Facelifted Honda CR-V SUV 2015: details

The new Honda CR-V made its debut at the 2015 Paris Motor Show. The car’s mid-life facelift has given the SUV sharper looks, plus a powerful new diesel engine and a new automatic gearbox. It starred in Paris alongside a host of new models from the same manufacturer, including the new Honda HR-V, Honda Jazz and the Civic Type R.

The exterior has been refreshed with new headlights, a new front grille, foglights and a new front bumper. At the back, there’s also a new bumper, revised tailgate and LED lights. The car looks more angular overall as a result, which is in keeping with the Honda HR-V SUV.

The pre-facelift CR-V faced stiff competition from the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and one area in need of improvement was running costs.

That has been addressed thanks to a new 1.6-litre diesel engine on the four-wheel-drive models that replaces the old 2.2-litre diesel. Power has been increased from 147bhp to 158bhp, while CO2 emissions have been reduced by 11 per cent, so road tax now costs £110 a year.

The new nine-speed automatic gearbox replaces the old five-speed transmission, reducing emissions by 20 per cent and bringing annual road tax down to £130.

Two-wheel-drive models are only available with the six-speed manual gearbox and get the same 118bhp 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel as the current model. In this specification, the CR-V emits 117g/km of CO2, for road tax of just £30 a year.

The Honda CR-V was the world’s most popular SUV in the first quarter of 2014, with more than 165,000 sold, and Honda hopes the revised model can pick up where the old one left off. Prices start from £22,345.

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