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By
EWAN KENNEDY
5 February 2007
Honda has taken an interesting new direction in its
third-generation CR-V. Not only giving it styling that’s almost
futuristic, but also making it more car-like in its on-road
characteristics.
Taking the pragmatic point of view that the great majority of
4WD buyers really don’t want a 4WD, but rather a handy station
wagon, Honda has given them just that. The ground clearance has
been dropped to 185 mm (about halfway between that of a car and a
serious off-road 4WD) and the suspension has been given a sportier
bias.
The interesting thing is that the revised 4WD system,
introduced to Australia in the second-generation CR-V in October
2005, has been retained in the new model. So the gen-three CR-V
has plenty of competence in the traction department.
Realistically, the vast majority of owners won’t try anything
more adventurous than beach driving and exploring forest trails.
So this new combination of high-traction and lower ground
clearance should work well enough. All the more so if the driver
has undertaken some training and knows how to get the best from
the vehicle.
The styling of the new Honda CR-V works exceptionally well to
our eyes. It follows the same theme as the latest Honda Civic and
Odyssey, with a sleek, but positive, front end using an
interesting two-tier grille. The rear end gives the appearance of
being low set and sleek, but Honda's designers have created a
clever optical illusion, and in fact the tail is quite tall with a
good luggage area inside.
The boot floor is relatively high as the spare wheel is stored
under it rather than hung off the rear door as in previous CR-Vs.
Incidentally, the spare is a full-sized unit in deference to those
who might like to explore the great Australian outback. Suburban
users aren't offered the option of a space-saver to give them more
boot space.
Interior space is good thanks to the squared-off cabin area.
Honda continues with its sensible ideal of having a flat floor
throughout the cabin to minimise interruption of foot space. The
gear lever is on a small console in the lower area of the dash to
facilitate this.
Placing the spare wheel low down was part of the plan to lower
the centre of gravity of the CR-V for improved balance and
handling. The ride height is down 20 mm from that of the previous
model, yet, cleverly, the centre of gravity has been pulled down
by a significant 35 mm.
During our initial test drives of the latest CR-V in Tasmania,
Honda set a route exclusively on sealed roads, a somewhat odd way
of introducing a vehicle like this. We took a private detour onto
some gravel roads and the wagon performed well, with good
stability and easy handling.
On the sealed roads we found the third-generation CR-V had
handling characteristics roughly halfway between those of a car
and a dedicated 4WD. This disappointed us a little as we had
somehow anticipated a more car-like feel.
Ride comfort is good and wind noise generally well isolated.
There's a fair bit of road/tyre noise intrusion on coarse-chip
bitumen, but it’s no worse than on many imported cars. Handling
is safe and predictable, though bad bumps on the road can knock
the CR-V slightly off line at times if it’s being pushed
relatively hard. A driver paying full attention at all times
(which everyone should do!) will certainly have no trouble with
this wagon.
Visibility to the front-side is better than average in modern
vehicles thanks to relatively slim A-pillars. This is a real
safety bonus.
Power for the new Honda CR-V comes from an improved version of
the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine used in the previous model. It’s
mated to either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. The
auto doesn’t have tiptronic-type facility that’s becoming
increasingly common these days.
Prices of the new Honda CR-V range from $31,990 for the
standard model with a manual gearbox. The CR-V Sport (with alloy
wheels, sunroof, additional stereo speakers and a six-CD changer,
extra airbags) comes in at $37,990 and the CR-V Luxury (leather
trim, powered and heated front seats) has a tag of $39,990.
Automatic transmission is offered in each model and adds $2000.
Metallic paint is the only other major option and costs $300.
On-road charges have to be added to these prices.
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Marque Publishing Company
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