00:00 If there's one model that Honda launched in 2023 that we could call the most significant,
00:06 it is not the Civic Type R. Yes, it's a cool high performance hot hatchback that we all
00:11 love driving, but it's not exactly a volume model.
00:16 No, the most significant model Honda launched in 2023 is this one, the 6th generation CR-V
00:23 and it's time to find out if we and doctors will approve.
00:28 [Music]
00:43 So the 6th gen CR-V is the biggest, it's the most fuel efficient as claimed, and perhaps
00:50 the most comfortable CR-V to date.
00:53 Out on the road, I have to say that nothing beats a car-based SUV when it comes to comfort
00:59 and refinement.
01:00 I mean, it is called the comfort runabout vehicle for a reason.
01:03 It's not just, you know, called it for the heck of it.
01:06 It truly is an excellent highway cruiser and at the same time, a great car to drive around
01:12 in the city.
01:13 It just absorbs the bumps really well.
01:16 When you're out on the highway, it's smooth and serene.
01:20 It's really difficult to go wrong with this car and this car, like, you just know it was
01:24 developed for just about every market possible.
01:28 North America, Europe, and ironically though, it's not sold in Japan.
01:32 It's actually replaced by the ZRV because apparently for the Japanese market, this is
01:39 already a little too big for them, at least in Honda Japan's wisdom.
01:44 What about performance?
01:45 Well, you got over 200 horsepower under the hood and under the floor, sort of.
01:53 So it's got over 200 horsepower, claims 0-100 time is about 8 seconds.
01:58 Does it have the pull of a diesel?
02:01 It doesn't have the initial surge.
02:02 It doesn't do that usual torque thing that it kind of whips you back in your seat.
02:06 It doesn't do that at all.
02:08 Instead, you get a very strong and subtle surge towards whatever the recommended speed
02:15 limit is.
02:16 So passing is absolutely no problem here.
02:19 Hybrids aren't the slow and tepid cars they used to be anymore.
02:25 This one feels like it has a large capacity and it feels like it has a 3.0-liter V6 from
02:31 back in the day.
02:33 It is smooth.
02:34 It is seamless.
02:35 There's no vibration when it transitions from the electric motor to the gas engine.
02:40 That just adds to the more relaxing experience when you're driving the CR-V.
02:45 What about handling?
02:46 Obviously, it's not a Civic Type R. It does say "RS" on the tailgate, but sporty?
02:56 Maybe not.
02:57 It is dynamic, though.
02:58 It is surprisingly dynamically capable.
02:59 You know, if you want to have a little bit of fun in the twisties with this car, you
03:04 can.
03:05 It's actually possible.
03:06 And that's sort of the cool thing about the CR-V.
03:09 It's the duality, you know?
03:11 Of course, this being a hybrid, you want to know the fuel economy.
03:15 Now, I never put this car in Eco Mode.
03:17 I just put it in Normal Mode all the time.
03:21 Just so, you know, it's a more real-world number now.
03:24 Because I have this feeling that if I put a car in Eco Mode, I feel like I'm cheating.
03:28 So no, it's Normal Mode for this car.
03:31 On the way here, actually, I went through some of the worst traffic heading into the
03:37 expressway.
03:38 So, for those of you from the East, you know that traffic really does get bad there.
03:44 And you know what?
03:45 It still displayed 13 km/L and that's after resetting everything.
03:48 So how is that possible?
03:50 Well, there have been a lot of hybrids over the years, but Honda's E-HEV is a little bit
03:55 different on the basis that it tries to rely on the battery power more often than not on
04:02 the ICE engine.
04:03 It's not like Nissan's e-Power though.
04:06 It's something like that.
04:07 This, like at higher speeds, at some speeds, it still does rely more on the internal combustion
04:12 engine.
04:13 And the battery capacity isn't as big as in Nissan's e-Power technology.
04:18 For whatever battery power it can re-harvest from the brakes or from when coasting, it
04:24 really just tries to shift back to EV mode.
04:27 So right now on the expressway doing highway speeds, I'm on EV mode.
04:32 To wrap up the entire driving experience, it's comfortable, fuel-efficient, actually
04:37 pretty nice to handle, an excellent long-distance cruiser, light to drive around the city.
04:42 I mean, there is not a lot you can't like about the CR-V.
04:50 If you've sat inside the current gen Honda Civic, you're going to have a sense of deja
04:54 vu when you step inside the all-new CR-V.
04:57 Because as far as we can tell, it looks almost the same.
05:02 Okay, maybe this bit looks a bit different, but if you're looking at the fascia, yeah,
05:07 it's almost like a copy-paste.
05:09 For some people, that's a good thing.
05:10 Some people, that's a bad thing.
05:12 The good thing is you know exactly where button, dial, and switch is when you're switching
05:16 from one Honda product to another.
05:19 The con to that is, well, there's really no distinction.
