Honda CRV - 2007
In my working career, life used to be about competition. Every other day customer’s would walk into the showrooms and compare prices. In reality this is what you are supposed to do, but one model that didn’t have that problem, of people comparing that much, was the Honda CRV.
When Honda launched it’s first CRV back in 1995, it was exactly what the market was waiting for. A stylish and compact urban SUV, Honda’s petite number quickly ran to the top of the sales charts. Now, in it’s third generation, the CRV offers the same great styling that made it such a winner, and takes it to the next level in terms of technology and equipment.
Still based on the Civic platform, the CRV offers the best of both worlds by providing SUV-versatility together with the saloon-like behaviour. Handling has been improved by having a reduced centre of gravity (-35mm) from the lowering of the engine and transmission and the relocation of the spare wheel, while track width has been increased (+30mm) for greater stability.
The engine remains the 2.0L i-VTEC powerplant. Performance figures are unaltered at 150bhp and 190Nm. Transmission is still a 5-speed automatic while power distribution also retains the previous torque-on-demand characteristics.
Interior flexibility has been improved with the introduction of the 40:20:40 Split Rear Seats, allowing the seats to be folded down in more ways than before. A double-deck, with the top shelf having a loading capacity of 10kg, has been added to the cargo area for easy separation of stored items.
Safety features include ABS, EBD and the two dual i-SRS airbags upfront. These features are joined by the new IIHS active head restraint system for improved whiplash prevention. The increased use of high-tensile strength steel (+58%) also sees an improvement in chassis rigidity.
There is also a new colour - Sparkle Grey Pearl.
Pricing for the CRV remains extremely competitive, with the new model coming in at RM148K, exactly RM1K cheaper than the outgoing model. Honda expects to shift about 300 units monthly, so those who are interested should start running to their nearest showrooms now.
