- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i Hybrid, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
NA
- Fuel
Hybrid (91) 5.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS review
The 2024 Honda CR-V carries the weight of a brand on its shoulders. Tom Fraser finds out whether the mid-size SUV does the company proud.
- Dirt-cheap servicing program
- Smooth hand-off between petrol and electric power
- Sharp driving character
- Missing key spec inclusions
- Limited head room in second row
- Hybrid powertrain locked to flagship specification
2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS
Say what you want about Honda’s controversial sales model, the brand’s new-car line-up at least looks fresh. The latest entrant to Honda dealership centres is the mid-size CR-V, which arrives as an important model for the brand, but it’s also stocking a new passenger car in the Civic, an entry-level SUV in the HR-V, and an in-between SUV with the ZR-V.
The Honda CR-V hasn’t arrived a moment too soon, chasing an ageing predecessor that remained the last missing piece of the Japanese brand’s new line-up for an excruciatingly long time.
Positioned as the brand’s largest family-friendly SUV, the CR-V has provisions for seven seats, the availability of all-wheel-drive, and even includes the option of a frugal hybrid powertrain (though only available on the top-spec version).
Hot on the heels of the model’s Australian launch in October 2023, we’ve had the flagship Honda CR-V model grade through the Drive garage to really get a feel for what it’ll be like for intending buyers.
How much does the Honda CR-V cost in Australia?
As briefly mentioned in the introduction, Honda has moved to an agency sales model whereby 'dealerships' sell cars on behalf of the brand and do not take ownership of stock themselves.
As part of this arrangement, the car maker sells cars at the same price all across the country, which does away with varying on-road costs and any sort of bargaining process.
With that, the 2024 Honda CR-V range spans $44,500 to $59,900 drive-away. The car we’ll focus on in this review is the most expensive in the range – the $59,990 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS.
While the e:HEV RS is powered by a hybrid engine, it doesn’t come mated to an all-wheel drivetrain and you can’t have it with seven seats. As well, the hybrid engine option is only available on the flagship $59,900 car.
Obstructive product planning aside, the CR-V e:HEV RS at least comes well equipped. To set the RS specification aside from the rest of the range, the styling is accented by black-painted 19-inch wheels, rear spoiler, and side mirrors.
It also gets niceties such as adaptive LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, a panoramic sunroof, a 12-speaker Bose sound system with subwoofer, dual-zone climate control, and leather seat upholstery inside the cabin.
However, the main reason buyers will be keen on the e:HEV RS grade is its relative fuel efficiency compared to the regular 1.5-litre turbocharged engine.
Under the bonnet sits a 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder engine and two-motor hybrid system, which is said to return fuel consumption as low as 5.5L/100km on a combined cycle – comparable to a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
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Key details | 2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS |
Price | $59,900 drive-away |
Colour of test car | Ignite Red metallic |
Options | None |
Drive-away price | $59,900 drive-away |
Rivals | Toyota RAV4 | Mitsubishi Outlander | Mazda CX-5 |
How much space does the Honda CR-V have inside?
To set the sporty-spice RS grade aside from the rest of the CR-V line-up, Honda has applied red stitching inside the cabin. There’s also black leather seat upholstery, a dark headlining, dark aluminium finishes to inlay panels, and knurled dials for the air-conditioning controls.
It looks smart and well presented on initial impression, but there are a few key omissions when it comes to included items. For this price point it’s common for other manufacturers to offer niceties such as a head-up display, more-detailed electric passenger seat controls, a 360-degree reverse camera, ventilated seats and, especially for a family vehicle, a set of rear-seat sun blinds.
They’re not deal-breaking losses, but it’s hard to get past considering this car’s $60,000 cost.
It takes more time than usual to find a seat position (especially if you’re a tall front passenger), but once you’re set there’s good visibility around the cabin and out over the road ahead. The seats have good, thick bolsters to ensure you don’t come loose through corners, and although it’s a firm seat base, it remains comfortable even on longer drives.
Cabin materials are nice enough for the segment but don’t exactly raise the benchmark – there’s a soft-touch dash covering, squishy door card tops, and matte black plastic covering the centre console area. The sunroof lets in light to combat the darkness of the headlining, while this car also gets a set of sporty alloy pedals.
