There’s a new hybrid in town. Honda has launched the new CR-V e:HEV in South Africa, and it’s actually cheaper than the automaker’s turbocharged petrol model. It still fetches a bonkers price — R950,000 — but with the reward being Honda’s self-charging hybrid technology underneath the luxury shell, it may be worth a look.
That petrol model we mentioned is officially headed for the door. The CR-V e:HEV is taking its spot locally. The outgoing model was fixed at a price of more than R1 million, a hard sell for anybody. But if you knock 90 odd thousand bucks off the price and chuck in some self-charging tech, you’ll get attention. It’s working.
Best of both worlds?
Being an all-wheel-drive (AWD) SUV with dreams of seeing the world (or the country, at least), Honda’s kitted the e:HEV out with a 2L petrol engine capable of producing 106kW and 189Nm by itself. Throw in the two electric motors generating 135kW and 335 Nm, and baby… you got a stew going. There’s no need to plug it in, either.
It’ll bounce between three different driving modes, depending on your needs. There’s ‘EV Drive’, which uses battery power alone, while the engine rests. It’s silent and handy if you’re not going all that far. Have you seen the price of petrol lately? ‘Hybrid Drive’ comes out when the battery needs charging, booting up the engine to drive the generator motor while the wheels are still powered electrically. ‘Engine Drive’… well, you can guess.
Technologically, it’s sound. The 9in infotainment and 10.2in TFT instrument clusters won’t exactly blow your hair back, but the panoramic sunroof might. There’s also a heads-up display, a ‘LaneWatch’ camera, and Honda’s ‘Sensing’ driver-assistance suite to look forward to as well. ‘Eco-friendly’ leather upholstery completes the look.
The Honda CR-V e:HEV is available from R950,000 at “select” Honda dealerships starting today, 14 October.
