New 2013 Honda CR-V 2.0 review, test drive

We comprehensively road test the all-new CR-V and find out how much better it is.

Published on Jun 15, 2013 05:48:00 PM

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New 2013 Honda CR-V 2.0 review, test drive

The car we tested had the same motor as the old car; but this engine has been reworked for more flexibility. This motor has a good deal of useable power that starts as low as 1200rpm, and from there on, it just pulls seamlessly to the 6800rpm redline. In fact, we found this 2.0-litre engine to be on par with the previous 2.4-litre in terms of performance. What makes this engine even more delightful is that, past 3500rpm, it has an aggressive and sporty soundtrack and even though it’s a tad loud, you don’t mind the volume. Further, in traditional Honda fashion, the slick six-speed manual gearbox has well-spaced ratios that while being a joy to flick through, also extracts the best from this engine. Flat-out performance is quite strong for a car with these dimensions. 100kph comes up in just 10.72 seconds. Thanks to the motor’s broad powerband, the CR-V rarely feels bogged down and its in-gear times reflect this.

The real forte of this motor is the excellent drivability it offers, which is what really matters in everyday conditions. This just might be one of the best naturally aspirated four-cylinder units around.

There are a couple of issues though. The clutch has a ‘snatchy’ nature that causes a mild jerk during up-shifts and can get a tad irritating in stop-and-go city traffic where you tend to change gears often, it also has a bit of trouble with getting away from rest swiftly. It has enough power but, it doesn’t manage to put it down too well – there’s too much wheelspin and a fair bit of torque steer as well.