Amenities-wise, the two front seats are serviced by dual cupholders, a small tray in front of the huge centre console bin, and a storage tray in front of the gear selector – this also includes a wireless phone charger, dual USB ports, and a 12-volt power outlet. The door card pockets are big, but the glovebox is too small to fit anything but the owner’s manual.
Back-seat bandits get a huge amount of leg room and space to stow their feet, but head room is encumbered by the addition of the sunroof on this model grade. I managed to hit my head a few times while in the back seat, and I’m 194cm tall.
There is a pair of USB-C ports in the back to charge devices, as well as map pockets, big bottle holders in the doors, a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, and two air vents.
Materials aren’t quite as nice in the back seat with harder door card tops, but it's a comfortable seat base to sit on and the backrest reclines too.
In the boot there’s 581 litres of storage space accessed by a powered boot release (with hands-free opening), which can be expanded to 1636L with the rear seats folded flat. The hybrid e:HEV version doesn’t get the full-size spare wheel of other CR-V variants; instead it gets a tyre repair kit.
2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 581L seats up 1636L seats folded |
Length | 4704mm |
Width | 1866mm |
Height | 1681mm |
Wheelbase | 2701mm |
Does the Honda CR-V have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Honda’s 9.0-inch infotainment system seemed large for its class when it was first fitted to the HR-V a few years back, but it’s now fitted to the CR-V medium-sized SUV in 2023 where rivals simply offer larger systems.
But to actually use, Honda’s infotainment software is great. It’s simple to switch between menus and functions thanks to the big, blocky icons on the main screen, while shortcuts are available down below for cycling through features.
There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto available to use if you don’t like Honda’s system, but it comes stocked with native satellite navigation and digital radio, which is nice to see in a mid-size SUV.
The ability to connect to the car using the Honda Connect app is available to buyers, with a five-year subscription plan offered from purchase. This app allows remote access to unlock the car, start the car, and details the vehicle’s condition and whether any doors are unlocked, for example.
I wish the screen were angled a bit more towards the driver to aid at-a-glance visibility, because the screen feels set too close to be able to view it in your periphery when driving along.
However, the driver does get a fully-digital instrument cluster that can be changed to show varying information such as a battery and motor output graphic, trip data, navigation info, and safety displays.
Our e:HEV RS model grade gets a 12-speaker Bose sound system that sounds absolutely brilliant playing all kinds of music. I was surprised to hear just how decent the system is, especially in this mid-size SUV class where you don’t expect such well-rounded sound systems – branded or not.
Is the Honda CR-V a safe car?
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has not been able to safety-test the 2024 Honda CR-V at the time this review was published.
2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS | |
ANCAP rating | Untested |
What safety technology does the Honda CR-V have?
Despite the lack of a safety rating, Honda has fitted the new CR-V with a range of active and passive safety systems to protect occupants from – and during – crashes.
For the former, the CR-V e:HEV RS gets autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-centring for the adaptive cruise-control system, rear cross-traffic alert, stop-and-go and traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive high beams.
The CR-V gets 11 airbags in total, including a centre airbag to prevent front seat occupants’ heads from colliding together.
In practice, the Honda’s safety systems work well to alert of impending danger and don’t annoy with endless beeps.
How much does the Honda CR-V cost to maintain?
All Hondas come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia that is matched by five years of roadside assistance.
Hondas are among the most affordable mid-size SUVs when it comes to ongoing maintenance, with the first five visits capped at $199 each time. Honda recommends servicing the CR-V at 12-month or 10,000km intervals, whichever occurs sooner.
Insuring a Honda CR-V e:HEV RS comprehensively costs $1386 per year at retail value, according to a leading national insurer. A comparison quote obtained for the 2023 Hyundai Tucson Highlander N Line came in at $1335, and a quote for the 2023 Mazda CX-5 Akera Turbo totalled $1317 per year.
These quotes are indicative only and have been obtained using the profile of a 35-year-old male with a good driving record living in Chatswood NSW. Individual results may differ depending on circumstances.
At a glance | 2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
Servicing costs | $597 (3 years) $995 (5 years) |
Is the Honda CR-V fuel-efficient?
