2015 Honda CR-V: Will It Hang On To Compact SUV Sales Crown?
The Honda CR-V has been the compact SUV sales champion for 7 of the past 10 years. But with competition in the segment heating up, Honda is hoping that their mid-cycle refresh will keep the CR-V attractive to buyers in the fastest-growing segment in the new car market.
Styling tweaks aside, the CR-V gains a new direct-injection 2.4L engine. Horsepower is unchanged, but torque is up 11 percent to 181 lb-ft, while a CVT replaces the venerable 5-speed automatic gearbox. The interior has also undergone a restyling that adds a more modern look and what appear to be better materials.
As of September 1st, the CR-V led the Ford Escape by just under 10,000 units in year-to-date sales. The new mid-cycle changes should help put a bit more distance between the two vehicles, but the CR-V must also contend with new entrants like the Nissan Rogue, Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Forester, which are vying for market share in a segment ripe with conquest sales.
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They're too damn big now. Even my previous gen '09 feels too damn big now. And the Vezel comes pre-lobotomized with the roofline of a coupe. If I buy another Honda, it'll be a Fit.
Disclaimer: This is the third time I try to post this comment, so I'm sorry if all of the sudden there are thres coment swhowing up here... On the outside the CRV has grown .3 inches in length, grown 1.5 inches wider, but has lost about 1 inch or more, depending on version, in roof height (and some more in ground clearance), since 1996. It essentially occupies exactly as much space as it did when the first gen came out, but it definitely looks a lot bigger, and it feels a lot more spacious up front too. It's all clever packaging and design.