The SUV that drives like a car

Now when a car with the same name or badge is launched in the Indian market, it's assumed to be either a variant or a facelifted version of the original, but this is not the case always.

The Honda CRV is all new, it's got a new chassis, the bhp has been upped and it's got a radical new design, which seems to be the way forward for Honda, who is looking ahead with its City and Accord.

The nose of the CRV reminds me of the old Dodge and I quite like the look, there's a lot more change in this vehicle. There are far more creases and ridges on the new CRV, and up front, the bonnet ends into a rounded nose that sits on top of a cool split grille-radical but pleasantly so.

Around the sides, the steeply raked roofline like the Q7, makes the rear look smaller and gives this a more car than SUV look, and this is probably what will attract women drivers.

This one has kept its design cues to make it look like a car, but Honda has gone a step further to please the ladies, the floorboard is lowered by 32mm, and makes getting into this car even in a sari, real easy.

The inside is also all new, much richer and more stylish. The plastic quality on the dashboard has a very luxury car feel and blends perfectly with the metallic look bronze strip, just below the dash.

The leather cushions on the seats and the central console has all the knobs and buttons ergonomically placed. Now this is not a seven-seater which a lot of Indians may miss, but this also means ample space in the boot. And now that this CRV is wider, the seats are infinitely adjustable.

The seats can make space for long objects to cater to the entire family's holiday shopping and other large boxes.

The CRV comes with the 2.4 litre V-Tech engine, which has 160 bhp and a top end of 4000rpm, making driving on highways and expressways a dream.

I drove the automatic five speed gearbox and found it doing the job extremely well. The kick down does get a little lazy, but then you have the little button on the side that will kick down to third really fast for any hairy situation or overtaking opportunities on the road.

The chassis is stiffer and this one handles like a car in a straight line when taking the corner at high speeds. This one lets you feel extremely planted on the road. The steering is a tad light but then wiggling in and out of traffic in the city was a breeze for me. You just don't feel the size of this car when you drive it.

The ride quality was nice and bumps and potholes were soaked up easily, never unsettling the passenger inside. However on rough patches, the noise did filter through considerably.

The CRV is a 4-wheel drive, however, it's more of a soft roader. It's lower than before and this one is not meant for serious terrain bashing. Well that's the new CRV for you. All things new do come at a price and this one is approximately Rs 2 lakhs more than the older version. It's priced at Rs 18.25 lakhs for the manual model and Rs 18.98 lakhs for the automatic (ex-showroom Mumbai).

But is it worth it?? Well, if you want an SUV that drives like a car, then it is.

Renuka Kirpalani