Honda CR-V: Testing Hopes

We All Want To See The CR-V To Do Well, Dont We? Lets See What Gen-five Has On Offer

- Raunak Ajinkya

It’s back! And this time, Honda’s big, premium SUV is better. Well, that’s what it wants you to think, at least. And for the most part, I tend to agree. The new Honda CR-V is, whichever way you look at it, leaps and bounds better than the fourth-generation one we had on sale earlier.

What makes it better? Well, it’s not an eyesore anymore. Yes, I felt the earlier one looked a tad silly, but things on gen-five are a lot easier to digest. The headlamps house LEDs, and it’s a pleasing face for the most part (the liberal infusion of chrome being the downside, in my opinion). The 18-inch alloys also look pretty swell, and the rear, well, let’s just say Honda could have mucked it up completely, but didn’t. It’s quite acceptable, in my books. The overall chunky, beefy look of the CR-V will only do it favours when it goes on sale because I have a feeling people will pick it up based on how much presence it has on the move. As I hear it, that’s what Indians are into.

Where things get kicked up a notch (or five) is inside. Now, I remember the response I had when I first laid eyes on the Civic’s interiors. Back then, it looked like a work of art, something that instantly made you want it; something that left an impression good enough to make you think about it for a long while after you’ve stepped away from the car. The new CR-V does the same. It’s probably not as futuristic as the Civic’s was for its time, but it’s definitely one of the best ones in the segment. It looks plush, feels good to the touch, and I love the way the instrument cluster has a digital interface. It’s about time stuff like this became commonplace, don’t you think?