2018 Honda CR-V vs rivals: Specifications comparison

The Honda CR-V needs no introduction – from the second-generation model to the fourth-gen car currently on sale, the CR-V has been around long enough, with the current-gen model staying on the fringes of the SUV space in our market. However, the India-bound, fifth-gen model has two key differences – for the first time ever, it will be offered as a seven-seat SUV, and in another first, will be available with a diesel engine. Honda hopes these points will allow the CR-V to compete on a more even footing, but how does it stack up against its rivals on paper? Let's take a look at how it measures up against other monocoque SUVs it’ll go up against – the Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Kodiaq, Mitsubishi Outlander and the Jeep Compass.

Dimensions

Compared to the model currently on sale, the fifth-gen CR-V is noticeably bulkier and has a taller stance. On paper, it has grown length- and width-wise, with a longer wheelbase. It's notably longer than some of its smaller rivals like the Compass, the Tucson, and the Tiguan, but even those are roughly as wide and as tall as the new CR-V, with a similar wheelbase. Compared to the only other seven-seat SUVs here, the CR-V is actually smaller, with the Kodiaq being the biggest of the lot, size-wise. Of course, with the Compass, Tucson, and Tiguan being strict five-seaters, they have more boot space than the CR-V even when they're carrying people. And among the seven-seaters, with all three rows up, it is the Kodiaq that has more boot space – 270 litres beats the CR-V's 150 litres.

Engine and gearbox

As expected, there will be a 154hp, 2.0-litre petrol engine, and for the first time ever, the CR-V will get a diesel, too – a 1.6-litre, single-turbo engine making 120hp and 300Nm of torque. Those aren't shining figures for an SUV of this class, and Honda has opted to bring the single-turbo rather than the twin-turbo version of the engine to India to keep costs down. It's understood the twin-turbo arrangement would have bumped up the CR-V’s price by up to Rs 1.5 lakh, and that wouldn't be ideal. But while this move will help Honda keep the price in check, on paper, the CR-V's engines – petrol and diesel – are the least powerful in its class. The only rivals available with a petrol here are the Compass, Tucson, and Outlander, and they're all more powerful. The same goes for their far more potent diesel engines, as well.

Honda has chosen to give a manual gearbox a miss on the new CR-V. Instead, it will offer a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on the 2.0-litre petrol, and the 1.6-litre diesel will only be available with a nine-speed automatic. As such, the CR-V will be front-wheel drive, but the top-spec diesel variant will get all-wheel-drive. What's worth noting here is the fact that all the CR-V's rivals offer an all-wheel-drive variant.

Interestingly, it's only the diesel CR-V that will get paddleshifters. In contrast, the petrol-powered Outlander (also available only with a CVT) does get paddleshifters, and the Compass and Tucson do get the option of a manual gearbox. The Tiguan and Kodiaq employ a seven-speed automatic, and while the Compass can only be had with a seven-speed auto on the petrol, that will change soon with the introduction of the Trailhawk diesel-automatic variant.

Price

One thing that is unlikely to change with the new CR-V is its high price. When it launches in October this year, the CR-V range is expected to start at Rs 27 lakh for the petrol trim, with the diesel variants priced north of Rs 30 lakh. In comparison, the Compass petrol line-up ranges from Rs 15.35 lakh to Rs 20.50 lakh, while the Compass diesel is priced from Rs 16.55 lakh to Rs 21.94 lakh. The Tucson petrol range starts at Rs 18.3 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 22.55 lakh, with the diesel ranging from Rs 20.3 lakh to Rs 25.74 lakh. As for the diesel-only Tiguan range, it begins with the Comfortline, priced at Rs 27.49 lakh, and ends with the Highline, priced at Rs 30.87 lakh. The Outlander and Kodiaq – both offered only in one fully loaded variant – are priced at Rs 31.54 lakh and Rs 34.84 lakh, respectively. It must be said that at its estimated price, the CR-V will be stepping on the toes of the big boys – the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour.

These are the facts. But how different these SUVs are from each other and what they're truly capable of is what we'll find out when we get the whole bunch together, and that's sure to happen very soon.

Do you think the CR-V presents an attractive enough package, or are its rivals far too strong? Let us know in the comments.

Also see:

New Honda CR-V image gallery

2018 Honda CR-V diesel review, test drive

Honda CR-V India launch in October 2018