Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) recently hosted a drive event for the motoring media to experience all the enhancements of the latest-generation Honda CR-V. The extensive drive took us to the long stretches of expressways going to Subic Bay, the long winding roads of Bataan province passing the mothballed nuclear power plant, and back to Subic. These varying road conditions put the new powertrains and advanced driver-assist safety features to the test, and they did not disappoint.
The All-New Honda CR-V has grown, dimension-wise, including the wheelbase. The fresh exterior features a prominent front grille with keen-looking headlamps, bolder body lines, and a sleek roofline. Interior-wise, it’s all about high quality, toughness, versatility, and the bigger cabin space. Of course, there is that familiar Civic-inspired dashboard design and the return of the shift lever in all variants.
Now available in the e:HEV E-CVT (full hybrid system), the top-spec variant has the proven and tested Honda Sensing and Honda Connect telematics system. This full hybrid system is Honda’s high-efficiency electrification solution for a carbon-neutral society. The top-spec model is equipped with a powerful combination of two electric motors (the Traction Motor and the Generator Motor) and a new four-cylinder, 2.0-liter Direct Injection Atkinson Cycle engine. Power-wise, the engine alone generates 146 hp and 183 Nm of torque, while the electric motors dish out 181 hp and 335 Nm of torque.
Exclusive to the top-spec 2.0 RS e:HEV E-CVT is the RS design grille, panoramic sunroof, piano black side mirrors with turn signals, gloss black finished door sash, front, and rear LED fog lamps, body-color rear spoiler with piano black accents, piano black shark fin antenna, and RS design 18-inch piano black alloy wheels. Apart from the myriad tech features inside, the finishes are piano black and brushed metal trims. There is also a new Honda Smart Key Card Entry and a Bose Premium Audio System with 12 speakers. Also available are intelligent dual-zone automatic climate control, seats with four-way power lumbar support, and two-row seating.
No cranking motor sound
Push that ignition button, and everything switches on minus the cranking motor sound. The hum is almost negligible whenever the motor fires up, just muffled idling. Then, shift to drive, step on it, and the hybrid driving experience is on.
Driving along the winding roads of Bataan, the instantaneous torque from the electric Traction Motor was unrelenting. Acceleration was swift yet smooth. Impressively, the gasoline engine only retained revs at the low-end ranges most of the time, enough to power the electric motor while charging the battery. It was only during the few instances of high speed, high RPMs on straights did the gas engine take over entirely. Still, the transition was remarkably seamless. Everything below high speed was purely in hybrid mode. There were a few instances when the battery level was enough, the vehicle ran on pure electricity at low speeds.
Overtaking was even faster and easier, thanks to the available substantial torque. For the most part, normal drive mode was utilized, but interestingly, when sport mode is on, there is an artificial accelerating engine note. Put the shift lever on “B,” and the regenerative braking is on, which is beneficial during descents and while tackling curves. Having combined impressive steering feedback and regenerative braking (with degree level control via paddle shifters), all that was needed was the right braking point and steering.
On the freeway, the gasoline engine took over at high speeds. But everything inside was still tranquil thanks to the top spec’s better NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) insulation. Here, the hybrid and engine modes interchanged seamlessly depending on the speed. The “Power Flow Information” was displayed throughout the drive on the infotainment screen, showing real-time the battery charge level and the gasoline engine’s level of control.
The battery pack is placed under the third-row flooring, accessible from the tailgate opening. As for the fuel consumption, the entire drive registered an average theoretical reading of over 17 km/liter. Considering how the vehicle was pushed, its size, and the gasoline engine’s displacement, that is an impressive result.
Sensing the way to go
All variants have the latest Honda Sensing driver-assistive technology, with a new front sensor camera with a broader field of view and a radar system with a 120-degree view angle. Cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are now better detected.
At the entire stretch of the expressways, the Honda Sensing convincingly delivered. With the adaptive cruise control (ACC) with low-speed follow (LSF) enabled, the system actively kept the pace based on the vehicle upfront by picking up, slowing down, and applying brakes to keep a safe distance. Meanwhile, the lane keeping assist (LKAS) actively operates the steering within visible lanes, even on long bends.
As for the road departure mitigation (RDM) with lane departure warning (LDW), there was slight resistance and movement during lane changes without using the turn signals. Of course, the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) was always active in flashing warnings on the screen for collision alerts. (Story, photos and video by Randy Peregrino)