually downshift to keep the revs up and ensure that the engine makes more power. The CR-V was doing the job itself and almost egging us on to push it. Despite being a front-wheel drive, it didn’t try to straighten out as we powered around the turns, and gave us the confidence to climb at a quick clip.

It was stable even under fairly hard braking, as we tried to stay out of the path of a couple of resident peacocks in the fort area. All this would be normal for a low-slung sports car, but is quite commendable for a full-fledged SUV that is 1.7m tall and has a ground clearance of about 200mm to boot.

THE DIESEL

A bigger surprise was in store. This will be the first CR-V to come with a diesel engine — a 1.6-litre i-DTEC Earth Dreams unit, mated to a nine-speed automatic. The motor makes 120hp at the peak but pushes out 300Nm of torque from low-engine speeds (2,000rpm). The torque statistic is comparable with the 2-litre diesels that have been the staple across segments in India.

Though more than 100kg heavier than the petrols, the diesels, both the all-wheel drive (AWD) and two-wheel drive (2WD) versions, are as stable to drive as the petrol. Instead of a gear lever, these come with a set of buttons — separate ones for Park, Reverse and Neutral, and one more for Drive  (press once) and Sport (press twice) modes.

And in Sport, one can use the paddle shifts to move up and down the gears. That is good news for spirited drivers.
One quibble we have is that there is no way of choosing the AWD mode manually. In vehicles equipped with this option, it is chosen automatically when the SUV senses it needs to spread the power to different wheels if it is losing traction. 

THE RIDE

Honda has done a good job with the suspension that is engineered to separately handle the small undulations and the big bumps. The CR-V rides on 18-inch wheels with big radials. That combination along with the cushioning of the seats works well to keep the passengers insulated from the rough roads. In fact, we did not feel any skittishness while driving and the steering gave nice feedback on what the wheels were doing.

LOOK & FEEL

The biggest differentiator visually from earlier generation models is the broad chromed bar that all Hondas now have. Chrome surrounds for the glass area and a dark section at the bottom garnished with a chrome strip make visually break up the contoured flanks. The prominent tail lamps give the rear end character. The big black-and-silver alloy wheels help to jazz up the overall look.

The interiors is where Honda has upped the game significantly. The new one has woody inserts and a combination  of colours breaking the monotony of the slabby bits. There’s a plushness to it that one would not find out of place in more premium vehicles — the leather in particular has a really nice feel to it.

The instrument cluster has a compact display for speed and revs. Plus, it has all kinds of readouts, including a warning for drowsiness. The central console design looks very upmarket, particularly the way the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system continues into the climate control and the gear lever or selector buttons array.

The petrol version is a five-seater, the diesel version is a seven-seater. Both come with console aircon vents for the second row of passengers, but the diesel also has roof-mounted vents for second and third row travellers. There are 10 aircon vents in this vehicle! That should make the cooling effective in the last row too.

The last row of seats is best for younger children or adults of smaller build. Putting average-sized adults in both the middle and the last row will make it tight for both. When the third row is not in use, the second can be pushed back to create more legroom. With the rear door opening about 90 degrees, getting in and out is easy.

The CR-V is a good option for gadgety families with lots of devices to connect and charge. There are two 12V sockets for the rear-seat passengers. The front central console has two more. There are two USB ports as well as an HDMI one as well. Of course, you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. And that’s just the beginning of the long features list. 

The SUV can be started using the key fob from outside the car, to get it to cool, for instance, before stepping in. A little curved mirror on the sunglass holder lets all passengers see each other. These are some of the nice little touches in the vehicle.

MAKE OR BREAK

The CR-V, particularly the diesel, has drivability and fuel efficiency going for it. It’s got a premium feel as well. Plus, the diesel can seat seven if needed. Plus there is an AWD version that should be fine for mild offroad excursions. But pricing will be crucial since competiton from the Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq Ford Endeavour, and the Toyota Innova Crysta will be tough. We are expecting it to start around Rs 25 lakh ex showroom in Calcutta.

NUMBERS GAME

Form: SUV/Softroader
LxBxH (mm): 4,592 x 1,855 x 1,689
Engine: Petrol (P): 1,997cc, 4-cyl; Diesel (D): 1,597cc, 4-cyl Max. power (ps@rpm): 
P: 154@6,500; D: 120@4,000
Max. torque (Nm@rpm): P: 189@4,300; D: 300@2,000
Transmission: P: CVT auto; 
D: 9-speed auto
Wheels and tyres: 18”alloys; 235/60 R18
Kerb weight (kg): P: 1,545; 
D: 1,666 (2WD) and 1,725 (AWD)
Certified fuel consumption (kmpl): P: 14.4; D: 19.5 (2WD) and 18.3 (AWD)
Cargo space (litres): P: 522 to 1,084; D: 150 to 936
Expected price (ex showroom, Calcutta): Rs 25 lakh onwards