Drive Test: Aneasthetised Honda CR-V 1.5T Executive

Hondas and us over the last twelve months have had a choppy time; recent flourishes of achingly-cool retro fusion, Nurburgring benchmarks, EV concepts, Formula One…well no need to explain that prolonged engineering agony. The message is fragmented, unsure of where the company is headed next – still committed to the unloved combustion world with humdrum packaging while pockets of brilliance arise and attempt to ignite the company anew. And while we believe there’s nothing wrong with a Type R for the family, the SUV segment shows we’re in the minority. Instead Honda gives us the CR-V.

Ours had the turbo petrol engine which has been on the cards for years and apart from Suzuki, Mitsubishi or Mazda, really has woken up late for a company held in such high esteem. Honda doesn’t tout it as a performance unit but considering that the CR-V is a humongous thing bedecked with bulky chairs, the combination is no slouch. Still, you know it’s hobbled terribly by a CVT gearbox, but not in the grand scheme of things, a terrible CVT gearbox – that is damning it with faint praise. The torque from the turbo engine mitigates the persistent whirring and slurring, helped tremendously by a level of smug insulation and occupant shielding that shows no intention of dieting.

The rest of the drive is just as anodyne. CR-V is not put together to out-corner the Germans which is a shame because you’d back Honda, at its prime, to do so. Instead it’s a real paint-by-numbers SUV majoring on comfort and ease of use that perhaps is the domain of an MPV.  Body lean is initiated early but you can push through it and be surprised by how willing the chassis, even though the ride errs on floaty. To Honda’s immense credit there are no options which detract from comfort – no lower ride height or 21-inch wheels. But even though there are many remarkable virtues, I defy anybody to settle on one distinctive USP. Why you’d buy CR-V over the next SUV that rolls into view or the one a second after that.

CR-V remains uncompetitive in the sporty realm but delivers strongly in the active safety, refined from Honda’s underrated Accord, which was an early benchmark long before the German brands caught on. The instrument layout is busy with incongruent angles that compete for attention, although it is original. Relatively unexciting across the board not to mention wayward of the brand’s best engineering and creativity, buyers will feel there’s little here to entice when comparing it to edgier rivals priced under R600 000. We can’t help but ponder what role the once quintessential CR-V will play in Honda’s future because at present it’s evolving out of context with the rest of the range. Andrew Leopold

SPECIFICATION

• R626 900
• 1498cc 4-cyl, turbo petrol, AWD, 140kW, 240Nm
• 7.0l/100km, 167g/km
• 0-100km/h 7.0secs, 200km/h
• 1582kg
• Tester’s note: Struggles in the same areas as the Accord. Doesn’t bode well.