All-New Honda CR-V With Diesel Engine Coming Next Year

For a long time, India was in love with the Honda CR-V. But as the fuel prices went up and the competition became more aggressive, the flair of the CR-V started to settle. But, what if I tell you that the beloved CR-V could be coming with a diesel engine to India. And that too in its latest seven-seater generation. Sounds tempting, doesn't it? Well, this just might be your lucky day. The fifth generation Honda CR-V is expected come to India next year with the option of a 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine. Honda has started manufacturing this engine at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan. As of now, this powerplant will be exported to Thailand where it will power the latest generation CR-V, and later, the same will be used in the all-new CR-V here in India.

Honda has told us that they will be making a premium segment launch next year in India. This launch will most likely be of the fifth generation CR-V and, as mentioned above, it will be very convenient for Honda to equip it with the 1.6-litre diesel. This engine produces 160PS of power at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 350Nm at 2,000 rpm. Mated to this engine is a Shift by Wire nine-speed automatic transmission; the combination delivers a fuel efficiency figure of 18.9 kmpl (Thailand market). Also, the diesel is available with both a 2WD and a 4WD option. Both these combinations are expected to come to India without any changes.

In terms of the petrol engine option, the CR-V will retain the 2.4-litre engine which makes 190PS/226Nm in the current CR-V. Mated to this engine will be a CVT automatic transmission or a 5-speed automatic.

Inside, this is the first CR-V which comes with a seven-seater layout. The dashboard is also all new with a new soft-touch instrument panel. The dash-mounted gearshift lever is one of the only things which reminds us of the current-gen car. That too, with the diesel mill, you don't get the gear lever, only buttons to put it into different modes. In terms of features, the fifth-gen CR-V comes with a digital central instrument cluster which is borrowed from the current-gen Civic. Infotainment is dealt with on a 7-inch screen on the dashboard which runs Honda's satellite-linked navigation system (developed in co-operation with Garmin) along with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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Other creature comforts include remote engine start, dual-zone climate controls, electric parking brake, heated side mirrors, front passenger seats with four-way power adjustment, rear USB charging ports and driver's seat with eight-way power adjustment and four-way power lumbar support along with heated front seats. In terms of safety, the fifth-gen CR-V comes with a lot of equipment like multiple airbags, ABS (anti-lock braking system), CMBS (Collision mitigation braking) with (FCW) forward collision warning and pedestrian-sensing capability, RDM (road departure mitigation) with LDW (lane departure warning), ACC (adaptive cruise control) with low-speed follow and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist). Though many of these won't be coming to India, our model will feature the standard airbags and ABS.

Expect the fifth-gen CR-V to make a debut at the 2018 Auto Expo and the launch to take place later in the year.

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