Over the course of November & December 2024 and January 2025, Harry and I were tasked with spending our weeks behind the wheel of Honda’s new CR-V range through a series of long-term reviews. Our stint would begin with the entry level car, the CR-V Sport AWD, then progressing to the CR-V Sport 7 and finally, finishing off with the range topping CR-V RS e:HEV.
My respective time with the AWD and Sport 7 cars went some way towards telling me exactly why the CR-V has been so successful for Honda through the years. This latest generation car is no different, only larger! As a whole, the platform offers oodles of interior space, passenger comfort, safety and an appropriate amount of technology with a respectable level of fuel efficiency too. Overall, the two cars were extremely well rounded. However, the RS e:HEV range topper is quite different to the aforementioned cars, not just in its powertrain but also through the equipment on offer, not to mention the price.
Many of our regular readers will know that I am a fan of car colours, preferring to steer clear of the ordinary blacks, whites and silvers where possible. The CR-V range allows for a little bit of fun in this respect, not too much though! Even still, it was a shame that our AWD and Sport 7 review cars came in Silver (Lunar Silver Metallic) and White (Platinum White Pearl) respectively, making them the ultimate non-descript or “NPC cars” on the road. Not the RS though, this time Honda brought their ‘a-game’, offering us a review model in ‘Canyon River Blue Metallic’. The colour might be a mouthful to say but in person, it is a feast for the eyes. It plays with the light, appearing darker or lighter depending on the environment on offer, there’s a pleasing metallic flake to thank for that! For those in the market, ‘Ignite Red Metallic’ is worth a look too.
Why do I keep harping on about the colour, well it really makes the car standout. Given the RS model has plenty of gloss black and chrome elements around, gloss black wheels too, choosing a colour that compliments the car’s lines makes all the difference!
The list of RS’ specific elements keep going too with a roofline spoiler, black door mirrors, black shark fin antenna, polished exhaust tips and body coloured wheel arches, you do feel like you get plenty for your money. After all, the RS is NZD $14,000 more than the entry level model but Honda have gone some way to justify that price increase and we haven’t even gotten inside the car yet!
At the front, a sportier bonnet and more pronounced bumpers further add to the RS’ look. Red badging on the front and rear helps make the distinction between trim levels.
Speaking of trim, the RS’ interior is very nicely kitted out indeed! Firstly, the doors open with the cladding ensuring that your trouser legs are always clean. The rear doors also open to nearly 90 degrees, making the CR-V a dream for young parents with car seat age children. That aside, the seats are leather appointed with red stitching all around, including the steering wheel and gear shifter. Did I mention that the seats are electronically adjusted at the front and have three levels of heating too?
Looking at the wider dashboard, there’s a nice polished metallic trim that runs through and onto the doors, only available in the RS car once again, cleverly hidden ambient lighting makes itself known at night. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a panoramic sunroof overhead with an excellent blind that literally blocks out the sun when needed, an absolute necessity given that I had this car over summer! For melomaniacs like me, a 12-speaker Bose audio system completes the RS specific experience on the inside. Acoustics are great too, thanks to double glazed windows that shut out the world outside.
Push the red ‘engine start’ button and the RS will come to life, rather silently though! Remember that this has an e:HEV powertrain underneath as opposed to the 1.5L VTEC turbo that powers the Sport 7 & AWD variants. Straight away, this unit is the pick of the bunch. Power delivery is smooth and the unit doesn’t feel quite as strained as the non-hybrid engine. Yes, the engine is a 2L in this RS model so it does trump the others in this department. 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque are harnessed through an e-CVT gearbox. The driving modes, ‘normal, sport and eco’ help harness this according to the driver’s preferences.
Obviously, the CR-V is not a sportscar so barring the odd moment spent in ‘sport’, I found myself tootling around in ‘eco’ instead, keen to see what I could return in terms of fuel efficiency, exciting stuff! During my circa 1000km review of the RS, I averaged an amazing 5L/100km, a marked improvement over the 8.2L/100km figure that Harry and I averaged in the Sport variants. However, I do have to give kudos to the AWD as it is the pick of the bunch for cornering ability so keep that in mind if you are keen on those apexes!
The Verdict
As said in my previous review, the new Honda CR-V is an extremely well rounded car. My biggest pain point with the Sport variants was the engine which felt underpowered at times. The RS not only fixes that with more power while also being significantly more efficient, the luxurious tidbits don’t go amiss either! At $67,000 NZD, it is $14,000 more than the entry level Sport AWD but brings plenty of upgrades both inside, outside and mechanically to justify the steeper price. All in all, I find myself in an unfamiliar position for the second time this year. Deservedly, the CR-V RS gets a “would own” from me.
2024 Honda CR-V RS e:HEV: 5/5
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Words and pictures by Matthew D’Souza.