One of the main benefits of stepping to the flagship Honda CR-V model grade is the inclusion of its hybrid powertrain, which promises lower ongoing running costs and fewer trips to the petrol bowser.
Honda says the system will return a 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres economy figure on a combined fuel cycle, which rings fairly true in practice. My time with the car – over sustained highway use and some suburban driving – returned a 5.7L/100km figure.
Handily, the 57-litre tank need only be refuelled with 91-octane petrol too.
Fuel Consumption - brought to you by bp
Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 5.5L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 5.7L/100km |
Fuel type | 91-octane regular unleaded |
Fuel tank size | 57L |
What is the Honda CR-V like to drive?
Boasting outputs of 135kW and 335Nm, the hybrid Honda doesn’t sound like a firecracker on paper. But whether it’s setting off from a standstill after the traffic lights go green or punching the accelerator for a swift overtake, the CR-V e:HEV RS manages to feel spritely and energetic on the move.
It’s the latter torque figure that is most helpful across a wider variety of situations. The computer smarts tend to rely on electric power when the battery has sufficient charge, but even when the petrol engine does fire up and take control, it’s a seamless hand-off between the two.
While electric power is available in an instant, it takes a second or two for the petrol engine to wake up and extract maximum oomph for roll-on acceleration.
Though it’s front-wheel drive only, the CR-V isn’t often overwhelmed by its outputs and power is put down to the ground through Michelin tyres.
The E-CVT transmission doesn’t succumb to the pitfalls of its predecessors, which exhibited an elastic feel and droned on at high revs, with this version quiet and responsive to changing speeds and throttle inputs. It's not a true CVT, but rather able to combine electric and electric inputs in a number of ways depending on the driving conditions.
In fact, it’s a quiet car overall. Sound insulation from tyre roar and wind noise is impressive on the move, while the engine is relatively subdued in its operation as well.
Just a few driving modes are available to CR-V drivers: Normal, Sport, and Economy settings.
There’s a weighty heft to the CR-V’s steering system with more of a go-kart feel to the steering than you would expect from an SUV. It’s direct and responsive, which makes the car a fun one to steer around bends. Likewise, braking performance is bitey and strong.
Its ride control settles on the firmer side for a mid-size SUV, not to every person’s appeal, but the CR-V remains composed over speed humps and larger bumps. It’s just little imperfections and hard-edged road joins that are felt inside the cabin, though not to an uncomfortable extent.
Key details | 2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS |
Engine | 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, two-motor hybrid system |
Power | 135kW combined |
Torque | 335Nm combined |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | 'E-CVT' automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 76.2kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1771kg |
Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit |
Tow rating | 750kg braked 600kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 12.0m |
Should I buy a Honda CR-V?
For Honda fans coming from the previous-generation CR-V, this 2024 model will feel like a huge upgrade in all areas. It’s now a nameplate that has quickly gone from being one of the least desirable options in the mid-size SUV segment to one of the latest and greatest.
This is thanks to Toyota RAV4 Hybrid-rivalling fuel efficiency, a hugely updated cabin with new technology and amenities, plus a decidedly sporty driving experience.
But, the car misses a few marks when it comes to the spec list, and that’s a shame when you spend $60,000 on a flagship model grade.
The omission of some items you’ll see on rival medium SUVs certainly doesn’t count it out as a good buy, but it holds the car back from competing with segment frontrunners like the Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan X-Trail. We look forward to a comparison soon.
How do I buy a Honda CR-V – next steps?
I've tested the top-spec Honda CR-V e:HEV RS in this review, and while it's the best of the best of the range, it's probably not the best bet in terms of value.
We'd argue there's better buying under the $50,000 mark with the VTi L variant, which adds niceties such as satellite navigation, leather-appointed seats, and safety systems like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
But buyers after a hybrid drivetrain will only be served by the RS variant, keep that in mind.
We’ve previously asked Honda about local availability of the new CR-V, which said it's likely buyers will find themselves in a car before the end of 2023, if a car's not already in stock.
If you think the CR-V might be for you, you can find your nearest Honda dealer here, and 'build' your CR-V on the Honda website. You can also find other members of the Honda range for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.
To find out more about the Honda range in Australia, you'll find all the latest news here.