Honda CR-V Showcased At Auto Expo 2018

Honda India has decided to give the CR-V a new lease of life in India after what seems like an absolute age. It comes to us a little over a year since it made its global debut. But hey, better late than never, right?

What makes this CR-V different than the ones before it?

Good question. There are two ‘never-before’ aspects to the 2018 Honda CR-V, at least as far as India is considered.

First - it has seven seats. Oh yes! The mid-size SUV finally gets a third row of seating. The third row isn’t super spacious, but should do just fine for kids. You can always trade the third row for some added cargo capacity. For the record, with the second and third row tucked away, you get access to a properly spacious 967 litres of boot space.

Second - there’s a diesel engine under the bonnet. The 2018 CR-V is home to Honda’s 1.6-litre i-DTEC motor. Now, it might sound like a piddly engine on paper, but the specs are mighty impressive. The 4-cylinder engine makes a healthy 160PS of power and 350Nm of torque thanks to twin-scroll turbos. Transmission duties will be handled by a 9-speed automatic gearbox. And yes, you continue to get optional all-wheel-drive as well. Lest we forget, the good-old 190PS, 2.4-litre i-VTEC petrol engine soldiers on with AWD.

What else is new?

Practically everything. It looks (and feels) brand spanking new. From the outside, it’s hard to mistake the CR-V as anything but a Honda. In line with the rest of the lineup, the SUV gets a set of sharp-looking all-LED headlamps, machine-finished wheels and LED tail lamps. The interiors are a healthy blend of sophistication and space, typical of a Honda. The feature list includes goodies such as dual-zone automatic climate control, a touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control and how can we forget - a sunroof.

When do we get to read a review?

As soon as Honda lends us one! We’re particularly kicked about sampling the diesel-spec CR-V. Keep a tab on this space and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to know what we think about Honda’s latest flagship SUV!