By: Report: P.Tharyan; Photography: Afsar Baig
Sep 26 2018
Honda of Japan has a very cautious approach to making
cars, so much so that I personally feel that they are a tad slow in introducing
new products and technology in the country. A case in point is the new Honda
CR-V which finally comes with a diesel engine. Just when the demand for diesel
powered cars is on the wane here, Honda has brought in a diesel avatar of the
CR-V. Nevertheless, we drive this 5th generation 4-wheel drive machine
(7-seater) and find out what it has to offer.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF 2018 HONDA CR-V DIESEL 4WD
|
Engine
|
4 cylinder, DOHC i-DTEC 1597cc, 16 valves
|
Peak Power
|
118.35hp@4000 rpm
|
Peak Torque
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300Nm@2000 rpm
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Transmission
|
9AT
|
Front suspension
|
McPherson Strut, coil spring
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Rear suspension
|
Torsion bar, coil spring
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Front brakes
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disc
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Rear brakes
|
disc
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Tyres
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Tubeless radial ply, 235/60 R18 103H
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Fuel tank capacity
|
57 litres
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Length x Width x height (mm)
|
4592 x 1855 x 1689
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Kerb weight
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1725 kg
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Price (Rs)
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32.75 lakh (ex-showrooom)
|
EXTERIOR DESIGN
AND FEATURES OF 2018 HONDA CR-V DIESEL 4WD
This 5th generation Honda CR-V is a bit longer, wider and
taller than the previous generation, though this difference is barely
noticeable visually. This monocoque SUV gets athletic wheel arches, tweaks in
the front detailing and a short rear overhang and an increased ground clearance
of 208mm. The car carries stylised headlights surrounded by a wing shaped LED
DRL and not to miss are the muscular fenders. All in all, the vehicle looks
impressive with its long hood, the longer wheelbase at 2660mm and a short rear
overhang.
The lights are all LED—the DRLs, the turn lights both in
front and rear, headlights, tail lights and brake lights. The side profile with
chrome strips running across give the vehicle a very dynamic and sporty
look. Adding to this appeal are the 18
inches alloy wheels. Thankfully Honda is offering a spare tyre of the same size
as regular tyres. The new Honda CR-V has a large panorama sunroof with a tilt
mode, a glass mode and a shade mode.
INTERIOR DESIGN
AND FEATURES OF 2018 HONDA CR-V DIESEL 4WD
Once you step inside you notice a very roomy CR-V cabin.
The materials used inside are of good quality. The meter gauge progressively
illuminates when you open the door to enter the vehicle. The instrument
lighting illuminates and then brightens progressively to 100per cent when the
ignition is switched on. At the end of the drive, the instrument lighting dims
progressively.
There is a new instrument panel comprising a full-colour
7-inch driver information interface display and a 7-inch colour touchscreen
display audio system. The steering wheel can be adjusted for both rake and
reach. The audio system offers 180 watts of power output with six speakers. The
audio system supports AM/FM and Bluetooth streaming audio while being
compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto platforms.
The diesel vehicle we drove came with three rows of seats
which can accommodate 7 people in total. The seats at the rear are 60:40 split.
With all rows upright, you get around 150 litres of boot space. But when the
3rd row seat is folded, you get 472 litres of space and a massive space of 936
litres is there for you when the 2nd and 3rd row seats are folded. Under floor
storage is available just behind the rear seats. With a flat luggage
compartment, it is easy to load and unload luggage smoothly.
SAFETY AND
PERFORMANCE OF 2018 HONDA CR-V DIESEL 4WD
The Honda CR-V sits within a very tough monocoque SUV
segment in India. The likes of Jeep Compass, the Skoda Kodiaq and the Hyundai
Tucson rule the roost here. They offer a lot more power and torque, as compared
to the Honda CR-V. But that does not mean that you can rule out any challenge
from the CR-V.
The new Honda CR-V comes with features like remote
keyless entry, push button start/stop, etc. The diesel turbo engine powered
CR-V is mated to a new 9 speed automatic transmission with an electronic gear
selector and paddle shifters. Once you tap the D mode, you will be pleasantly
surprised by the ability of the car to launch itself smooth and fast. The low
gear ratio ensures a quick and powerful launch while the high gear ratios lower
engine speed at cruising speed giving the car lower noise and better fuel
consumption.
So what does the nine-speed transmission do? Since there
is greater number of gears, it means smaller gear steps, thus providing better
response to drive inputs. Power delivery is linear as you step on the
accelerator. The new 9-speed automatic transmission can even shift directly
down gears from 9th to 5th and 7th to 4th gear, additionally to all two gears
and one gear downshifts. All other multiple down shifts are overlapped shifts
where an additional shift needs to be performed in background in order to
achieve the target gear. This brings out the efficiency of the new
transmission.

The all-wheel drive system in the new Honda CR-V is
brilliant in its own ways. Depending on the terrain, it can send as much as
40pc of the engine power to the rear wheels, if the situation so demands. The
capability of the vehicle is further enhanced by features like vehicle
stability assist with traction control, 4-channel anti-lock braking system with
brake assist and a new electric brake booster. Convenience safety features
include en electric parking brake, automatic brake hold and hill start assist.
The ride quality is excellent and because of the front
and rear stabilizer bars, body roll during cornering is minimized. The
motion-adaptive electric power steering too is also very capable, giving
adequate feedback as one steps on the accelerator. And because of the
considerable amount of insulation and use of modern technology, NVH levels have
been kept well under control.
The vehicle also comes with a good number of airbags for
front passengers and side ones for those at the back. Besides, it has also an
ISOFIX for attaching child seats at the rear. As part of safety features, the
vehicle also has a driver attention monitor. The driver attention level is
estimated from the amount of steering input and warnings are sent out in the
form of message, sound and steering vibration.
VERDICT
The new diesel powered Honda CR-V is a seven-seater SUV
with a lot of fine refinement. It offers
great comfort, adequate power to steer it across different kinds of rough
terrains because of its all-wheel drive capability and has a very pleasing
personality in terms of its looks. The diesel avatar of the new Honda CR-V is
sure to appeal to a lot of people keen to drive a plush SUV that has a diesel
powertrain under its hood. It’s definitely a lot smarter than its predecessor!