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Reviewed: New Honda CRV 2.0 e:HEV – Better Than Ever!

What do you get when you cross the comfort and spaciousness of a KIA Sorento with the athleticism of a Mazda CX-5? If you guessed the Honda CRV, you would have guessed right.

Honda’s C-Segment SUV contender has always been the go-to model that offered all the right things at the right price.

The CRV has been locally-assembled in Melaka since 2003 and it has been one of Honda Malaysia’s most successful model with close to 130,000 units sold.

But while the fifth-generation model was big and spacious and had all the right reasons to continue attracting buyers, it was becoming dated with an interior design that was getting tired and in need of an urgent update.

The fifth-generation CRV was so complete as a family focused CRV, that Honda could have simply given it a new body, a refreshed interior and called it a day. But no, Honda went to town with it and came up with a new model that will give the competitors a proper headache for years to come.

The new CRV is the biggest (in size) there has ever been, and it has all the right moves when the roads demand it. For a lack of a better word, the new CRV has evolved into the perfect package.

In terms of sizing, the new body is 10mm wider, 80mm longer with a 40mm longer wheelbase. It is difficult to explain how big it is here, but you will notice the sheer size of the new CRV as soon as you see it. Honda did not try very hard to hide the bulk of the car but has embraced it instead.

The size is most apparent from the side of the car where the shoulder line stretches across the length of the car. This immediately catches your eye and accentuates the length of the car.

The front quarter of the car also seems longer, achieved by moving the A-pillar slightly back and giving it a steeper rake. This makes the bonnet look longer where else the previous fifth-generation CRV had a short bonnet and an A-pillar that raised dramatically to meet the roof of the car.

The front fascia mimics the new Honda Accord, which has sadly been discontinued in the Malaysian market, effectively making the CRV the new flagship Honda for the Malaysian market.

The rear of the car is all new but there are hints of other marques. Some say that the vertical light panel looks like it came off a Volvo, perhaps they are forgetting that it has always been there, starting from the first generation CRV.

The way the rear lights edge towards the centre though, now that looks like it has been inspired by BMW. But design is always subjective, though we all can agree that the new CRV does not have an ugly panel to it.

Step inside and this is where the sheer size of the car is most apparent. The interior acreage has increased, and it is not just on paper, you feel it as soon as you step inside. Whether you are seated at the front or at the back, the new CRV offers plenty of room, once again making it ideal for families.

Just like before though, Malaysia is getting the five-seater variant rather than the seven-seater which is for the Thai and Indonesian markets. This is fine though because the third-row seats substantially sacrifice boot space, which is a pity because at 589 litres, it is a full 67 litres bigger than before.

And if you are keen on an SUV, then boot space is important. And just for reference’s sake, the Mazda CX-5 has 445-litres of storage space while the Proton X70 has 512 litres. So it does not make sense to lose out on all that space.

The second-row passengers will appreciate the additional leg and shoulder space. They also get two USB Type-C ports and their own air-conditioning vents. On the topic of the vents, we feel that Honda missed an opportunity to also add vents onto the B-Pillars. This vent placement makes the most sense since it blows cool air directly to a passenger’s face rather than to the knees. But it is not a deal breaker.

The real action though is up front where the new dashboard is entirely new, and a mirror image of that in the Civic. Though a little elongated in the CRV since it is 64mm wider than the Civic.

It is important to note that the CRV we drove recently was the Thai spec, so it may be a little different than the Malaysian models.

The trimming for one may be different. The Turbo and Hybrid variants we drove both had wood-grain trimming which looked expensive and felt more authentic than the interior trimming of some of the continental cars.

Malaysian’s will be getting two models – the 2.0 e:HEV, which is basically a hybrid variant, and a 1.5 Turbo. Both these powertrains are already in the Malaysian market, the hybrid made its debut in the Civic while the 1.5 Turbo has been around for a while and was even powering the fifth generation CRV. So both powertrains have been tried and tested for a while already.

In usual Honda Malaysia fashion, each of these will have their own sub-variants, perhaps three variants for the 1.5 Turbo including one with all-wheel-drive, and one flagship hybrid variant with power sent to the front wheels exclusively.

This article though will focus on the Hybrid variant and with a separate review of the Turbo variant to follow.

During the drive in Thailand, there was little that distinguished both models from the outside. Both cars had the same body kit and had the same 18-inch wheels.

You can also expect some other features to distinguish the flagship model from the others, but there is no telling what that will be, and we are not about to speculate.

Having driven both the Hybrid and the Turbo models back-to-back, the former feels more polished and better to drive for several reasons.

The Hybrid model utilizes Honda’s e:HEV technology which includes twin motors up front – one to drive the wheels, and another that acts as a generator to power all of the onboard systems.

