Setting the bar high
In the past few months, people have been asking me on what’s the best hybrid to consider as a primary vehicle.
I’ve been pretty consistent in telling them that the CR-V is my preferred hybrid because it has in my experience the best hybrid drivetrain system manufactured by a reputable brand boasting a truly excellent and peerless after-sales track record in their four decades in the country, all in a very versatile cross-over body style.
Sadly, a host of Chinese cross-overs are priced significantly lower. With the rising cost of everything, price seems to be the sole consideration. To rebut, I counter with the following arguments.
Honda’s technology is impressive for me. Its Twin-Motor Hybrid Powertrain consists of a powerful drive motor as well as a motor/generator and a lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery pack. The three main functions of the gasoline engine are to power the generator to supply electricity for the drive motor, to directly power the front wheels, and to charge the battery pack.
On the other hand, the traction motor/generator only acts as a motor to start the engine and operates as a powerful generator the rest of the time.
When the conventional gasoline engine is running, the generator spins and recharges the battery for later use. The EV mode seems to be its preferred drive mode especially in the city where it counts, and the 2.0 Atkinson cycle gasoline engine powers on often but simply to power the generator, or charge the battery, without driving the front wheels, saving on fuel.
The gasoline engine outputs at 146hp and the electric motor outputs at 181hp. Honda Cars Philippines doesn’t advertise total peak system output but foreign markets list it at 204hp. Why don’t they add up? Presumably because the electric and ICE powertrains deliver peak power at different RPMs.
When I drove the CR-V, the range indicator showed a 740+km theoretical range from full tank. When I returned it, the CR-V had over 75% of fuel left from its 57-liter tank after covering 240 kilometers of driving over the week. That’s an average of 17 kilometers per liter of real-world driving conditions in both city and highway settings.
Another reason is the unobtrusive but helpful Honda SENSING ADAS System. All variants of the CR-V come equipped with the latest generation of Honda SENSING driver-assistive technology. The new front camera has a wider field of view from before from 50 degrees to 90 degrees.
Meanwhile, the latest radar mounted behind the Honda logo on the grille now has a field of view of 120 degrees, up by 70 degrees from the previous generation. This helps in better detection of vehicles and pedestrians.
The complete suite of Honda SENSING features include: Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW), Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow (ACC with LCF), Auto High Beam (AHB) and for the first time Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) (exclusively for the RS e:HEV CVT variant), an intelligent LED headlight that helps enhance visibility as well as adjusting the height of the light beam to avoid dazzling the car in front and pedestrians and Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN).
To back-up Honda SENSING, the CR-V also comes with ABS-EBD brakes with emergency brake assist, traction / stability control, ISOFIX child seat anchors and seven airbags.
Lastly, are the tangible things we expect in all Hondas: peerless build quality, excellent driving dynamics, and a very high-class feeling missing in many cheaper Chinese contenders, and even fellow Japanese brands. The Japan-made CR-V RS e:HEV we get feels very solid, indestructible even, and over the rough stuff, feels composed and very rigid.
Of course you get the usual Apple CarPlay /Android Auto with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 12-speaker BOSE surround sound system, 8-way power driver & 4-way front passenger seats covered in supple leather, classy piano black accents, full LED exterior lighting and more.
You do get a lot for what you’re paying for, but the efficiency of the Twin Motor Hybrid system, combined with the newest iteration of Honda SENSING makes the CR-V truly worth its weight in gold.
All good things are never cheap.
