2018 Honda CR-V launched at Rs 28.15 lakhs

- The 2018 Honda CR-V is an all-new car from the grounds-up

- Available in both petrol and diesel guises

- Now gets a seven-seater option to go with the diesel motor

Honda has just launched the fifth generation CR-V in India at Rs 28.15 lakhs (ex-showroom).

First impressions of the CR-V reveal the potent design-lines that give this high-riding Honda a butch stance which wasn't present in its predecessor. As a matter of fact, this iteration is substantially larger than the outgoing CR-V. And given that the wheelbase has been stretched by an additional 40mm, it carved out enough room for Honda to package a third row of seats.

The spacious interiors are not only all-new, a number of trims and finishes have been infused to make it appeal to the masses. It is also loaded to the teeth. There's a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, smart boot-opening, push button start and a panorama sun-roof. It is also equipped with an electric parking brake, auto brake hold, ABS with EBD and brake assist, vehicle stability assist, motion-adaptive EPS, hill-start assist, side airbags, multi-angle rear-view camera, left blind-spot camera view and driver attention monitor. Phew!

Going forth, the 2018 CR-V gets two engine options. One is a 2-litre petrol motor that makes 154bhp/189Nm (CVT gearbox) with a claimed efficiency of 14.4kmpl. And the other is a diesel 1.6-litre with 120bhp/300Nm on tap (9-speed AT). Honda claims the 2WD diesel version will return 19.5kmpl, and the AWD diesel model should cover 18.3km on a litre of diesel.

The 2018 Honda CR-V will compete with SUVs such as the Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Tucson and the Toyota Fortuner.

Here are the model-wise ex-showroom prices-

Petrol 2WD - Rs 28.15 lakhs

Diesel 2WD - Rs 30.65 lakhs

Diesel AWD - Rs 32.75 lakhs

Click here to read our review of the Honda CR-V Diesel AWD version