The latest CR-V has nailed it. The stalwart crossover has always been something special. In a segment with increasing competition, it was a contender that felt a little more plush and refined while also bringing in the much-appreciated ease and efficiency of maintenance that sadly many brands lack. 
It gave people confidence. But it didn’t give them electrification.
Now it does, and in just the right way.
The new Honda CR-V RS e:HEV uses electrification for what it does best, and that doesn’t mean just avoiding the unexplainable reasoning behind allowing car use only part of the time.
The new CR-V uses electrification to make itself a better car. A more luxurious ride. A nicer drive.
Yes, it does so with a price tag that moves it above those that used to be above it. But it does so so nicely.
The electric experience here is spot on premium. It brings the electric goodness of smoothness and quiet on almost all start-ups and initial drives, and when the two-liter fuel engine comes in on the road it does so without too much fanfare. When the system senses it needs to charge it does bring the revs up noticeably, but that is normal for these systems. The E-CVT still sometimes makes you think the engine is working harder than you would expect if you are used to old-school shifters, but that is what CVTs are supposed to do. Continuously Variable Transmissions are meant to find the optimal gear ratio for the optimal engine speed and so on. And it works. In a world where I usually get five kilometers to a liter in an admittedly old-school gas guzzling vehicle, the CR-V hybrid was 16 and up at its lowest and in constant city traffic. It went to the twenties on highways.
That is a significant increase in mileage and efficiency, and it matched the numbers of a lighter and rather rough hybrid (different brand) we had just moved from. While that other hybrid was significantly less costly, what all this told us was this.
The CR-V as a hybrid was just a significantly more luxurious ride. At P2,590,000 as stated on the Honda website and with the nearest all-engine VX Turbo CVT AWD being over 300k less, the CR-V hybrid (which is Front Wheel Drive by the way) is the more upscale choice.
What we came away with is this. We have always liked the CR-V, it always brought a little more to the game. Not everything, but more. Now as a hybrid with the proper experience it gives, it is pretty much in a premium position of its own. The peace of mind that comes with the brand and the line, but a step up the ladder.