Power is sent directly from the engine to the electric motor through Honda’s e-CVT transmission, which basically means the CRV makes do without a gearbox. So that means there are fewer moving parts in this model and there is no propellor shaft either to send power to the rear wheels.

This then means there are fewer vibrations and random noises that intrude back into the cabin, making the car feel incredibly smooth, quiet and serene even.

Power for Hybrid variant is rated at 184PS and 335Nm of torque. This may seem quite decent, but the car does not seem to want to go anywhere in a hurry when you floor the accelerator pedal.

At 1,743kg, the CRV e:HEV is not exactly light, but the powertrain is more than up to propelling the car up to speed. It just does not feel very urgent. But that should not be too surprising though since the hybrid model is designed for efficiency, and with an official fuel consumption rating of an impressive 20.8-km per litre, efficiency is quite surely the name of the game for this model.

It achieves its impressive efficiency through a combination of technologies that go past the slick powertrain. The new Civic also has something called an Active Shutter Grille located at the bottom of the front bumper. This works by opening to let in air to cool the engine, and it shuts again so that air can flow around the car rather than through it, all in the name of aerodynamics and thus improved efficiency.

There is much to like about the new Honda CRV, and we ended up preferring it over the Turbo model due to its smoothness and better noise and vibration levels. But it also has new and improved seats for the front passengers which is a much welcomed addition.

The Malaysian model will also come with a 12-speaker Bose sound system, making it the first time that Honda Malaysia will offer a premium sound system for its locally-assembled model.

Buyers will also appreciate that the new CRV also comes with a new 360-degree camera that makes driving the big SUV a simpler task. Then there is also the new Honda Sensing suite that includes a new wide-angle radar, camera and a sonar sensor for low speed braking control.

The new Honda CRV is going to be another sales success especially among those looking for something big and spacious. But don’t expect it to be cheap though, with price of goods increasing globally and the value of the Ringgit dropping drastically for the past couple of years, the price of raw materials is surely going to increase production cost.

But with top notch quality and comfort and safety levels that can match some of its European counterparts, the Honda CRV will find its way into the hearts of plenty. That is for sure.

Specifications:

Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, DOHC

Power: 184PS @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 335Nm @ 2000rpm

Gearbox: e-CVT

Battery: Lithium-ion

Suspension: Independent MacPherson Strut with Stabiliser Bar (Front) / Independent Multi-Link with Stabiliser Bar (Rear)

We like: Interior space, good looks, efficiency

We don’t like: Hard to fault, we love it!

Tried & Tested: Pushing BFGoodrich Tyres To The Breaking Point!

The world of tyres is a dynamic one and probably more fiercely contested than the automotive industry it operates within.

Tyre manufacturers rely on multitudes of platforms to prove the worthiness of their product. Motorsports is one of the best and the most commonly used platforms to showcase the abilities of any tyre. But every once in a while, a tyre maker will organize a mega event and invite customers, dealers, business partners and members of the press to try out their product.

The latter is exactly what happened recently when American tyre maker BFGoodrich invited guests from far and wide for a rare “familiarisation” event in Thailand aptly called the BFGoodrich Day. The inaugural event saw visitors from eight countries congregate to experience the abilities of BFGoodrich tyres at the Khao Yai National Park, which is about a three hour drive north-east of Bangkok.

BFGoodrich has been around since the 1870s and marks several notable achievements. Some online research revealed that the company supplied tyres to the first car to cross the United States in 1903, and was also the tyre of choice for the Columbia space shuttle which flew 28 missions to space.

BFGoodrich was later bought by French rubber conglomerate Michelin, and thrived. It made a name for itself in motorsports exploits where it competed and won in several series such as the prestigious Indianapolis 500, the Baja 1000, the iconic Paris-Dakar rally, several world rally championships as well as the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans.

However, BFGoodrich is probably most well-known for its off-road tyres, making some of the toughest known tyres for the most demanding terrains whether to be used by the general public or professionally in a race.

Closer to home though, the company is well known but has not been very active in recent years. Due to taxation, high cost of transportation and other related factors, BFGoodrich has operated at the background of the Malaysian tyre scene, until now.

The company is making a resurgence of sorts, not only in Malaysia but in neighboring markets as well, and the recent ‘BFGoodrich Days’ is one of their first big projects.

The event allowed members of the press to experience four tyres from the current range in the BFGoodrich stable.

BFGoodrich Mud Terrain

The ultimate off-road tyre in the BFGoodrich product range, the Mud Terrain tyre has a notable achievement in that it was the same tyre that won the grueling Baja 1000 off-road race which takes place annually at the Mexico-California peninsular and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world.

Our day at the BFGoodrich Days started off with this tyre that were fitted to a purpose-built off-road buggy’s that look like they belong in a mission to the moon.

The Mud Terrain tyres feature an aggressive tread-design that allows the vehicle fitted with it to power through just about any type of soil. It features some purpose-built technologies such as Mud-Phobic bars that can off-load compacted mud for better traction.