05:25 But beyond that, we're going to take a look at it piece by piece and we're going to see
05:28 if this interior is actually any good.
05:31 So we're going to start with the door panels.
05:34 This is different from the Civic.
05:36 It's got memory seats, which is a nice touch there.
05:38 It's a feature that was reserved once for luxury European brands like Mercedes and BMW.
05:44 Soft touch, of course, right down here and even the armrest as you would expect from
05:50 a premium product.
05:52 Top of the dash, soft touch as you expect also from a product such as this.
05:58 And the RS model also comes with tweeters here and the sound system is by Bose.
06:03 Now, I know minimalism gets thrown around like way too much these days, but you know,
06:10 this is effective minimalism to a point that it doesn't look bare.
06:14 And there are some styling elements and some old school elements such as these little honeycomb
06:18 patterns right on the dash.
06:20 You get this good old switchboard here.
06:23 Now, I'm thankful that Honda did not go for the whole put everything in the touchscreen
06:29 kind of thing.
06:30 And I admire not just Honda, but the entire Japanese automotive industry for not shoving
06:35 all controls and functions in the touchscreen.
06:38 They're very well aware that buttons and dials work and there's no need to change the recipe
06:43 there.
06:44 The RS comes with leather seats with red stitching patterns.
06:50 The rest of the variants get standard leather seats.
06:53 And you also get a pretty large dock here with a wireless charging pad.
06:59 USB-A for phone connectivity and there's also a USB-C socket here.
07:06 And then you also have the option of wireless smartphone connectivity.
07:10 Now, the steering wheel.
07:12 I swear you can put this in every Honda product and it wouldn't make any lick of difference.
07:17 Same layout, same controls, same buttons, which again is good for ergonomics.
07:23 And it's all going to feel very familiar to whoever owns like a full Honda garage.
07:27 Now, the stock switches, buttons, they sound nice when you press them.
07:34 Feels like a high quality product, but you know, that's what you want from a Honda.
07:38 You don't want a too cheap feeling Honda.
07:42 Other interesting things to note in the interior.
07:44 You get a full digital dashboard, which you also get in the other variants, and this free
07:49 floating touchscreen information system.
07:52 Now, this thing doesn't just house the entertainment functions.
07:56 It also has your driving information and whatnot and also keeps track of your power usage of
08:03 the battery.
08:04 So that sort of has your battery status going and how much range you have left.
08:08 I mean, yes, you can see them through the driver's multi-information display, but if
08:13 you want a nicer and bigger view, it's also be viewed here.
08:17 Now, even the entry-level CR-V is pretty well equipped.
08:20 I mean, you're surprised to find out that even that one had the power memory seats.
08:25 But an exclusive here in the CR-V RS, aside from the Bose sound system and the red stitching
08:31 on the dashboard, is that up there.
08:35 It's the panoramic sunroof, and it's the only variant to have it.
08:39 So if you want like extra sunlight in your CR-V, the hybrid is the only way to go.
08:46 All in all, dash looks good.
08:48 They have a little derivative for some.
08:50 Nice quality materials here.
08:52 Simple, effective ergonomics.
08:55 I mean, you really can't not hate on the interior of the CR-V, at least from the front.
09:03 Now for space at the back, and well, it's a Honda, so it's gonna be good.
09:07 And as you can see, I have acres of room, even with the seat pushed back.
09:12 Now, that's something Honda's always been good at, space efficiency.
09:16 So I'm not really surprised there.
09:18 It also helps that the CR-V has a flat floor.
09:21 There's not much in the way to sort of rob you of any legroom or footroom here.
09:26 So anyone seated here in the center is gonna be fine.
09:29 However, the panoramic sunroof does eat up a fair bit of headroom.
09:34 But the solution I found to that comes in two forms.
09:37 You can either slide this seat forward or back, as far back as possible so you don't
09:43 hit this area, or you can also recline it.
09:49 As for other things, well, there are AC vents here at the back, which is always good, and
09:54 a pair of USB-C ports just below it.
09:57 Of course, an armrest is standard, and you have a pair of cup holders to go along with
10:02 it.
10:03 Storage bins also everywhere.
10:05 You got gigantic bins here on the doors, and a fairly sizable map pocket right behind the
10:11 front seats.
10:12 So all is well and good, well, not quite.
10:15 Aside from the little headroom issue there, I also have to take note of interior materials.
10:21 Now, over at the front, everything is nice and soft touch and very premium to feel.
10:27 Unfortunately, it's not the case here at the back because the door panels are not soft
10:33 touch as you can hear and as you can see.
10:38 It's a clear sign of cost-cutting for me at least, and I really wish Honda would stop
10:43 doing this because the CR-V is not the only one with this thing.
10:47 The Civic also suffers from it, and quite frankly, it just makes the backseat passengers
10:52 feel, well, second-rate.
