2018 Honda CR-V: Competition Check

Honda has launched the all-new CR-V in India after revealing the car at the Auto Expo 2018 in February earlier this year. Now a seven-seat SUV, the Honda CR-V gets a lot of bling and a price tag starting above Rs 28 lakhs ex-showroom for the petrol, going all the way above Rs 32 lakhs for the top-spec all-wheel drive diesel. The price tag puts it right in the territory of the big-fat SUVs like the Endeavour, the Fortuner and also the Tiguan and the Kodiaq and we find out how it fares.

1. Ford Endeavour

The Ford Endeavour is one of the best amongst the big-fat SUVs sold in India. It has got one of the most powerful engines, is the biggest in size and also has excellent ride quality. While the Endeavour is the old-school body-on-frame SUV, the CR-V is a monocoque car built to be more of an urban-SUV. The CR-V is smaller but more sophisticated in terms of design and gets LED headlamps and a panoramic sunroof over the Endeavour. Also, the 1.6-litre engine will mean much better fuel economy for the diesel. 

2. Toyota Fortuner

The Fortuner has made a mark for itself as the ultimate fat SUV in the segment and it reflects in sales numbers. The high-riding has both petrol and diesel options in manual and diesel as well as with four-wheel drive. The CR-V does not offer manual options and only the diesel gets AWD unlike the full-time 4WD of the Fortuner. While we cannot comment on the cabin space as yet, the CR-V will feel more car-like.

3. Volkswagen Tiguan

The Tiguan is a five-seater SUV and matches the CR-V in its essence. Both the SUVs are car-like and premium. The Tiguan gets the 2.0-diesel engine that develops much more power than the Honda CR-V but does not have a petrol option. Like the CR-V, the Tiguan gets a panoramic sunroof but misses out on the LED headlamps. Both the machines get all-wheel drive and a fully-loaded features list and the top-spec Tiguan is cheaper than the CR-V by a couple of lakhs as well.

4. Skoda Kodiaq

The Kodiaq and the CR-V are very similar cars. Both of them are soft roaders, have seven seats and are offered in one single trim. While the CR-V has petrol and 2WD options, the Kodiaq gets AWD standard. The two premium SUVs also get similar features lists, which is basically loaded with all the bells and whistles. The Kodiaq shares its engine with the Tiguan and is much more powerful than the 1.6-litre 120bhp turbodiesel of the CR-V and is a little more expensive than the Honda.