WE forget that the CR-V in Honda’s CR-V means ‘comfortable runabout vehicle’ a phrase that except for one version of this compact sports utility vehicle delivered exactly what it said. Now at the fifth generation of this vehicle, is there another on the way?
Might as well plug this in, because Honda will debut new vehicles at the 8th Philippine International Motorshow this coming September 15. There will be a new variant of the HR-V, the much-awaited RS Turbo, and a fully accessorized City 1.5 CVT. Honda has a big surprise but that one is still under a blanket and will only be revealed in the show.
Having broken the jar for Honda’s line up in the show, let me also say that it will be technologies, not design, not colors that will matter for the brand. Their theme, ‘Joyful, Safer World’ doesn’t allude to airbags and seatbelts and family planning, but to more active safety technologies grouped into a system they call Honda SENSING (all caps please). This tech suite will sit alongside another group of innovations this time called Honda CONNECT (also all caps).
“This upcoming technology aims to provide safety, security, and convenience through smartphone connectivity. The platform serves as a personal assistant connected to the vehicle, further enhancing the Honda ownership experience. With Honda CONNECT, connected mobility will be available at your fingertips,” says the official press statement.
I am eager to try CONNECT because I experienced SENSING and it was satisfying at the very least, and awesome at its finest. A little overeager when on the road, but determined to keep the car and its’ passengers safe.
That finest hour happened along the Southern Tagalog Access Road, heading for the Balete Exit. The CR-V I test drove, is the top-of-the-line SX Diesel 9AT AWD. No bells and whistles here. Only beeps and chimes. With Honda SENSING at full ‘on’ it had everything from lane departure to active cruise control and brake hold, which after a quick (around 10 kilometers worth) of fiddling and testing got me confident enough to let the CR-V literally drive itself. When you steer off course you sense it in the manibela and a somber but audible beep reminds you get back on track.
Inside the CR-V is something else. There is something particularly luxurious about it. Is it the shade of brown on the wood, or the grain with the matt finish? Is it the luxurious leather seats? Is it the large infotainment system? There is also something very unique to it. Could it be the wireless charger found below the aircon duct? How about the instrument cluster? So much information there to guide drivers. Could it be the fancy cupholders or that superb panoramic?
Nada to all. It is the lack of a shift lever.
The push button layout is modern, but heck we all want to be airplane pilots and there the have levers. I want a lever, not a knob, not a button.
Disclaimer: I had my hands on the wheel and my feet ready for any eventuality, which I later found out to simply be human nature–those reflexes and instincts related to survival when driving in Philippine roads. that one needs to battle when one allows the vehicle to take over. I guess I am practicing autonomous vehicle driving–a reality not too far away from now. Also, no pets and humans were hurt as I drove from the edge of the SLEX-STAR tollway boundary all the way to San Pablo, Laguna only occasionally intervening (like when at hard turns, as the Active Cruise Control does not distinguish modulating power) or when the distance to the obstacle in front was just too close for comfort. I also manually stopped the car for pedestrians, two dogs, a duck, and one cow.
My only gripe with Honda SENSING? It is the electromechanical equivalent of a backseat driver. One might say it has oversensitive sensors all over. But heck. How safe is safe. I’d still use it often but not get too cozy with it because it can make driving boring and I’d end up snoring.
My mother, a big fan of cars that replicated my dad’s Cefiro–its low stance and luxurious ride–loved the comfort and the suspension. She commented that even in the potholed, mucked and jagged middle lane of C5, broken by a heavy truck passing through it, the CR-V was stable and isolated. That’s the word she used. Isolated from what can be described as a paved road with an unpaved demeanor.
In previous versions of the CR-V the third row is problematic. It was atrocious in the RD4 version of many years back that it was even classified (by some stroke of genius, or luck, or otherwise) a 10-seater. That vehicle, a clever loop around the tax laws back then was better known as the “10-cheater” but that old CR-V but was very much appreciated for its price and those extra three seats (which could consequently sit 5 more people).
Forward four generations up, and this top of the line SX Diesel costs P2.238 million comes with a panoramic sunroof, front and rear corner parking sensors, an automatic tailgate, 8-way power seat for the driver and a 4-way power seat for the passenger, its’ got a wireless charger and of course, All-Wheel Drive (AWD). Is that pricey for a compact SUV? You get more room on an Everest or a Montero right? Well yes but you will never get the comfort of the CR-V from those truck-based platforms.
If Honda SENSING is active safety, in its most active mode (it is really the almost AI-equivalent of your mom, or safety conscious other half) the passive safety of how many? Six or eight airbags all the way to the third row proving the passenger protection vibe. I was not about to the test the effectiveness of the airbag so here is a photo to graphically show it instead.
I did notice that this version of the CR-V is a tad on the noisy side. Tad means I could hear the clacking of the diesel engine from inside but it wasn’t disturbing, nothing that the top-notch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Play could not erase. This test unit is obviously old–I’ve read many reviews previously done with it and with 18,000 kms plus on it, there should be squeaks and creaks, but there are none. It is either the excellent servicing being done to it, or it in itself being sturdy and composed. I think it is the latter.
Pulsing under the hood is a 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine. Yup, that read right. It produces 118hp and 300Nm torque and can outrun similar gas-powered cars. It does not have freight train pulling power, nor does it have a trail of sooty smoke behind under heavy acceleration. What it has is a nice steady delivery of power, fast enough for the pace going to Batangas, a bit wanting on overtakes along Maharlika Highway but steady in the hilly roads of Cavinti.
There is power throughout the range and an amazing fuel economy.
I didn’t do any actual tank-to-tank test but let’s gauge this way. It’s 87 kilometers to Katipunan then back to SLEX but instead of Laguna, I went up to Tagaytay and down via the Old Talisay Road, out into STAR into Lipa then across the other side to Lucena via Rosario then back around to San Pablo adding 252 kms. to the tally Day two was simply Laguna to Katipunan and back. Day three was Manila to Lobo via the rocky Lobo-Malabrigo Road for a grand total of 657 kms. still with ¼ tank on the indicator. That’s really a lot of distance covered. The fuel indicator told me I still had 112 kms. of whatever fuel remained.
Officially, Honda says the fuel economy rating is 23 kilometers per liter and I believe that’s about right. On the day Honda picked up the car I did a quick run to S&R in Lipa–28 kms one way and the needle barely moved. One can assume that over time (say five years) all the money you save (if you drive over 100 kilometers a day) from expensive diesel fuel will justify this SUV’s price tag.
Last few notes on this point–the Lobo-Malabrigo Road is not recommended for those wanting a joyous trip like that of Pagudpud. This stretch on concrete is a bit scary and most tiresome and testy to the suspension. The CR-V with its all-wheel drive, however, performed flawlessly, almost boringly flawless. Ruts, rocks, hills and even a sandy stretch of the road proved of little challenge to the CR-V SX Diesel 9AT AWD. — with Raymond B. Tribdino
