Honda CR-V Hybrid SR Review: Japanese could be onto another winner like the Jazz

Honda is about as hard to predict as the British weather.

The company produces a fantastic sports car with a cult following, the S2000, and then when its engine doesn’t meet upcoming emission regulations kills the whole car off rather than fit a new generation motor.

More recently Honda launched the sexy CR-Z hybrid coupe then, suddenly, it’s dead.

No Civic Type R, then one is introduced late in the Civic’s life, but just for a year.

There are a couple of consistent stalwarts though.

One is the Jazz hatchback and the other is the car we’re testing here, the CR-V crossover.

This one is a hybrid which has just gone on the market.

Honda may be haphazard with its product planning, but it’s really good at engineering.

The CR-V’s petrol engine provides power to a generator/motor which in turn sends power to a lithium battery or a traction motor.

This one is a hybrid which has just gone on the market
(Image: Daily Mirror)

The engine can drive the wheels but does so through a lock-up clutch and single-speed gear and only between around 50mph and 75mph – which Honda says is the optimum for motorway efficiency.

A four-wheel-drive version is available (ours is 2wd) which uses a prop shaft running to the back of the car. The CR-V hybrid can operate on electric power alone but only for about 1.2 miles at a time, so the car only really selects it in town.

Juggling between all these modes is done automatically via Honda’s Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive or I-MMD control system.

It works so well that it feels as though you’re driving a car with a conventional petrol engine and drivetrain under the bonnet.

There’s no wild revving that you get with many CVT gearboxes, and Honda has gone to great lengths to keep the noise down with extra insulation and noise-cancelling tech.

If you’re a caravanner then this version of the CR-V is not for you
(Image: Daily Mirror)

Behind the steering wheel there are paddles but these aren’t for changing gear – remember the CR-V only has one gear – but for changing the amount of force which is fed through the regenerative braking system.

Using it is a bit like going down into a lower gear as you enter a corner.

Oddly, it goes back to the default setting after a few seconds so you need to re-select repeatedly. Eventually I stopped bothering.

The CR-V hybrid drives like the conventional petrol version (there’s no diesel) with handling that’s more sporty with a stiffer ride than some rivals. It’s perfectly comfortable though.

The car is practical inside but you do lose a bit of boot space because of the batteries that sit underneath it – 497 litres instead of the usual 561.

A more serious issue is the towing capacity which, with the hybrid, is only 750kg.

If you’re a caravanner then this version of the CR-V is not for you – you’ll be needing the petrol model which can tow a (braked) 2,000kg.

Behind the steering wheel there are paddles but these aren’t for changing gear
(Image: Daily Mirror)

When it comes to economy it’s going to rather depend on where and how you’re going to use the car.

Official figures are 53.3mpg which translates to about 47mpg in the real world.

A diesel would do better but then there’s the cost of the fuel itself and the possibility of one day diesels being banned from this country’s city centres.

Honda tends to do well with repeat business.

It certainly does with the Jazz, and the CR-V hybrid is likely to be another winner – unless you’re a caravanner or tow boats bigger than sailing dinghies.