10:54 But, you know, just don't touch it, it looks good.
10:58 Now, to open the tailgate of the CR-V, there are two ways to do it.
11:02 One is through a good old button right underneath the Honda badge, or you could just swing your
11:06 foot underneath, and it'll do the work for you.
11:09 Now, truth be told, I thought this feature was useless when a lot of other luxury SUVs
11:14 were putting it in until I found myself in a situation where I'm carrying a lot of luggage
11:19 and I couldn't really press the button there.
11:22 So, really convenient feature regardless if it's in a CR-V or any of its rival crossovers.
11:27 Anyway, cargo area.
11:29 Now, because this is a five-seater model, it has a lot more cargo space.
11:34 Now, the seven-seater model does eat up about this much room, and it's set high and you
11:40 have this sort of board to sort of flatten it out.
11:43 Now, there's no spare tire here.
11:45 I've seen people complain about that, but what you do get is one of these.
11:52 Get a tire inflator, and honestly, I would like one of these and a spare tire at the
11:58 same time, but I'm probably just being too greedy.
12:00 Also, to close the tailgate, let's say you're carrying stuff and you can't really reach
12:06 this button up here, just swing your foot down there again, does the work for you.
12:12 Now, Honda CR-V redesigns have been typically conservative over the years, but Honda made
12:21 the extra effort of at least making it look sharper than the previous gen.
12:25 Now, the previous gen had a bit of a love-hate styling because while it did look more dynamic
12:32 than the rather plain-jane fourth gen, you weren't too sure about its underbite front
12:36 bumper.
12:38 This time around, it's all sharp edges and creases and whatnot to bring out a more sporty
12:43 and dynamic look.
12:44 Interestingly though, the red paint does remind us a bit of Mazda, and some people in the
12:49 comment section have noted that, "Hey, there's a shade of CX-5 here with that big drill and
12:54 that slim headlight look," but a lot of manufacturers are doing that these days, so it is a marked
13:00 improvement over the previous gen though, at least in my eyes.
13:03 Now, over at the back, of course, it wouldn't be a CR-V if it didn't have vertical taillights,
13:08 and I've lost count of the times I've mistaken a Volvo XC60 for one of these.
13:13 Now, saying it looks too much like a European luxury car isn't a bad thing at all.
13:18 In fact, it's a little bit of a compliment.
13:20 Now, for the rest of the body, well, the new look suits it.
13:24 The new front face and the new rear face complements pretty well with the fenders and the doors
13:29 and whatnot.
13:30 Now, Honda didn't go crazy with creases and slashes on the flanks because for some people,
13:36 that might age the car a little bit sooner, so let's say you have something that looks
13:41 very of the time, it'll look cool now, but 10-20 years down the line, it already looks
13:46 pretty aged.
13:47 Well, this one, because of its slightly more conservative styling, it'll probably age a
13:52 little bit better.
13:53 I know that some people want a little more flair and pizzazz in their family crossover,
13:58 but this one I reckon is gonna age pretty well.
14:00 There is one thing that I wish Honda did change though with the styling, although it's not
14:05 on the body, it's more for the wheels.
14:08 Now these wheels are actually just the ones found in the V and the VX but painted black.
14:14 Now, if you go to Honda Thailand, their CR-V RS is on 19-inch two-tone diamond cut alloy
14:22 wheels that quite frankly just look the part for this car.
14:26 And this one, yeah, it looks bitten to be honest.
14:32 I really wish Honda went for the 19-inch wheel here, but at the same time, I kind of understand
14:37 why they went for the smaller wheel because of our roads.
14:42 But still, there's that term called "teis ganda" and we're willing to trade a slightly
14:45 firmer ride for better-looking wheels.
14:51 So what do we think of the 6th generation Honda CR-V RS Hybrid?
14:54 Bit of a mouthful and that's not even its full name, but anyway, let's run it by its
14:59 pros and cons.
15:00 Now, we like the design, we love the handling, we love the comfort that this thing gives,
15:06 and especially the power train, the fuel efficiency it gives, and the power it punches.
15:12 Feels like a 3-liter V6 but doesn't drink like it.
15:15 Far from it.
15:16 And for those who miss the old diesel, I'm here to tell you that this is way more efficient.
15:22 Space inside is fantastic as well, and the features that it offers, we got Honda Sensing
15:28 and whatnot, this is fully loaded.
15:31 Now for the cons, well, we're not a fan of the wheel design to be honest.
15:36 We think it's too small.
15:38 But really the thing that sort of spoils it for us is the rear area materials.
15:45 If you're seated back there and we tell you the price, you're not going to think it costs
15:49 that much because it just doesn't suit the rest of the character of the car.
15:54 Now, if you're interested in this one, it retails for Php2,590,000.
16:00 What would we rate it?
16:02 We say it rates an easy 9 out of 10 because as a car, it's just brilliant.
16:08 [Music]
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