The compound used to make the tyre is also unique. Called the Krawl-Tech compound, it is specially designed to crawl over rock and slippery surfaces.

We experienced this firsthand on a specially designed track that featured timber that looked like it had been soaked in water for a week and mud that had not seen sunshine for a month.

It was heaven for dirt-lovers, for us it was the perfect place to get dirty with the buggy’s. BFGoodrich expected us to get dirty too and handed us ponchos to wear during the drive stint. Try as we could to get stuck but the buggy simply did not relent and would roll, climb and dig itself out of everything that the track threw at it.

At some points, the sideways incline was so steep that our heads were just about two feet off the mud, but the buggy kept going as the tyres worked like shovels to pull us through.

These specially made off-road tyres are available in Malaysia and range in price from RM1,662 to RM3,827 depending on size.

BFGoodrich Trail Terrain

A tyre specially built for on and off-roading, the Trail Terrain is said to be excellent on soft and hard surfaces including light off-road use.

The Trail Terrain offers a robust sidewall, staggered shoulder blocks and a tread design that focuses on durability over long periods of time. This extends the life of the tyre but also ensures that it can perform at its most optimum for a longer time.

We tried these tyres on a different track, one that was longer but not as hardcore as the first one. The tyres were fitted to familiar pick-up trucks such as the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and the Toyota Hilux. There were even a few Ford Everests and Toyota Fortuners fitted with these dual-purpose tyres.

Even thought it was a sun-kissed morning, it had been raining the night before so there were pockets of mud and puddles that threatened to break traction if a corner was taken too fast or if anyone misjudged the braking point. But it was a tyre test, so we deliberately accelerated and braked where we should not have. What’s the point of a slow drive when testing a tyre?

But just like the Mud Terrain, the Trail Terrain too offers technology to maximise traction and longevity. For these tyres, BFGoodrich developed 3D sipes that create traction on and off-road and also resist chipping and tearing, thus increasing the life of the tyre.

So, during the test, there was little to no sliding around except when deliberately accelerating out of a corner, where the rear broke loose from the sudden surge of power. No tyre tech will save you from that, some drivers call it drifting out of a corner and do it for fun.

The Trail Terrain is in Malaysia and priced from RM984 to RM1690.

All-Terrain KO2

This was the hardest challenge of them all and was specially designed to rip a tyre of an unsuspecting driver. It involved driving about 30km on some of Thailand’s famous concrete surfaced highways and then uphill to a scenic mountain lookout. But this involved crawling over jagged rocks that would break an axle should the tyre lose grip or worse.

But BFGoodrich was keen to show off the noise suppression of the tyre, hence the highway drive. We were in a Hilux which is not exactly known for its interior comfort compared to a Ranger. We were not allowed to drive on the highway, which turned out to be a good thing because our assigned Thai driver knew the roads and the local driving culture. To put it politely, he put some of the other Thai drivers to shame with his antics. We suspect he was told to drive hard because it was a good opportunity to show off the road noise levels of the KO2, which was impressive for an all-terrain tyre which tend to hum and drone when on regular roads.

Then came the crawling part and we took over the wheel. And though it was one of the most stressful drives since the driver turned instructor kept barking orders at every given opportunity which was every other second, it was also great to feel the tyre cling on to a rock and not break grip.

BFGoodrich says the KO2’s are the toughest all-terrain tyres ever made and offer aggressive traction for on and off-road adventures. The KO2’s also have tougher than usual sidewalls that are designed to resists splitting. After what we experienced up on that mountain, we believe these claims.

The All-Terrain KO2’s are also available in Malaysia and are priced at RM930 to RM2,398.

G-Force Phenom

To test out these tyres, our drive took us to a small race track that allowed us to try out the high speed cornering. The G-Force Phenom tyres are BFGoodrich’s ultra-high performance that are specially designed for acceleration, tight cornering and hard braking.

We were handed a BMW 330i to test the claim and told to speed into corners, not brake and steer towards some cones and then stand on the brakes to come to a complete stop.

As you probably would expect, there were no dramas. There may be better high-performance tyres out there which we will never know about without a proper tyre test, but for what they can do, the G-Force Phenom’s are remarkable.

To achieve this, BFGoodrich uses Performance Racing Core construction that reduces flex in corners so the tyres respond immediately to every turn of the steering wheel. And there is also the Ulti-Grip Technology that evacuates water from the tyre to improve wet weather grip.

The G-Force Phenom’s are priced at RM438 to RM1,241.

In the near two decades of writing about cars, motorcycles and everything that is related, this was the first time this writer experienced BFGoodrich tyres and their capabilities. Every tyre maker will say their product is the best, but few will let you push them to the breaking point, and that no tyre was permanently destroyed that day is a proper testament to BFGoodrich tyres.