Honda CR-V 2021 can avoid accidents, but charges almost R$25,000 more

In financial market jargon, there are three ways to classify an investor: conservative, moderate and bold or aggressive. And these profiles can also be attributed to car consumers.

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It is this first profile mentioned (conservative) that forms the majority of Honda buyers in Brazil. After all, the Japanese brand has tradition and relatively low and predictable maintenance costs. Following this metaphor, the Japanese company has just launched the 2021 CR-V line. However, to compete in the most competitive category in Brazil, a little more than tradition will be needed.

The SUV is in its fifth generation, launched here in 2018 and now receiving its latest change, as the sixth generation is already being tested in the USA and should be launched there in 2022.

The 2021 CR-V arrives imported from the United States in a single version, the Touring, with the changes that have already been familiar to Americans for a year and a half.

With some visual tweaks, but no mechanical changes, Honda’s top-of-the-line SUV’s main asset is the adoption of a package of semi-autonomous driving technologies, increasingly “popular” among premium SUVs.

But, to have this veritable arsenal of devices that help with everyday driving and can even prevent accidents, it will be necessary to pay a mere R$264,900 – an increase of exactly R$24,910 compared to the previous model, or 10%. It is necessary to take into account that the exchange rate balance is not in favor of our currency but, when compared to its direct rivals, this high price stands out.

First, let’s talk about everything the SUV has gained in terms of technological items and also its aesthetic changes.

At the front, the 2021 line gained a new honeycomb-style grille and a redesigned bumper that gives a feeling of robustness. The headlights have not changed their shape or internal design and continue to be equipped with full LED lamps. The new feature is the fog lights, which are now LED.

On the side there is a new chrome trim that runs the entire length of the car and new 18” alloy wheels.

To complete the design changes, the chrome strip that joined the headlights (now darkened) was replaced by a chrome piece with a darker effect. There is also a new bumper and new rectangular exhaust outlets – the old ones were round.

Upon entering the car, there are new appliqués that imitate wood on the door panel, center console and on the top of the front panel. This brings an air of sophistication to the cabin, but not modernity (let’s say).

The central console has also been redesigned and there are sliding trays that allow objects of varying sizes to be accommodated there.

The sunroof is now panoramic and occupies the entire length of the roof, bringing comfort, clarity and even more refinement to the interior.

But let’s talk about onboard technology, as this is where the SUV has changed the most. Starting with connectivity.

The CR-V has a wireless cell phone charger, but the connection to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto continues to be via cable – which doesn’t make much sense because, if there is an intention to abandon wires for charging, why not adopt the same logic for smartphone mirroring? But Honda is not the only one to promote this discrepancy, the new Peugeot 3008 suffers from the same problem.

The multimedia center is intuitive, but only 7 inches. For a premium model, a larger screen is expected. You just can’t complain about the number of USB ports: there are two on the center console and two more for those in the back.

Rear passengers continue to enjoy excellent legroom with a 266 cm wheelbase, and the floor is completely flat, ensuring even more comfort. The dimensions remain the same and the SUV maintains one of its main attributes: great space and life on board.

The onboard experience is completed by a sound system that features a subwoofer for bass reinforcement, with a total of nine speakers.

CR-V is a good copilot

The Sensing system, as the set of semi-autonomous technologies is called, is, without a doubt, the main change in the 2021 line and is also responsible for such a significant increase in price. It works using a camera on the windshield and also a radar located in the front grille. This set includes adaptive cruise control with speed adjustment, autonomous emergency braking (which works at speeds between 72 km/h and 145 km/h) and lane change assistant with trajectory correction.

Another technology called LaneWatch is not part of the Sensing package, but it is equipped with the SUV and has proven to be really useful in urban travel. Whenever the driver turns the right arrow, the image of the traffic next door appears on the multimedia center.

On fast-traffic avenues where there is a considerable volume of motorcycles, this technology brings comfort and safety when changing lanes. Speaking of driving comfort, the model is equipped with a head up display, which projects information onto an acrylic screen that is revealed when the start button is turned on. In addition to speed, it is possible to view the rev counter and GPS directions.

Same 1.5 turbo engine

The powertrain remains the same with the 1.5 turbo gasoline engine combined with the CVT transmission. The engine produces 190 hp and 24.5 kgfm of torque. The novelty is the adoption of the start-stop system which, according to Honda, brought improvements to fuel consumption.

We weren’t able to take the new CR-V to the track to see if it was more economical, but according to Honda the model now consumes 11 km/l in the city and 12.3 km/l on the highway. In our test figures measured with the previous model, it achieved 10.5 km/l in the urban cycle and 13.2 km/l on the highway.

Due to onboard technologies, the CR-V became heavier: 1,629 kg compared to 1,607 kg for the previous one, but this did not affect its good performance.

Acceleration and restart are efficient, and the engine and gearbox work well together. Even on steeper climbs, the unit overcomes with ease, however the engine noise invades the cabin in this condition due to the type of operation of the continuous gearbox, which shows that there is either excessive engine noise or even some failure in the acoustic insulation.

The driving position is high and the steering is light, but the driving is a little numb due to the suspension favoring comfort and the steering not being as communicative. In Sport mode this feeling changes and it is even possible to have a little fun behind the wheel.

The suspension is independent on all four wheels and fulfills its role very well, combined with shock absorbers that filter out imperfections in the road. The characteristic of being independent allows the body to be more stable and sway less when passing over poorly maintained asphalt.

PRICE

It is important to emphasize that the CR-V 2021 is very complete and, among the items, it comes as standard with six airbags, electric parking brake, push-button start, digital air conditioning with two zones and tire pressure monitoring, among others. However, its vast list of standard equipment is not enough to justify its price of R$264,900.

This is because rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan R-line, which also has semi-autonomous features, has a 220 hp 2.0 turbo engine (more powerful) and also a good safety and technology content costs R$236,090 – more than R$28,000 difference. It is also worth mentioning another competitor that has just been launched, the Peugeot 3008 2022, which starts at R$ 229,000 and, even though it has a less powerful 1.6 turbo engine with 165 hp, it has the same driving assistance systems.

The question that remains is what motivated Honda not to make a hybrid version of the SUV available (which is already sold in the American market). This version could justify the high price and gain an advantage over rivals. We can only wait for the new generation that should arrive more sustainable and with a competitive price.

Technical sheet – Honda CR-V Toring 2021

Motor: gas., front., transv., 4 cyl., 16V, turbo, direct injection, 1,498 cm3; 190 hp at 5,600 rpm, 24.5 mkgf at 2000 rpm
Exchange: automatic, CVT, all-wheel drive
Suspension: McPherson strut (front) / multilink (rear)
Brakes: ventilated (front) and solid (rear) discs
Direction: electrical
Wheels and tires: light alloy, 235/60 R18
Dimensions: length, 463.1 cm; width, 185.5 cm; height, 168.9 cm; wheelbase, 266 cm; weight, 1,629 kg; tank, 57 l

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