What's the news?
Honda's going to use the platform of the Geneva Motor Show to debut the European production version of the all-new, fifth-generation of the CR-V - officially the world's best-selling SUV, if you take Jato Dynamics' figures for the calendar years 2013 to 2016.
The CR-V Mk5 is already on sale in the States and other worldwide markets, so we're eager to get it over here in Europe. Stylistically, it's an evolution of the existing design, this being nowhere more evident than in the shape of the glasshouse's window lines. But it's clear this is a new car, rather than just a heavy facelift.
For a start, it has broader, more muscular wheel arches, sharp contours on the bonnet and rear three-quarters of the SUV, and the latest family 'face' with the broad wing graphic and signature headlight shapes. Honda also says it has thinner A-pillars, sculpted front and rear bumpers, and under-engine and under-floor covers that help it to be one of the most aerodynamically efficient vehicles in its class - it also uses Active Shutter Grille technology, too, further reducing its fuel consumption.
Perhaps the biggest news for the CR-V Mk5 is the option of having a seven-seat version. This has previously not been a part of the Honda's offering and so it's good to see it here. The ability to have a third row of seats in the back of the CR-V is because it is bigger on the outside than the old model, while a longer wheelbase and wider track make for a 'significantly roomier' cabin. Honda also says the third row will offer 'exceptional' legroom and heel step height, as well as a 101-degree seat angle to improve long-distance comfort for passengers travelling in the very rear.
Otherwise, the interior features two seven-inch displays in the dashboard, a single cluster for the air-conditioning controls, three-mode centre-console storage, 'dive down' 60:40 split-fold second-row seat backs, a programmable three-stage automatic tailgate and a two-stage boot floor in a cargo bay that's wider and deeper than the old CR-V's.
More big news for the fifth-gen CR-V comes in the form of Honda's Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system. This is the first time that it has been offered on one of the company's SUVs in Europe and it features a 2.0-litre i-VTEC Atkinson cycle petrol engine plus two electric motors. This powertrain is coupled to a single fixed-gear ratio, so the CR-V thus equipped doesn't have a conventional transmission.
If you fancy a more conventional drivetrain, though, then the 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo petrol engine - as seen in the Civic - will be available. That should mean 182hp and 240Nm, which can be channelled to the wheels via either a standard-fit six-speed manual gearbox or an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). Expect to see a 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel any time soon, also using the Civic's latest powerplant.
Either the 1.5 VTEC Turbo or i-MMD hybrid CR-Vs are front-wheel drive as standard, but both can be specified with Honda's 'Real-Time AWD with Intelligent Control System' that means drive goes to all four corners of the SUV. Furthermore, it now has 38mm of additional ground clearance, the AWD 1.5 VTEC model sitting fully 208mm off the deck, so it should have some genuine off-road cred.
Anything else?
We should see the CR-V 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo in autumn of this year, with the hybrid models following early in 2019.