HONDA has kicked off 2007 with the redesigned CR-V, representing the biggest visual departure for the popular compact SUV since the 1997 original’s neat packaging and lifestyle-enhancing promise wooed buyers by the tens of thousands. Adopting the same approach as the 2004 Odyssey, the latest CR-V is more space efficient, as well as more attractively finished, quieter and measurably better to drive. However, these days, the segment has plenty of new talent, so has Honda done enough to keep its sole 4WD wagon entrant relevant?

Honda CR-V Mk2
Released: 2001
Ended: 2007
Family Tree: CR-VTHE second-generation CR-V was a world of difference compared to its attractive but underwhelming predecessor, with huge strides in refinement, space, performance and dynamic aptitude. On the downside, the styling was gawky and the cabin unnecessarily utilitarian for a vehicle based on the front-wheel drive Civic platform. Offered with a potent new 118kW/220Nm 2.4-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine were the base and Sport models, featuring a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic driving a part-time 4WD set-up. A facelift in late 2004 added a number of mostly cosmetic changes, along with a five-speed automatic transmission.
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