The Honda CR-V e:HEV RS is the third iteration of the all-new CR-V that I have driven and with it’s mild hybrid engine, it should be the most fuel efficient among them. Unlike traditional mild-hybrids, the e:HEV RS’s engine aids the electric motor, not the other way around.
The five-seat e:HEV RS is the highest spec CR-V available and comes standard with an impressive list of kit. The e:HEV RS can be differentiated from the other CR-Vs thanks to the 19-inch dark alloy wheels, black shark fin antenna, black door mirrors and pillars, body colour wheel arches, and black tailgate spoiler. On the interior you get black leather-appointed seat trim with red stitching, leather steering wheel and gear shifter with red stitching and a black headliner.
The front-wheel drive only e:HEV RS is powered by a 2.0 litre engine + 2-Motor Hybrid System. The maximum power available is 135kW and maximum torque of 335Nm, which is 95Nm more than the 1.5 litre petrol engine found in the other CR-V variants. There are three drive modes available, Sport, Normal, and Econ, and I spent my week in Normal mode only. The engine is paired with an electric Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT), which has plastic steering wheel-mounted deceleration paddle selectors.
The e:HEV RS has an official combined fuel economy of 5.5L/100km and for my time with this CR-V I used 6.0L/100km. Compared to the two previous CR-Vs I have driven, the official combined fuel consumption of the front-wheel drive L7 CR-V is 7.3L/100km and I used 8.6L/100km of petrol. For the AWD LX the official combined fuel consumption is 7.7L/100km and for my time with this CR-V I used 9.8L/100km.
The braked towing capacity for the L7 is 1,000kg and the LX AWD is 1,500kg, while the e:HEV RS has just 750kg available. All new CR-Vs have a unbraked towing capacity of 600kg and a maximum tow ball downforce of 100kg, with this dropping to 75kg.
The e:HEV RS delivers an impressive driving experience and offers a comfortable ride for passengers. This particular CR-V had 17,000km on the odometer and was still looking fresh with very few marks on the centre console and no signs of wear on the seats. Both front seats are heated and have power adjustment for recline and forward/back. The driver’s seat also gets seat height adjustment front and rear, 4-way lumber support, and two memory positions.
There’s hands-free keyless entry on the front doors and keyless start so your car key can remain in your handbag. The driver information interface is a 10.2” LED colour display and there’s a 9-inch infotainment screen featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You can enjoy your streamed music on the Bose premium sound system featuring 12 speakers including a dedicated subwoofer and dynamic speed compensation, with the other media sources available being AM/FM radio, DAB, Bluetooth, or USB.
At the front of the centre console there’s a wireless phone charger for compatible devices and a USB-A port, which you need to use for connecting to Android Auto (you get wireless Apple CarPlay), and there’s also another USB-C port and a 12V socket here.
There’re some clever interior features including the curved mirror built into the roof mounted sunglass holder so that you can look at rear seat passengers without turning you head. The two cup holders in the centre console with grippy sides and a removeable rubber mat in their base for easy cleaning and there’s good size drink bottle storage in front doors as well. The deep cubby under the arm rest is large enough that would fit a small soft handbag, so it’s not sitting on the passenger seat in open view.
I like the honeycomb dash detail, but cleaning it may be difficult? I didn’t like that that the two central vents can’t be closed off and I still had the same temperature issues I have encountered previously in the new Civic and ZR-V. It feels to me like there is no temperature variation between the Lo temp setting and the Hi temp setting, so if I am after a comfortable temp between these two, I just can’t find it.
For me, there was a good amount of leg and head room in the rear seats, but the lip around the panoramic sunroof does reduce headroom, and only the front half of the sunroof opens. There are two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points and the centre restraint point is roof mounted. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two rigid cup holders in it and there are also good-sized drink bottle storage cubbies of the rear doors.
Rear passengers get two central air vents with individual direction control and one central on/off roller switch. Below the air vents there are two USB-C ports and I like that there is one single floor mat over the rear floor as this reduces wear and makes it easier to vacuum up the crumbs
The powered tailgate has an open/close button on the tailgate, in the cabin, and on the key fob. It also has the handy hands-free walk away close that allows you to push the close button, then gather your items and walk away and the boot then closes and locks the car. The boot space is a good size and has four substantial tie down points, two hooks, two lights and one 12V socket located here and there’s a tyre repair kit located under the boot floor.
The all-new Honda CR-V has a achieved a four-star ANCAP (2024) safety rating under the more stringent testing protocols. The Adult Occupant Protection score is 88% (35.23 out of 40) and a Child Occupant Protection score of 88% (43.25 out of 49). Passive safety includes driver, front passenger, side front, side rear, knee (front), centre (front), and full-length curtain airbags. For convenience you also get auto lights, auto high-beam (only on the e:HEV RS) and auto wipers and the standard rear-view camera has front and rear parking sensors.
The all-new CR-V comes standard with new and advanced active and passive safety technology including improved Honda SENSING driver-assistance technology with a new front camera and radar system. Honda SENSING technology on all CR-V variants includes Forward Collision Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation System, and Adaptive Cruise Control, and these can be customised for how they operate. Apart from the base model VTi X, they also come with blind spot information system and rear cross traffic alert.
ANCAP tests of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios, including in many of the AEB Junction and some of the AEB Crossing scenarios where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across or into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The AEB system is effective in mitigating collisions in the Head-On travelling straight scenario, but not in the lane change scenario (where an oncoming vehicle moves into the path of the subject vehicle). ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance in lane keep assist scenarios, and ADEQUATE performance in the more critical emergency lane keep scenarios.
All new Honda’s sold in Australia come with the Honda Road Ahead Guarantee that includes a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, eight-year IMA battery module warranty for the e:HEV RS, five years Premium Roadside Assist, five years map updates for the satellite navigation system, and a 5-year Honda Connect subscription. For the all-new Honda CR-Vs the service schedule is every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first and these are capped at $199 each.
Purchasing your new Honda is made easy with the Honda One Price Promise. This means your new Honda has the same price no matter which Honda Centre you visit in your State or Territory, haggle free! The Honda CR-V e:HEV RS starts at $60,400 drive away, but Honda Australia is currently offering 2023 Build Stock CR-Vs at a clearance price of $59,900 drive away while stocks lasts. This price also includes an 8 Year Unlimited KM Warranty, 8 Year Premium Roadside Assist, and a Honda Genuine Carpet Mat Set. Visit your preferred Honda Centre for more information or build and price your new Honda CR-V online.
| Pros | Cons |
| Better efficiency & greater torque from hybrid engine | The temperature control issues |
| Now has an ANCAP safety rating | Can’t close off the central front air vents |
| Premium interior finishes | Braked towing capacity is 750kg |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.