What is it?
Well Honda claims this is the 'prototype' CR-V, hinting at the styling of the forthcoming production model. We'd suggest what you see is what you'll get, and this will change very little when it arrives on our streets later this year. So it's a compact premium SUV, aimed somewhere between Audi's Q3 and Q5 models, with bolder styling than ever before.
Why's it here?
It's here because, for all intents and purposes, this is the production car, though that won't be officially unveiled until the Paris show later in the year. The design might not have moved the game on for the sector, nor is it a radical change for the CR-V, but it still looks pretty handsome - a distinctive grille and sharply defined windows help it stand out.
More importantly though it also debuts the new 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine, a new smaller and more efficient diesel unit from the brand. It's part of the forthcoming 'Earth Dreams Technology' family of engines, and produces 120hp but less than 100g/km of CO2.
Show stopper or floor filler?
Despite being far more adventurous than a lot of Honda's current products the CR-V looks to be a bit of an also ran when it comes to motor show stand time. The NSX concept it shares the space with will surely steal the limelight from the worthy, but rather dull, CR-V - no matter how important it, or its engine, is to Honda's success.
