Honda CR-V 2021 review: VTi

Priced from $34,200 plus on-road costs, the CR-V VTi has an immediate and appealing advantage over most of its equivalently priced competitors like the $35,100 Hyundai Tucson Active X, $33,590 Kia Sportage SX, $33,190 Mazda CX-5 Maxx, $32,665 Nissan X-Trail ST, $35,190 Subaru Forester 2.5i and $34,695 Toyota RAV4 GX… and that’s turbo muscle.

No humdrum atmo fours for this particular Honda, because the VTi is powered by a 140kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo engine, driving the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Only the $35,990 Ford Escape beats it for bang-for-your-buck in this segment, clocking in with a stirring 183kW/387Nm 2.0-litre turbo smasher.

The VTi also gains (at long last) Honda’s ‘Sensing’ safety package that includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist and steering assist. These come on top of the usual kit like six airbags, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, anti-trailer sway, driver attention-lapse warning, a hill-holder device and ISOFIX child-seat anchor points.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard with the VTi.

However, unlike the Mazda CX-5 and some others, the CR-V skips on Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA), which automatically brakes the vehicle at up to a certain speed when nosing or reversing into traffic. 

You'll also find keyless entry/start, climate control air-con, a reverse camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, electric park brake, remote-down for all electric windows, four USB ports, eight cupholders, tyre-pressure monitors, 17-inch alloy wheels and a handy “conversation mirror” for front occupants to glance out back.

There’s also something called Active Noise Control, which Honda describes as eliminating “noise caused by both (engine) cylinder deactivation and exhaust noise… (via) a front ceiling-mounted microphone and a rear tray microphone to detect any “booming” sound…then emits a mirror “anti-noise” signal through the audio system’s speakers, which effectively cancels those booming sounds and creates a quieter passenger compartment. ANC is always working, even when the audio system is turned off.” As you'll find out, we wondered whether ours was working as it should...

It may not get a lot of flashy additions, but it does come with a full-size spare.

Be aware that there is no sign of a smartphone wireless charger, Honda’s excellent “Lane Watch” side camera, digital radio or satellite navigation in the VTi. You will need to spend more on higher grades for those items.

But a full-sized spare is included.

And the second big deal about the Honda is just how family friendly it is.

The CR-V is of the larger variety of medium SUVs, like a wagon wearing stilettos, offering exceptional ground clearance (198mm) and large apertures to clamber through as you slide your backside onto lofty seats. Note that the rear doors open up a full 90 degrees to aid entry/egress.

It’s immediately clear why the Honda has such magnetic showroom appeal once sat in place. The driver feels instantly at home, surrounded by acres of space, a broad seat and excellent forward and side views afforded by deep windows. Ventilation is generous, storage vast – you can fit half a Bottle-O shop between the doors, centre-console cave and glovebox – and most switchgear and controls are exactly where they’re needed.

The driver feels instantly at home, surrounded by acres of space.

Attention has been paid to limit the amount of hardier plastics visible to the casual eye, due to careful application of vinyl, glossy black appliques, metal-look trim and even some carbon-fibre-look material dotted about the place. It smells a bit down-market, but the execution is high quality.

When Honda’s current hexagonal-themed digital instrumentation debuted in the existing Civic back in 2016, we called it out for being big and clear but hardly a thing of beauty; it’s astonishing that BMW seems to have followed suit with their current equivalents. At this VTi level, there aren’t any ‘virtual cockpit’ style configuration options, just big simple and dumb-proof icons for vehicle settings, multimedia, communication, trip-meter and other functions.

Honda has also been listening to feedback because the multimedia system is massively better than before; still touchscreen-operated, its functions are much clearer and the previous, fiddly haptic slider action has been binned for a good old-fashioned volume knob. Hooray! Two USB-A ports and a 12V outlet are provided in an excellent location. But the fact that the driver must confirm the infotainment system start-up with a press of a button every single time is infuriating. Torturous even.

Probably the first thing most folk will notice with approval is how wide that bench is.

The front seats are on the large side, yet are sufficiently comfy; the backrest has a lever adjustment for rake, there’s a height lifter and the sides are gently bolstered to help locate you better. No lumbar support adjustment, however, is disappointing.       

Just as important in the CR-V is the second row (some models offer a seven-seat option). Probably the first thing most folk will notice with approval is how wide that bench is, allowing for a trio of adults to sit back there without too much intimacy or discomfort. The 60/40 split/fold backrests recline a little, contain a helpfully wide armrest complete with cupholders, and their cushions provide adequate support.

Additionally, big feet can easily tuck in beneath the (narrow-shouldered for easier front vision) front buckets, there’s face-level ventilation, a pair of additional USB-A ports, bottle-holder door bins, two map pockets, individual reading lights and side windows that go three-quarters of the way down. Oh well, Fido. At least the way the light floods inside lifts the ambience. And the overall craftpersonship is in keeping with Honda’s reputation.

If you’re a fan of the earlier-generation CR-Vs, you may lament the discontinuation of the famous picnic table-cum-boot floor gimmick, since instead there’s just a great big flat board that’s two-sided reversible for wet gear to be stored on. Users can also fold the backrests down using a handy lever system located just inside the tailgate area, there are two lights and a full-sized spare wheel living underneath.

The luggage compartment has a big, square opening that’s easy to load things through too. Much thought has gone into the Honda’s packaging even to the literal end. Cargo capacity is rated at a cavernous 522L, extending to 1084L with the rear seats folded. That brings a welcome flat floor right up to the front seats.

Spacious, practical, airy, easy and versatile, the CR-V ticks so many boxes it is difficult to imagine a better medium SUV for the money.

Aside from diesels, Honda never really jumped on the turbo bandwagon in Australia... not until the current generation Civic and CR-V launched.

Related to the less powerful unit found in better Civics, the L15B7 VTEC is a 1498cc 1.5-litre twin-cam 16-valve four-cylinder turbo petrol engine that meets Euro 5 emissions standards.

The VTi is the cheapest CR-V you can buy with this far-superior engine than the old single-cam 2.0-litre atmo unit offered in the base Vi.

Delivering 140kW of power at 5600rpm and 240Nm of torque between 2000rpm and 5000rpm, it tips the scales at 1536kg, for a power-to-weight ratio of a commendable 91kW/tonne.

The VTi is the cheapest CR-V you can buy with this far-superior engine than the old single-cam 2.0-litre atmo unit offered in the base Vi. It drives the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission, with no manual alternative available, sadly.

We averaged a reasonable 9.1L/100km at the pump.

While that’s some way off the official 7.0L/100km (translating to 160 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide emissions) on the official combined average cycle (that drops as low as 6.0L/100km on the extra-urban run while the urban result is 8.8L/100km), the CR-V was not spared in the interests of fuel economy. Very hot weather, lots of air-con on and quite a few higher-speed runs affected that outcome, and in that context, for such a tall vehicle weighing in at nearly 1.6 tonnes, that’s not too bad.

Note that the CR-V is tuned to operate on standard 91 RON unleaded petrol, though ours was run using the premium brew.

Fitted with a 57-litre tank, some 815km between refills is possible, extending to 952km if you pussyfoot around. Which you may not, given the rortiness of the turbo VTEC.

Like all Hondas, the CR-V offers the industry-standard five year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assistance, so it trails Kia’s leading seven-year coverage as well as Mitsubishi’s conditional 10-year regime.

It also calls for servicing once every 12 months or 10,000km whichever comes first, and features capped-price servicing known as Honda Tailored Servicing, that lasts for five years or 100,000km.

As of April 2021, each standard ‘Base’ service cost $312 annually for up to 12 years or 120,000km.