Honda has officially brought the 2023 CR-V to the ASEAN region at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS).
The next-gen Honda CR-V arrives in Thailand [Photo: BIMS]
While the design remains fairly familiar, the all-new Honda CR-V comes with significant technological and mechanical updates that should shake up the compact crossover segment. With the arrival of the new CR-V in our neighboring country, let’s see what this vehicle can offer.
Exterior
Let’s start with the exterior, which received a more contemporary appearance. This appears to be the design direction of the Japanese automaker as shown by the next-gen iterations of the Civic and HR-V. Honda Thailand is offering the vehicle with LED headlights, taillights, daytime running lights (DRLs), and front fog lamps as standard.
The crossover gets a more contemporary design [Photo: BIMS]
What’s not standard is the addition of a panoramic sunroof, which is made available on four out of five variants of the Thai-spec CR-V. Also, only the top-of-the-line e:HEV RS 4WD gets a set of 19-inch alloy wheels, while the rest of the range (E, ES 4WD, EL 4WD, e:HEV ES) uses 18-inch alloys.
The six exterior colors made available are Ignite Red Metallic, Canyon River Blue Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, and Crystal Black Pearl.
Interior
Moving into the interior, the cabin hosts a layout similar to the 11th-generation Honda Civic. The entry-level CR-V E comes with silver and piano black trims, while the mid-spec ES 4WD, EL 4WD, e:HEV ES get those in wood and piano black finish. As for the flagship model, brush aluminum and piano black trims are the go-to. Only the EL 4WD is fitted with seven seats as the rest are equipped with a 5-seater configuration.
The standard interior color is black
Among the standard interior amenities include an eight-way driver power seat with four-way lumbar support with a memory function, a four-way front passenger power seat, and a wireless charger. The use of leather for the seats and steering wheel is also standard but the top-spec model is added with red stitching.
Tech & Safety
The Thai-spec Honda CR-V is installed with a nine-inch infotainment screen as standard, supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Honda Connect is available on the ES 4WD, EL 4WD, e:HEV ES, and e:HEV RS 4WD. Moreover, the infotainment is connected to eight speakers except for the top-spec variant that uses a 12-speaker Bose sound system.
A panoramic sunroof is made available
In terms of safety, the car brand’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) called Honda Sensing is standard across the range. It comes with the following functions:
- Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow (ACC with LSF)
- Auto High Beam (AHB)
- Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
- Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
- Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN)
- Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW)
Meanwhile, only the top-of-the-line CR-V e:HEV RS 4WD benefits from Adaptive Driving Beam (ABD).
Engine & Powertrain
As mentioned in our previous report, the diesel option has been discontinued. The Honda CR-V E, ES, and EL are powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 gasoline engine capable of generating 187 horsepower and 240 Nm of torque. It is connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
A hybrid engine powers the crossover [Photo: BIMS]
The Honda CR-V e:HEV ES and e:HEV RS 4WD come with a larger 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that delivers 146 hp and 183 Nm of torque. It is then paired with electric motors that can produce 182 hp and 335 Nm of torque. With this setup, Honda Thailand states that the CR-V hybrid can produce a combined output of 204 hp. As for the transmission, the hybridized power unit is connected to an E-CVT (Electrical Continuously Variable Transmission). Variants with the 4WD moniker get the brand’s Real Time AWD system.
Price
For your reference, see the list of the Thai-spec Honda CR-V prices below:
- CR-V E – THB 1,419,000 (or around Php 2.262 million)
- CR-V ES 4WD – THB 1,599,000 (Php 2.549 million)
- CR-V EL 4WD – THB 1,649,000 (Php 2.629 million)
- CR-V e:HEV ES – THB 1,589,000 (Php 2.533 million)
- CR-V e:HEV RS 4WD – THB 1,729,000 (Php 2.757 million)
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