Honda CR-V 7-Seat 2018 car review

It’s a great looking SUV!

I found the CR-V to be very spacious, comfortable, and well designed. The interior layout is fantastic; there was nothing that was positioned awkwardly or hard to reach. The silver, grey and black accents gave a sense of luxury while the 7” infotainment touch screen was very user friendly with a neat picture background with the clock overlaid as the home screen. Smartphone connection is available via Apple CarPlay with Siri Eyes-Free mode and Android Auto with Google Voice.

Decked out with climate air-conditioning and heated front seats, the CR-V navigated Auckland’s motorways with warmth and comfort amidst a bit of wild wet weather before spring peered around the corner. The Sport 7 is front wheel drive so there was no driving in the mud, but the high ground clearance aided vision and on-road presence. All CR-V models come with the Honda LaneWatch camera, which brings up a camera display from the LH mirror onto the infotainment screen, it makes LH turns a lot safer for any cyclists that might be riding up on the inside.

The 7-seater has the benefit of a large boot area with the rear seats folded down, but has put on a few hundred kgs in the process. Because of this, the braked tow rating is down from 1500kg to 1000kg.

If you’re looking for a CR-V with a bit of an upgrade – check out the AWD Sport Sensing model. For a few grand extra you’ll get the likes of Honda Sensing package with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, collision warning, and lane departure as part of the many warning systems. However to go with the extra you do lose the two rear most seats, so back to a 5-seater it is.

The 1.5 Turbo engine gives the right amount of power to propel the CR-V along without the high rev screaming that we’re used to experiencing with CVT transmissions. 

CR-V variants include the 2WD Touring, AWD Touring, 2WD Sport 7, and top spec AWD Sport Sensing. All CR-V models have a new next gen Advance Compatibility Engineering (ACE) collision compatibility body, emergency stop signal (ESS), and trailer stability assist (TSA). All models still benefit from the safety of 6 airbags, driver attention monitor, straight driving assist, and cruise control with speed limiter.

The new CR-V has received a 5-Star ANCAP safety rating.

Update for 2019

A new Limited model 7-seat has been added to the lineup under $40k. Combining luxury features usually reserved for top spec models and amazing value, the CR-V Limited 7 brings luxury to price conscious New Zealand families who want the extra versatility and flexibility of 7 seats.