SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
Posted: 13 October 2017
The numbers
Price: R626 900
Engine: 1498 cc, VTEC turbo DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder
Power: 140 kW at 5600 rpm
Torque: 240 Nm between 2000 and 5000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.2 seconds (Car magazine test)
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.3 l/100 km
Tank: 57 litres
Luggage: 522 – 1084 litres
Ground clearance: 202 mm
Approach and departure angles: 20.8 / 24.8 degrees
Warranty: 5 years / 200 000 km, with 3 years’ roadside assistance
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km at 10 000 km intervals on turbo models
Don’t you just hate the fifth generation Honda CR-V - for being so much like your ex’s new love interest? It’s bigger in most of the right places, stronger, safer, faster, more exciting, more modern, more economical and easier to handle (uh-oh, Someone has control issues). And it has a better warranty. Now take your hands off your ears and stop going “la-la-la-la-la” for a minute while we tell you about it.
Bigger: It is built on a new version of the Honda Civic platform used for CR-Vs from the beginning. That makes it 58 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 25 mm taller with the all-wheel drive version standing 10 mm taller still. That’s owing to extra ground clearance. Track widths increased by 38 mm. The important part is that its wheelbase is now 40 mm longer for greater ride comfort and almost limousine-like legroom although, in the interest of full disclosure, basic cargo volume decreased by 34 litres and the fuel tank is one litre smaller.
Stronger and safer: New construction design increased body rigidity to reduce flexing. That paid off in overall ride quality and refinement, crisper steering response and more composed handling. Brakes, discs at each end, are bigger than previously. Other kit like airbags and active safety features remain basically unchanged although Agile Handling Assist (AHA) is new. It uses torque vectoring to improve turn-in response and cornering. Braking force applied to inside wheels, when cornering hard, helps the car turn and reduces the “ploughing on” effect of understeer.
Faster: The only commonality between new and old power trains is the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated motor coupled with automatic transmission, so that’s all we can compare fairly. The old one accelerated from zero to 100 km/h in 12.4 seconds and topped out at 185. The new car does the sprint in 10.0 and maxes out at 192. Put that down to a new and improved CVT - more detail later.
More modern: Apart from face-lifted details, exterior features include LED head-, fog- and taillights and bold new scuff plates. On the inside, the most noticeable new items are a graphic instrument cluster to replace the previous analogue setup, matt alloy accents, more soft-touch surfaces and decorative stitching on certain panels.
More exciting and more economical: Apart from the above, the new 1500 turbo engine that replaces the old 2.4-litre naturally aspirated motor develops similar power and torque but is quicker, faster and less thirsty. The 2.0-litre uses less fuel too (the gearbox again).
Easier to handle: Apart from greater stability resulting from increased track widths the tighter body, coupled with improved suspension and quicker steering, improves road behaviour.
While six choices were available before, there are now just four; two-litre Comfort and Elegance models in 4x2, or Executive and Exclusive 1500 cc turbo versions with awd. A new Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT) with seven virtual ratios is the only gearbox available.
Unlike early CVTs that were overly simple and fitted, if one is to be brutally blunt, because they were cheap, this new one is almost infinitely better. Caveat: A few other manufacturers fit decent (read expensive) CVTs although most have given up because of consumer resistance.
Briefly, Honda’s constantly variable box optimises transfer of engine power for more linear engine speeds relative to throttle application, meaning less engine revving. A newly developed high-rigidity drive belt, new CVT fluid allowing reduced pulley pressure on the belt, and a CVT warmer extend efficiency further.
It is designed to provide optimum gearing for each driving condition, to offer a more natural driving feel and to eliminate the “rubber-band” effect sometimes associated with CVT transmissions. Its “G-design shift” logic offers better acceleration than other CVT designs while abrupt kick-down at steady cruising speeds elicits immediate positive response. The outcome is an almost perfect automatic transmission that’s always in the right gear, kicks down smoothly and doesn’t scream or hesitate.
Our test unit was a top-of-range Exclusive with added active safety kit, the turbo motor, satnav, powered tailgate, tyre pressure monitoring, sunroof, push-button starting, automatic headlight levelling and awd. The awd system is rather special too.
It doesn't merely react to front wheel-spin but minimises slip before it happens by sending power to the back wheels immediately. Operation is completely automatic and almost transparently smooth. The rear wheels are powered by default when starting from standstill, even on dry pavement. When rwd is not required, such as when cruising, rearward power is decoupled to reduce drag.
It works well in all but really demanding off-road conditions where full four-wheel drive and, possibly, diff locking might be required. A graphic in the main menu lets you see which wheels are being driven as conditions change. As the front wheels started to slip slightly while climbing our off-road test hill - not just stoney, but muddy and slippery after recent rain - it was entertaining to see how power transferred to the back wheels and the car kept on climbing.
Still playing in the dirt, we tried the CR-V on a gravel road that features lots of washboard ripples and some stretches with embedded small stones that set off severe skittishness if the shocks aren’t set up properly. This was probably the best all-steel, or non-air, suspended vehicle we have driven in years. We couldn’t upset it.
The hatch door opens down to bumper level to reveal a flat floor, four securing rings, two lights, a pair of small recesses for delicate items and the usual 1/3:2/3-split seatbacks. Release these with a pair of remote levers to lay them down completely flat. The spare is a fully sized alloy wheel stored valve-side down so you can stash more stuff inside it.
Back seat passengers have adequate headspace even with the sunroof fitted (turbo models only), knee room is exceptional and foot space beneath fully lowered front chairs is good. Even the middle passenger can get comfortable because the centre hump is almost non-existent. Nice touches include repeater vents, a pair of 2.5-Amp charging USBs and an armrest with cup holders. A further pair of USB ports, an HDMI socket, a pair of 12-volt outlets and yet more cup holders can be found in front.
Trim is leather on all but the entry-level Comfort model while both front units are electrically heated and adjustable. The driver’s chair adds lumbar support and a couple of memory settings. The 7” touch-screen infotainment system boasts eight speakers, Apple CarPlay and active noise reduction so you can hear all the music.
There isn’t enough space to do more than scratch the surface as features go, so although it may look pricey for a 1.5 turbopetrol, there’s a whole lot of car. It could also explain why your ex- is no longer with you. Just kidding.
Test unit from Honda Motor SA press fleet
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This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
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