Honda’s latest SUV, the next-gen CR-V, has officially entered the R1-million club in South Africa.
The CR-V is the brand’s flagship vehicle on the tip of Africa, and while the previous generation still commanded a sizeable spend of R609,900, the new model has seen a price jump of R350,000 to reach its new entry point of R959,900, which increases to R1,039,900 if you want to pick up the pinnacle model with everything to offer.
This makes it the most expensive Honda in the country ahead of the Civic Type R hot hatch, which originally went on sale last year with a sticker of R979,000, but which is also on the cusp of the R1 million mark now with a retail tag of R999,900.
With such a large price increase, we took the time to examine what the Japanese carmaker’s top-end vehicle has to offer.
What you get
The first and most important distinction between the old and new CR-V is that it has grown from a five-seater into a seven-seater, which partially helps to explain the big price jump.
It is 115mm longer to accommodate the rear seats while bringing a boot of 150 litres with all three rows erected, which can be made to carry 478 litres with the third row folded, and up to 840 litres with both passenger rows down.
The second row has 15mm more legroom, and can now recline at an angle of up to 10.5 degrees for better comfort.
The Honda has further been redesigned to give it a more modern appearance while improving visibility with repositioned pillars and larger windows, and the range-topping model even comes with a panoramic sunroof to let in more natural light.
Standard exterior additions include a set of 19-inch alloy wheels, a gloss black mesh grille, front and rear sport bumpers, and a stainless steel exhaust, and customers have seven paint jobs to choose from.
Continued improvements encompass a new cabin that is quieter than before thanks to sound-absorbing fabrics and better soundproofing on the roof and between body components, which is enhanced with an Active Noise Control system.
Like the Type R, there is a metal honeycomb mesh across the dashboard which masks the air vents, and components like the climate controls wear a metallic finish.
Occupants in the front have heated Body Stabilizing Seats that provide better support on long journeys with eight-way electronic adjustability for the driver and four ways for the passenger.
Buyers can also expect leather upholstery, a 9-litre storage bin in the centre console, a wireless charger, a 7.0-inch colour driver display, a 10.2-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a leather multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters.
Safety additions to the CR-V include an HD surround camera, front and rear parking sensors, eight airbags, and Honda’s Sensing package which adds a collision-mitigation braking system, forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, and a driver-attention monitor.
This time around, the SUV is exclusively sold with a 1.5-litre, turbocharged petrol engine which generates a total of 140kW and 240Nm.
It is front-wheel drive and features a CVT transmission, with this combination achieving an average fuel consumption of 7.4l/100km.
Each purchase of the new Honda is accompanied by a 5-year/200,000km warranty and a 5-year/90,000km service plan.
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