For all Honda’s talk about new Type Rs and a resurgence of excitement in its products, it’s hard to see the latest CR-V as anything but indicative of its current malaise.
The CR-V was once one of the pioneers in the SUV segment and, even in its most recent generation, it was one of the best drives in the class. But Honda has allowed one of its most established models to morph into an also-ran and to become so conservative as to be almost invisible.
That’s a great pity for a car maker with such a fine reputation for innovation and excellence. The CR-V is well engineered and wholly competent but were it to come from Hyundai or Kia we would suggest that their progress had slowed; that it comes from Honda is a more worrying sign.
To its credit, the firm’s most recent rhetoric suggests that it is aware of its problems and is addressing them.
It is just a pity that this attitude has come too late to affect the CR-V.
