Honda unveils 2010 CR-V

MANILA, Philippines - Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) announced in a press conference last Monday the arrival of its 2010 CR-V. Still sporting elegant and upmarket styling as well as world-leading performance and refinement, the 2010 CR-V continues to set new standards in the car/SUV crossover class.

Underscoring the popularity of the new CR-V and the market’s anticipation for it, no less than 190 customers have already placed reservations (as of January 21) since December – without any of them having even seeing the actual unit yet.

Headlining the changes the CR-V underwent for 2010 are a new two-step front grille with honeycomb design, redesigned body-color bumpers, and new 17-inch alloy wheel designs. The new styling blends seamlessly with the CR-V’s clean-cut lines and overall premium finish for a more refined yet tougher look.

The interior also presents an added air of elegance with a new dual-tone black-and-silver color scheme, new seat fabric design for the 2.0-liter variant and stylish black leather seats with gray-stitch accents for the 2.4-liter model.

Honda also tuned the CR-V’s front MacPherson strut/rear double wishbone suspension for even better handling and comfort. A smoother and more pleasurable drive can also be expected with the additional seals and insulators applied for the reduction of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels.

The new 17-inch wheels (7-spoke design for the 2.0 and 5 spokes for the 2.4) are wrapped with comfort-biased 225/65R-17 all-terrain tires.

The CR-V still comes with dual SRS and side airbags with OPDS (Occupant Position Detection System), which intelligently detects weight, height, and positioning of the front passenger to identify whether to deploy the airbag or not.

The CR-V’s body was designed with Honda’s G-CON technology that provides an impact-absorbing structure to reduce injuries to driver, passengers and even pedestrians. G-CON technology has been tried out at Honda’s real world car-to car test facility which happens to be the world’s first indoor omni-directional crash test safety facility.

Other safety features include ABS, anti-whiplash seat designs, ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (ABD).

Honda uses technologies that help it deliver on its aim of spirited driving with reduced impact on the environment. The 2010 CR-V continues to generate a generous 170 ps at 5800 rpm of maximum power (with 22.2 kg-m of torque at 4200 rpm) for the DOHC 2.4 li variant and 150 ps at 6200 rpm (with 19.4 kg-m of torque at 4200 rpm) for the SOHC 2.0 li variant. Both engines use state-of-the-art drive-by-wire technology and Honda’s pioneering i-VTEC engine design.

The engines are mated to a class-leading 6-speed manual (2.0-liter front-wheel-drive model only) or a 5-speed automatic. Steering is via rack-and-pinion with power-efficient electric power assist.

With its cutting-edge engine technology, the CR-V achieves admirable fuel economy and clean emissions that meet EURO 4 levels. Easy tracking of one’s fuel consumption is also made possible with the fuel economy and range indicators available in the LCD screen of the instrument panel.

Other features include Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist, xenon HID headlamps and automatic climate control for the 2.4 model, and MP3-enabled audio systems with USB/AUX jack connectivity for all models.

Back in 2007 when the third-generation CR-V was unveiled, it successfully introduced the crossover concept of blending the attributes of a passenger car with that of an SUV to the local market. That third-generation CR-V quickly captured the imagination of the market, generating cumulative sales of almost 9,000 units, thus making it the bestselling compact SUV on the local scene.

Sold in 160 countries throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia and China, the CR-V has successfully created a name in sedan-like comfort and performance, ample SUV space and stylish design. From 2007-2009, the third generation CR-V has consistently been the bestselling SUV in North America, also placing it among the top 10 bestselling vehicles within the said period.

The 2010 CR-V comes in three variants with the following introductory prices: the 2.0 V MT 2WD which retails for P1,275,000; the 2.0 V AT 2WD at P1,325,000, and the 2.4 S-X AT 4WD at P1,525,000. A 2.4 S-X AT 4WD variant with special Brilliant White Pearl paint goes for P1,545,000.

The new CR-V comes in a new Urban Titanium color, as well as Crystal Black, Taffeta White (2.0 li variant only), Sparkle Gray (2.0 li variant only), and Polished Metal (2.4 li variant only).