Honda CR-V SUV - Practicality & boot space (2018-2023)

The CR-V has always been among the most practical cars in the medium-sized SUV class, and while there's little change here, the boot has actually shrunk in the latest version because of its hybrid technology. Still, the CR-V is unquestionably a spacious five-seater with more room than most are ever likely to need.

Honda CR-V interior space & storage

Your passengers shouldn't complain about the amount of interior space, with plenty of leg and headroom in both the front and rear. Honda has also made the central transmission tunnel that runs down the car as discreet as possible, making foot space better, especially for the middle seat in the back.

In a departure for the CR-V range, customers were able to choose either five or seven seats in the latest version, making the Honda more competitive with cars like the Nissan X-Trail, Skoda Kodiaq and Land Rover Discovery Sport. However, the third-row seats were not available with the hybrid version and from December 2020 this became the only powertrain option available.

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Boot space

Boot volume has shrunk from 589 to 497 litres, so the CR-V's boot is no longer one of the biggest in its class, with the Peugeot 3008 offering 520 litres of space and the Hyundai Tucson hybrid getting 616 litres. Fold down the rear seats and the CR-V luggage area is more impressive, expanding to 1,697 litres. An adjustable boot floor also makes it possible to create a flat load area for easy unloading and loading of bulky items. The back seats are also cleverly designed with a single-action folding mechanism, so they stow away without too much pulling on heavy straps and levers.

Towing

While the transition to hybrid power is a good thing in many ways, anyone who uses their old Honda CR-V to tow a caravan or trailer, may find they have to look elsewhere when it comes time to trade-in. The CR-V hybrid can only tow a small 750kg braked trailer, whereas the old 1.5-litre petrol used to be able to tow up to 2,000kg.