Honda CR-V Hybrid In-Depth 2022 Review - Most Spacious Hybrid SUV?

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In a sign of the times, the Honda CR-V now only comes with a self charging hybrid engine. That change of focus comes along with a light update inside and out. Otherwise though, essential character of this fifth generation design hasn't changed. Nor has its primary rival, the Toyota RAV4.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00​​​​ Introduction
00:46 Background
04:03 Driving Experience
11:32 Design & Build
27:39 Market & Model Range
41:44 Cost of Ownership
48:09 Summary

Background

Pretty soon, non-electrified engines will be a thing of the past. They really are in the Honda CR-V range, now entirely based around the brand's e:TECHNOLOGY i-MMD full-Hybrid engine. The CR-V has never been a contender that's jumped out at you from the spec sheet. No. You have to drive it. Use it. Fill it with family. Many of those experienced in doing just that probably won't even look at the alternatives before replacing their second, third, fourth or early fifth generation CR-Vs with this improved MK5 model.

It does after all, according to its maker at least, offer a depth of engineering that many other rivals just don't have - and always has, ever since the original version of this 'Compact Recreational Vehicle' pretty much invented its segment back in 1995, with subsequent models in 2002, 2007 and 2012 before this fifth generation design was introduced in 2018, then improved two years on to create the car we have here.

Driving Experience

If you're already familiar with this car's self charging full-Hybrid i-MMD petrol / electric engine, the main change we need to brief you one relates to suspension updates with this revised model. Honda says the damping has been tweaked for more linear handling responses and to provide what it calls 'increased low longitudinal rigidity for optimised ride compliance'. We think that means it handles the bumps slightly better and doesn't roll as much through the corners. Otherwise it's just as the hybrid model was before. Thanks to a combination of electrification and a larger-capacity 2.0-litre i-VTEC petrol engine which together produce 315Nm of torque, progress in this model is relaxed. Something further aided by the fact that the non-negotiable auto gearbox you have to have with hybrids in this case ditches a CVT 'rubber band' transmission for a proper fixed-gear set-up that allows a direct connection between the moving parts.

The combustion powerplant is aided by two electric motors, one for propulsion and another for generating electricity that gets stored in a lithium-ion battery. Depending on road conditions and the way you want to drive, the powertrain switches between three modes - 'Hybrid', 'EV' and 'Engine'. Only in the least efficient 'Engine' drive mode is the petrol motor connected directly to the wheels - which is the setting you'd be in if you were to replicate this variant's claimed rest to 62mph sprint time of around 9s or the top speed of 112mph. For far more of the time though, you'll be using electric assistance to a lesser or greater extent. In 'Hybrid' drive, the engine's there to supply power to the generator, which in turn provides it to the propulsion motor. Finally, in its 'EV' setting, this Honda will be fully electric, though your operational range under milk float mobility when the battery is fully charged will be only 1.2-miles. You can also use paddles provided behind the steering wheel to maximise engine braking energy regeneration, so charging up the battery faster and increasing the amount of time the system can switch away from petrol power.

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