Honda CR-V is 1.8 Million Pesos in the Philippines and I am Driving It, Here's My Experience

Turbo and the VTEC system "breathe" together, to bring together verve and fuel consumption

Born in 1995, Honda CR-V has been the best-selling SUV in the world since 2002. To try to keep the "title", here is a whole new model, which has already peaked in other continents at the last Geneva Motor Show. The first contact is with the petrol, both with 6-speed manual transmission and with CVT, front-wheel drive, and full-wheel drive.

The work of designers has been easier than expected: why ever drastically change the features of an SUV you like? Nevertheless, if the length has not grown (4.60 meters) the bonnet is more slender - thanks to the rear pillars - and the wheelbase has increased by 3 cm.

This means that for the legs of the second-row passengers there are 5 centimeters more, with the 1.83-meter long loading deck (perfectly flat) if the backrests are folded down. If instead, we talk about the seven-seat CR-V, here comes the sliding rear sofa (15 cm) that folds up to package to facilitate entry into the third row.

With the backs folded down, the floor is a little shorter (1.80 meters) while the boot floor (561 liters in 5-seater configuration) can always be placed on two levels.

The technicians then expanded the opening angle of the rear doors (+ 6 °) and shaped the sill to ensure that the pants do not get dirty when getting out of the car.

The storage compartments are also smart, extended on the doors - moving the boxes upwards - and clever the central cabinet, with a tray that can be positioned in three different ways, to obtain different capacities. Under the hood, for now, the same four-cylinder 1.5 VTEC Turbo from Civic is available, capable of 173 hp with manual transmission and 193 with automatic CVT (only with 4x4 traction).

In the first case, 220 N is at 1,900 rpm, while for the most powerful there is 243 Nm at 2,000 rpm. It also revises the four-wheel drive, which automatically transfers torque to the rear wheels when it detects a slippage of the front wheels.

Now the quantity of Nm arriving at the rear axle is greater in the case of re-starts in particularly difficult climbs, while the rear differential EDS modifies - thanks to the steering and yaw sensor dialogue - the braking action on the wheels, for a guide smoother.

But Multilink rear suspension also came particularly compact, which do not take up too much space to the luggage compartment, and a variable ratio steering. Not forgetting hydraulic bushings both front and rear, as well as larger tires, 17 to 19 inches.

The technicians also say they have worked a lot on acoustic comfort, with soundproof windshields, sound-absorbing materials better positioned and other small precautions.

Finally, from the point of view of the ADAS, Honda CR-V can count on a braking system to mitigate the consequences of an impact, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control , lane maintenance system and road sign recognition, capable of adapting the speed limit set by the pilot to the "read" on the sign.


The curiosity

To limit fuel consumption and maximize efficiency, an "active" grille has been added to the front (just below the Honda brand) that can close or open the blades depending on the engine temperature.

At the same time, the external aerodynamic flows have been optimized and, naturally, those under the platform, covered in the right places to offer the least resistance possible.


How much

The commercialization is previewed not before October, reason why, now, we do not have the official price list, but only a range of price.

The Honda CR-V 1.5 VTEC Turbo with 173 HP is available with two-wheel drive and manual transmission (Elegance and Comfort trims) starting from around 1.8 million pesos. To reach up to about 2,631,689.30 of the Executive 4WD with a 193 hp CVT transmission, top of the range. In 2019, instead, it will be the turn of the hybrid motorization.